Salzburg

After a wonderful day in Innsbruck, we drove over to Salzburg. Of course, as I mentioned, we were driving a ginormous black van, and it had a navigation system. So far, the navigation system had done an excellent job of getting us where we needed to be with minimal trauma. Not being able to read the road signs hobbled us a bit, but the navigation system spoke perfectly mannered English.

We reached Salzburg at dusk. It is a large city and traffic was heavy. Somewhere near the center of the old city, our navigation system politely stated, “You have reached your destination area.” Um. What? We were looking for a hotel, not an “area.” Fortunately, we saw a sign for our hotel and we followed it. We turned a corner and found ourselves on a road packed with parked cars that was so narrow that the poor pedestrians had to flatten themselves against the wall for me to drive by. I drove on the SIDEWALK to get by the other cars. Of course, there was no way to go back, so we slowly went forward. This ridiculous road dead-ended to an equally ridiculous road that was also packed with pedestrians! In the end, no one was hurt, but after we were safely parked much beer was consumed. Apparently, the navigation system knew that the road to the hotel was not fully suitable for driving—why couldn’t she say that?!.

Notwithstanding our nerve racking arrival, we had an excellent time in Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and the von Trapp Family. The Sound of Music was filmed here; so some of the pictures may be familiar to Julie Andrews aficionados. (side note: one of the guidebooks I read said that the descendants of the von Trapp family run an inn in Vermont.)

See what I mean about narrow streets--this is Getreidegasse, now only a pedestrian walkway. It even makes McDonald's look respectable.






I think this is the fountain in the Sound of Music. Historically, it was where the prince-archbishops came to water their horses.


Nonnberg Convent--"How do you solve a problem like Maria?"


"I'm sorry children, Maria isn't speaking to anyone." (or something like that)

It could have been this gate to which the children went to ask the nuns about Maria. I couldn't remember and so we took a picture of both.

Dom - yet another impressive baroque church. This church can trace its roots to 774. Mozart was baptized here.

Even the Franciscan Church adopted a bit of the baroque look to amazing effect.


One of the key features of Salzburg is the fortress overlooking the city. Its origins began in 1077 but was continuously expanded by the reigning arch-bishops.





An even fancier ceramic heater.