If you get our weekend newsletter on Sundays, then you already know that my daughter and I took a quick trip to Salzburg, Austria, this past weekend. Since we just arrived home today, I thought I’d share a few pictures with you.
It was rainy and pretty chilly (in the 40s mostly) but Salzburg is absolutely beautiful and of course we still had a wonderful time. It was about a 3.5 hour drive from Stuttgart, so a very easy trip. There were no crowds; I had an interesting and sad discussion with the manager of our hotel about how the tourism industry has been devastated this year by Covid-related travel restrictions. We were in a wonderful boutique hotel with just sixteen rooms and we might have been the only guests this weekend because it was very quiet. They took exceptional care of us and we will be back again!
After checking in and dropping off our bags, we grabbed coffee and a cinnamon sugar pretzel and took the funicular railroad to the top of the Hohensalzburg Fortress. The view from the top is above; the fortress itself is at the top of this photo I took from the Museum of Modern Art.
After doing a little shopping, we headed back to the hotel to change for dinner. We attended a Mozart concert and dinner in the baroque hall of St Peter’s Benedictine monastery, and both were wonderful. We shared a three-course dinner at a table with a lovely couple from Frankfurt, then enjoyed duets and arias from two opera singers and a chamber ensemble. Salzburg is home to world-class musicians and artists and they were excellent.
Food is a recurring theme in my travel posts because we are huge foodies. We typically don’t buy a lot of souvenirs, preferring to spend our travel budget on great meals instead.
The breakfast at our hotel on Sunday morning was stellar and just what we needed before braving the cold and rain for our Sound of Music tour.
Annabelle hadn’t seen the movie for quite a few years, but I’ve watched it dozens and dozens of times, so it was a real treat for me.
Typical of Hollywood, there wasn’t a single location where they filmed…the lake behind one schloss was used, then the exterior of another (they built sets in Hollywood for the interiors), etc.
This is the real “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” gazebo; however:
We also went out the Lake District to Mondsee to see the church where the Captain and Maria were married in the movie.
The tour finished up at the Mirabell Palace and Gardens (you might recognize the gardens from “Do Re Mi.”
Then we grabbed coffee in at Cafe Fürst, along with some famous Mozartkugel (Mozart balls), and then felt sufficiently revitalized to hit the Dom Quartier and Cathedral.
We also went back to St Peter’s (where we attended the Mozart dinner and concert the night before) to walk through the cemetery and catacombs.
Our sightseeing day ended at the Museum of Modern Art. We had initially intended to also stop into see Mozart’s birthplace, but decided an hour of downtime at the hotel before dinner was necessary. We ate dinner at our hotel; the restaurant has a Michelen star and was absolutely delicious. In case you’re wondering, I had their signature fried chicken and Annabelle had their autumnal market salad; we shared Salzburg’s famous Nockerl (a sweet soufflé) for dessert.
We headed home this morning; the weather was still yucky and while it was a school holiday for Columbus Day, my daughter is right in the middle of college essays and applications, so she wanted a few hours to work. It’s such an easy drive that we’ll most certainly be back again soon.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye!
Thank you for sharing your experiences in Germany. My husband and I love to travel and are feeling locked in since Covid. We too are foodies- so keep sharing the photos.
So glad you enjoyed the post. I will keep eating my way through Europe–for you! What can I say, I’m a giver… 😉
I’m so jealous I can’t stand it! I’ve been to all these places. That nockerl looks fabulous, please keep posting. Cold and rainy here in Warrenton, Va. also.
Hi, Diane–It was really good. We could have fed four people with it for sure.
Our rain has let up but it’s still gray and gloomy–a great day to stay inside.
Take care,Christy
What a fun trip. I was there and saw all the same places about 25 years ago, so it was fun to see them again. You will have so many wonderful places to tour during your stay there. I agree, the food is fabulous, everything I ate while I was there was sooooo good.
It’s amazing to me how long some of these buildings have been around–the abbey from 700AD for example. It really puts things in perspective.
Covid numbers are creeping up here in Europe so it might be a quiet winter at home, but that’s ok too. I hope you are fully recovered; I continue to pray for you, my friend!
What a wonderful weekend! I’m so glad you’re enjoying all that Germany has to offer and then including us in your adventures. There’s such beauty and history to discover! I’m definitely a foodie and appreciate the photos you’re sharing. I do hope the hotel can stay in business ~ such a delightful place!
Have a blessed week!
xo
Pat
I agree. It’s so sad to hear the tour operators, restaurant owners, and hoteliers talk about the devastation their businesses have experienced this year. So many families are struggling as a result!
Wow! Such a beautiful city–even in the rain. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad we went. It might not be as easy to travel during fall and winter so we felt like we should go while we still could.
Wow! Great pictures. I loved my visit there as well. How did you sign up for the tours? And the concert. Did you book it all at MWR? I love that you are seeing what you can during this time of COVID. I’m sorry Vienna is red right now. Hopefully it will turn green while you’re there. Good luck to your daughter on her college essays and applications. Enjoy all you can!
Hey, Heidi–Actually, none of this was through MWR, although when we went to Italy last month we booked through the USO and a private company that partners with them. I used TripAdvisor to find the hotel, the tour, and the concert. I like being able to read lots of reviews ahead of time. We’ll save Vienna for another time; I have a feeling our numbers are starting to creep up again and they’ll lock us down this fall and winter. 🙁
One of the wonderful things about Stuttgart is how many places are close enough for day to weekend trips! The surrounding area is charming too. Looking forward to reading about future trips.
I agree–and there are so many great places here in Germany that we haven’t experienced yet. I love sharing with you all so am very glad that you enjoy it, too!
Love seeing the pictures – what a great time you had…………how are the people knowing you are from America?
Be safe in your travels………..thanks for sharing!!
It’s our unaccented “American” English; very different from how the Brits speak. It’s funny how they know almost right away!
LOVED SEEING THESE PICTURES ONCE AGAIN. IT’S BEAUTIFUL THERE. ENJOY MANY MORE PLACES DURING YOUR TIME THERE. WILL YOUR SON GET TO COME OVER DURING HIS WINTER BREAK?
I sure hope so! Still waiting to see what happens with travel restrictions over the next month or so but I am praying that he will.
Thanks for the tour of Salzburg. We were there 20 years ago (part of a 2 week tour around the Passion Play at Oberammergau ). It is beautiful. Glad you had a great time.
We have a friend stationed at Oberammergau and he said their kids were selected to participate in that, so hopefully they’ll be able to put it on next year. You know I’ll be keeping you posted on that!
I took the sound of music tour back in 1985! As poor college students traveling by train it was a good way to see more of Salzburg. I am also a huge fan of the movie and enjoyed it very much.
Please keep writing about your travels. So many of us are living vicariously through you.
Kristina
Oh, thank you–I surely will!
Salzburg is amazing, but did you really get your Louis bag on eBay?!?! I’m SO intrigued! I would be way too nervous of fakes!
Ha–great question! No, I actually bought mine brand new in 1993 with my very first post-college paycheck. I still have it and the wallet I purchased at Saks at the same time. They don’t make the St. Cloud anymore and the only place you can find them is on eBay/Poshmark, etc, so that’s why I linked it there. I don’t think they usually make fakes for the ones that are discontinued. I carry it when we travel because it’s smaller and a cross-body but it’s honestly too small for all the junk I carry around on a day-to-day basis. I’m hoping to add a new one to my collection this year since we get the benefit of the VAT forms. Hope you are well, McKay!
Christy