Literally translated, Salzburg means salt fortress. Salzburg became a rich town during medieval times thanks to its salt mines and tax on trade that passed through its river. The river separates the city in half, with the “New Town” to the north and the “Old Town” to the south.
A special thanks to the Rick Steves Audio Europe™ Travel App and to Big Boy Travel for the interesting and informative tours!
Note: I apologize for the difference in brightness among my pictures. I visited once in October and later came back in December as I enjoyed the city so much and wanted to learn more.
Old TownSalzburg FortressNew TownMozart's Salzburg HomesFun Fact
This statue of Mozart was built in 1842. It stands in Mozartplatz, right across from the Mozart Bridge. According to the locals, it looks nothing like the great composer.
Mozart lived in Salzburg until the age of 25. By the age of 6, he was performing for Habsburg royalty. Eleven years later, he was named the concert master for the Prince-Archbishop. Mozart always resented the Prince-Archbishop and felt like he was trying to hold his talents back. So at the age of 25, he quit and left Salzburg to make a name for himself.
Salzburg currently has 38 catholic churches, 2 protestant churches and a synagogue.
The Salzburger Dom is the largest Cathedral in Salzburg. Its dome is 237 feet high. The church was built in 1598 and underwent reconstruction from 1614 to 1628 due to a large fire. During the Second World War, the Cathedral was hit and a second round of reconstruction was completed in 1959.
Since I came during weihnachtsmarkt (i.e. the Christmas Market), the statue in front of the Cathedral was covered for the season. However, if you come anytime except for winter, you can see the angels on the church façade crowning the statue of Mary in the square.
In the Church Square (or Kapitelplatz), you will find a pond. Back in the 1700s, when it was built, it served as a horse bath. The inscription on top says: Leopold the Prince built me. The artist also cleverly turned a couple of the letters into roman numerals to indicate the year in which it was completed: 1732.
This is yet another location where the Von Trapp children sang.
A watercourse is built through the hill to supply the city with water from the Alps during the 12th century. That water was used to flush the cities every Thursday. This is probably one of the reasons why the city was not hit by the plague.
St. Peter's Abbey built a mill in the location where the water comes out of the hill. This mill is considered to power the oldest bakery in Salzburg.
St. Peter's Abbey was built in 696 and is the oldest church in Salzburg. It houses the Stiftskeller Restaurant, which is said to be the oldest restaurant in Europe. (The interior of the Abbey is far more impressive than the exterior.)
St. Peter's Cemetery is where the Von Trapp family hid from the Nazis. The scene from the Sound of Music was filmed on a Hollywood set though.
The tomb number 31 on the side of the hill houses the architect. Moreover, Mozart's sister, Nannerl, rests in tomb number 54.
The Kollegienkirche took 70 years to complete as the architect went blind several years into the project. It was completed in the late 1700s.
Getreidegasse (i.e. Grain Lane) is the main shopping street in Salzburg. Back when the masses were illiterate, shop owners took to labeling their store with a picture. The tradition has stuck since then and makes the street a joy to walk through.
The Hohensalzburg (i.e. Salzburg Fortress) has been perched on that hill since 1077.
In this picture, you can also see the towers and dome of the Salzburg Cathedral.
Thanks to its far-reaching views, the Fortress has never been taken by force. It did however surrender to Napoleon's army.
Views of the city from the Salzburg Fortress. Can you spot the Salzburg Cathedral? What about St. Peter's Abbey?
Part of the Fortress
Dungeon of the Fortress
Originally located in Arenberg Palace in Salzburg, the tiled oven was created by Thomas Strobl in the 16th century.
Weapon and armor samples of the time
The river Salzach cuts the city in half. The right side is considered the "new" town while the left side is considered the "old" town. The Sacher Cafe is located in the pink building on the right.
The interior of the Sacher Cafe. The Sacher Cafe was originally opened in Vienna in 1876. This second location was opened in 1988. Learn more about the origins of the Sacher Torte.
While this might look like a milkshake, it's actually an Eiskaffe. Literally, Eiskaffee translates to ice cream coffee (i.e. deliciousness in a cup).
This palace was originally named Altenau Palace, after Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau and his mistress, Salome Alt. After Raitenau was expelled, the next Archbishop renamed the estate the Mirabell Palace Gardens due to the wonderful view of the Old Town.
While the palace and the gardens were built in 1606, the pair of horse statues weren't added until 1913. It was in this garden that the Von Trapp children from the Sound of Music sung and danced.
This tomb stone belongs to Mozart's wife, Constanze, and his father, Leopold. She is buried in Saint Sebastian Cemetery (Sebastianskirche Friedhof).
Constanze's and Leopold's tombs can be found near the mausoleum.
Steingasse 25 used to hold a violin shop. It's rumored that that's the shop where Mozart got his first violin.
The writer of "Silent Night", Joseph Mohr, lived in Steingasse (i.e. Stone Alley) 9.
A statue of Empress Sisi in the New Town by the train station. One of the many ways that Austrians show their love for the Empress.
The Mozarts lived on the third floor of this brightly-colored building, located in the old town. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in this house on January 27th, 1756. For this reason, the building is nicknamed Mozarts Geburtshaus. Six children were born before him but Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart, aka Nannerl, survived past her first birthday.
The outdoor corridors in the Mozarts Geburtshaus building. This building became a Mozart museum in the late 1800s.
Mozart's father, Johann Georg Leopld (or Leopold for short), was a talented teacher and composer. He wrote the book Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Playing the Violin, which earned him international acclaim. Both of Leopold's children acquired the musical gene. Nannerl simply gave up the spotlight so that her father could focus on Mozart.
The abundance of musical instruments throughout the home highlights the strong emphasis that the entire family put on music.
Mozart married Constanze in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. They had six children, two of whom survived. Carl Thomas (right) became a civil servant in Milan whereas Franz Xaver Wolfgang became a teacher and composer.
Because the flue didn't prevent soot from building up, kitchens were very minimally furnished.
This building is commonly known as the Mozart Wohnhaus (i.e. Mozart's Living-House). Mozart and his family rented half of this building and the prodigy lived here from age 17 until 25, when he left Salzburg. Pictures inside are forbidden but for any Mozart enthusiast, the Mozart Wohnhaus is a must-see.
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