Author: Geoff Clelland

European Travelogue #8: Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg

Salzburg

Salzburg is located in the west of Austria, not far from Munich in Germany (map). This town was founded by an archbishop 600 years ago in a valley at the juncture of three mountain ranges, to control the trade routes through the alpine pass from Italy, Germany into Austria proper. In the last 100 years, the Italians, Germans and Russians have fought over this place because of it’s strategic importance. Salzburg is also the home of Mozart and the location of the ‘Sound of Music’ story.

Getting There

We drove north from Venice, Italy on the autostrada towards Trieste. We turned left and took another highway through tunnels and between alpine passes to arrive at the Austrian border, where you must purchase an autobahn sticker for your vehicle (about ATS350). We took off towards Salzburg through some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen. Beware of the toll roads – we weren’t aware we were on one until we had to pay DM20 at the end of it!

Mozart

Mozart

Go past Berchestgarten (Home of Hitler’s holiday home, ‘The Eagles Nest’) and head into Salzburg itself.

Salzburg also has a decent airport and the rail system is similar to the efficient German DB rail.

Where to Stay

We stopped in Salzburg on our way to Vienna, so we didn’t have any digs in the town itself, but we saw plenty of hostels and hotels advertised in the Salzburg Tourism centre (It’s on the right just after you get off the ring road heading north into town).

Eating Out

I saw lots of great looking cafe’s and eateries all over town, but because time was short, we relied on the Kebab place next to the golden arches in the tourist part of town. Gee I wish I hadn’t eaten there, the kebab was horrible. Do yourself a favour and try one of the cafe’s…

The Schloss

The archbishop that founded Salzburg, built a castle, or schloss, up on one of the hills in Salzburg. It is an imposing structure and it was built in such a manner that cannon sited at the battlements had a clear field of fire over the trade route that the schloss was built to control. If the taxes weren’t paid, then the cannonballs started flying!!

The Schloss

The Schloss

Over the 600 year history of this schloss, many armies have tried to capture and occupy it. There are organised tours through the rooms, showing the torture chambers, the history and the weapons and armoury of the occupiers. There is a lookout atop one of the battlements that gives a panoramic view over the three mountain ranges. Through the maze of rooms and staircases, is the Prince’s quarters and an auditorium where Mozart performed. One of the stone pillars in this auditorium still bears the scars of a cannonball that

penetrated the schloss defenses!

My interest in 20th century history was peaked when I discovered the dozen rooms dedicated to displaying First and Second World War artifacts, such as medals, weapons, uniforms from the Italian, German, Austrian, American, British and Russian armies.

Panzerschreck

The Tank Terror

I persuaded one of the Bastards R Us to photograph me with a German rocket launcher called a Panzerschreck on display – Panzerschreck, literally translated, means ‘Tank Terror’. I really needed more than an hour to appreciate this part of the history of the schloss properly – I could easily spend an entire day here!

Museums

There is, of course, the schloss as well as a very fine classical music museum and a beer museum. We only managed the schloss, but the others sounded like a separate day each!

There are also horse and carriage tours of the town available in the centre of Salzburg old town. This would be a great way to get a look at the buildings without wearing out your feet! I saw plenty of people taking this mode of sight-seeing transport, whilst I was there.

We also walked through a cemetery where the children in ‘Sound of Music’ were betrayed to the Germans. This cemetery has many old graves and is the access point to the ‘Catacombes’ where the Christian beliefs were maintained in secret in troubled times.

Summary

Bastards R Us agreed that Salzburg should have been a stopover for a few days, not just a day trip on the way to somewhere else. I could have spent a week here quite easily, there is just so much to see. Other friends have spent a week here in the winter and they reckon it wasn’t enough time! would recommend Salzburg to anyone – I thought it was a great town!