Austria - Salzburg

Today we spent the entire day in the city of Salzburg, Austria.

Salzburg is the third largest town in Austria and lies close to the border of Germany, but Austria, in general, has a very different feel from Germany and the people have a unique culture - it seems more laidback and calm.

Our first destination this morning was to the nearby Stiegl Brewery, one of the largest breweries in Austria.  I am a fan of their Zwickl, an unfiltered beer.  Dave and I took the brewery museum tour, and while you don't get to see the factory floor, you do get a crash course in brewing and what makes Stiegl beer special - how the ingredients are grown and chosen.  We got a sample of a Hemp-laced beer at the end and had a delicious lunch in one of their three on-site restaurants.

After our early lunch, we took separate Ubers to the town center.  Salzburg is built around the large Fortress Hohensalzburg, which like most forts is up on a high hill that takes a funicular to climb (you CAN walk up and down if you want).  From there you can see all of Salzburg and learn about the history.  They also have a somewhat creepy marionette museum that celebrates puppetry - the kind you see in the Sound of Music puppet show scene.  

Below the fortress is an old cemetery with some elaborate tombs - worth a visit on the way to the town center.

Mozart's home

Mozart's birthplace

The town center has many places to eat and shop and is also where you can find Mozart's birthplace.  Across the river from the town center you can find the house where Mozart grew up.

A few blocks north, you will find the Mirabell Palace, now a concert venue, but also with some sculptured gardens and some of the iconic imagery from the Sound of Music.  See the picture of the flowered arch tunnel, with Hohensalzburg in the background.

We spent the rest of the afternoon, killing time, shopping, enjoying chips at a little dive Mexican joint, and then finished with an Austrian meal in the city center.  Tomorrow, we are going to leave our friends and travel to Switzerland for a few days.