Salzburg Old City Tour
Behind us is the scenic Old City of Salzburg with the Hohensalzburg Fortress perched above Festungsberg overlooking the historical district.
They say that a trip to Austria wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Salzburg -- I couldn’t agree more. Apart from being just a setting for the movie The Sound of Music, Salzburg is also the birthplace of the child prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Salzburg Festival, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Mozart Kugel, and a melting pot of culture and the arts.
I vaguely remember the very first time I visited Salzburg with my cousin, Tats, and my mom. We went all around the usual touristy spots such as the Pferdschwemme (The Horse Pond) wherein horses used to be cleaned and bathed when the Prince-Archbishop reigned supreme. During my first visit to Salzburg, I couldn’t quite recall if I’d already watched the movie The Sound of Music since I was less than 7 years old then. But what I did remember was how beautiful and well kept the Old City was.
Even then, Salzburg has always had been a place of inspiration.
It was during our extended stay in Austria that I appreciated Salzburg even more. By that time, I was well aware of the movie, and I was excited to visit Salzburg and see everything up close. This time around, my family and I explored the city by foot and walked through the famous Getreidegasse, the street lined with shops marked by unique store signs that also happened to house the birthplace of Mozart. Admittedly, however, my most favorite memory of Salzburg as a child was when I first stepped inside the Nonnberg Abbey. To this day, that memory would always bring a smile on my face.
This time around, I wondered how Salzburg would appeal to me now as an adult. I asked myself, would it bring the same fascination and affection it did me when I was a child? One thing was sure; Salzburg was going to be a new experience, one that will be met with a fresh pair of eyes.
It was in October 2016, when my husband and I visited Austria (sans our children), I wanted to share with him the beauty of Salzburg. I did my research before our trip and found Michaela Muhr from the Salzburg Experience. She had excellent reviews, and I emailed her straight away. I wanted a private and personalized tour of Salzburg with a guide that had a keen knowledge of the old city in which we could explore in our own pace, as well as someone having a good command of the English language. Calling the outskirts of Salzburg her home along with her family, and obtaining her studies in LA, Michaela seemed like the perfect fit, and I gravitated to her almost immediately.
Our tour began in the old city of Salzburg and met Michaela by the Pferdschwemme then proceeded to the Salzburg Old Town by foot. When exploring the Old Town of Salzburg, it’s best to go by foot as few streets accommodate cars. Along the Getreidegasse, we stopped by the Birthplace of Mozart and proceeded inside. Here, Michaela gave us a tour of the living quarters while sharing with us little-known facts and other information of the child prodigy and his family. Walking through the narrow halls and seeing the humble living quarters, one can almost imagine what it was like during his time being surrounded by furniture and items that date back to the same period. The Mozarts Geburtshaus is one of the most visited museums in Salzburg showing one-of-a-kind paraphernalia and portraits of the Mozart family.
The Pferdschwemme or Horse Pond, is the place where horses of the prince-archbishops were being washed and cleaned for the parade.
The Getreidegasse is one of my favorite streets in Salzburg's Old Town as well as one of the oldest shopping streets in Europe. With walls lined with distinctive and decorative wrought iron business signs, this is one of the most charming places to go window shopping.
We then proceeded to the organic market at Kajetanerplatz. It was here that Maria showed off her juggling skills in the movie along with the Trapp children. During the week, it’s an entirely functional marketplace for everyone to enjoy. However, during the weekend, the place comes alive with a full line of vendors selling local produce from around the region. My favorite will always be the food. Here, you can choose from cured meats and cheeses that will surely delight every palate. Walking further, we headed to the Felsenreitschule, the concert hall of the von Trapp’s final performance before they fled the country on foot to Switzerland.
The Felsenreitschule or the is the famous concert hall in which Maria, the Captain along with the rest of the von Trapp children made their last performance before heading the hills.
Continuing our tour, we walked from the Residenzplatz and Domplatz, then proceeded to the Kapitelplatz where you can have a clear view of the Hohensalzburg, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in Europe while overlooking the old town of Salzburg below. Halfway to the Hohensalzburg, you can also see the Nonnberg Abbey, another landmark that was made famous by the movie. We paid a visit to the Dom zu Salzburg, the Salzburg Cathedral and lingered there a couple of minutes and basked under its glorious architecture. We also set out to St. Peter’s Cemetery, the backdrop of another famous scene in the Sound of Music where the von Trapps hid from being caught by the Nazis. Our last leg of the tour was a walk to the Mozart Wohnhaus (Mozart’s Residence), after crossing the Makarsteg Bridge also known as the "Love Lock Bridge" that leads to the Mirabell Palace and Gardens.
The interior of the Salzburg Cathedral owes its design feature to the early Baroque period.
This baptismal font at the Dom zu Salzburg or the Salzburg Cathedral has seen a number of historical personas being Christened, including Mozart.
The Kapitelplatz, with its main feature called the Sphaera, is a sculpture made by artist Stephan Balkenhol. It is a figure of a man atop an enormous golden sphere that is indeed larger than life.
This delicious place is where the original Mozartkugel all began with Paul Fürst. This mouthwatering delight consisted of dark chocolate, pistachio, marzipan, and nougat all rolled into one ball which Fürst aptly named after Salzburg's beloved musical genius. Today, it is still made using the same traditional recipe with each piece lovingly created by hand.
Cafe Tomaselli is one of Europe's highly reputable coffee houses. Situated in Salzburg's Old Town at the Alter Markt, it is THE place to see and be seen in Salzburg.
Halfway along the foothill climb to the Nonnberg, one can see the Kapuzinerkloster, known as the Capuchin Monastery that was also featured in the Sound of Music.
One can glimpse the Hohensalzburg Fortress from this noteworthy driveway of the Nonnberg Abbey.
The entrance leading up to the convent of Nonnberg. These wrought iron gates prevented the Trapp children from going any further when they asked for Maria who had retuned to the Abbey.
The cemetery at St. Peter's wasn't actually used in the film. Instead, it served as an inspiration for the scene and was re-created in a Hollywood set.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his family moved into this building when the apartment rooms in Getreidegasse became too small for them. On the ground floor houses a museum that showcases different original documents and other family paraphernalia, as well as Mozart's fortepiano.
As a child, I saw Salzburg as the backdrop to one of my most favorite movies growing up. As an adult, I see Salzburg with a greater appreciation that goes beyond The Sound of Music. Now, I look at Salzburg knowing that its people, stories, culture and way of life are what makes Salzburg a place that is genuinely a cut above the rest. The Salzburg Old City tour is definitely a must-see when venturing on to this side of Austria. The richness and preservation of the culture that mixes the old and the new, along with the famous people that have made this place an instant tourist destination, imbues a certain magic that still thrives while clinging to the past traditions of yesteryear. For me, Salzburg is indeed the center stage for Austrian cultural pride.
I’d like to know, have you ever visited Salzburg? Share your experience with me in the comments below.
