Welcome to BuyAssociation.co.uk

Ten Reasons to Visit Salzburg

10 Reasons to Visit Salzburg

Most people visit Salzburg because of its connections with The Sound of Music and Mozart, but there is much more than that to this glorious, homely city.

1. Start in Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s main and most famous street. It has charm in spades. You'll find branches of Louis Vuitton, Boss and H&M here, a plethora of gourmet food shops and lots of family run businesses too. One of the most noteworthy is the Kirchtag Umbrella shop which has been around since 1903 and still hand makes brollies of the very highest quality. Getreidegasse retains its allure by prohibiting neon signs and excessive advertising. Even McDonalds has only a medieval gilded sign to show off its presence.

2. If you want to grab a slice of yesteryear, set off for Residenzplatz and enjoy a leisurely Fiaker ride. These horse drawn carriages enable you to see many of Salzburg’s famous sites and take photos. Mozart often travelled through town this way, although apparently he complained about the hard seats. Nowadays fortunately, the rides are a lot more comfortable.

3. 11th-century Hohensalzburg fortress is a rather forbidding looking building perched on a rocky outcrop above the city. In its present form it dates mainly from about 1500 during the reign of Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach, who splashed out on modernising and extending his home. His coat of arms includes, rather bizarrely, a turnip and is everywhere to be seen. If you don’t feel like counting them yourself, those who know about such things say there are 58 images of turnips dotted throughout the fortress.

Visitors can walk around the courtyard and castle outskirts and take a guided tour round the opulent state apartments. Two museums display a selection of weapons, uniforms and a selection of pretty gruesome instruments of torture like the Schandmasken which petty criminals had to don as punishment for their crimes. It is possible to hoof it up to the fortress, but if you really can't face that, take the funicular.

4. The rooms of Schloss Hellbrun, a 17th-century pleasure palace on the outskirts of town, are furnished and decorated in 18th-century style. Well worth seeing are the banquet hall which has a gorgeous trompe l'oeil painting and the octagonal music room. Its main claim to fame though are the trick fountains in the garden which tend to spurt water unexpectedly and from strange places. Best bring a raincoat just in case. There is a mechanical theatre here too with 200 water-driven figures going about their business in a mini-Baroque city and a birdcall grotto that simulates the twittering songbirds.



5. Perched on top of Mönchsberg overlooking the city is the Museum of Modern Art reached by means of the bank of lifts on Gstätengasse. It is a bright and airy building with three exhibition levels and plenty of exhibits to keep you interested. If you fancy yourself as a budding painter there is even a room where you can have a go at creating your own piece of modern art. Take time to enjoy a coffee or snack while you’re there and take in the great views from the panoramic terrace of the restaurant.

6. If you're still in touch with your inner child, the Toy Museum is the place for you. In here there is a collection of toys dating back to the 16th century including dolls, doll houses, old time merry-go-rounds, vintage train sets, teddy bears and wooden sailing ships. Regular Punch and Judy shows take place here at 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and the first Friday of the month. That’s the way to do it!

7. The Alter Markt (old market) is located in the middle of the Old City between the Getreidegasse and the Salzburger Dom. It has been there a long time, since 1280 in fact. The ‘Fürsterzbischöfliche Apotheke’, the former court pharmacy with its ornate Rococo façade and black and gold interior is worth a look. The shelves are lined with potions and lotions all labelled in Latin. These are not for show - this pharmacy still operates today. Also in the Alter Markt, right next door to Cafe Tomaselli is Salzburg's smallest house, its slanting roof decorated with a dragon gargoyle.

8. If you feel the need for a chocolate fix, hie off to the Cafe Fürst in the Alter Markt. It was here that confectioner Paul Fürst created the Mozartkugel, little dark chocolate truffle balls filled with pistachios, hazelnuts and marzipan then wrapped in foil. Nowadays Norbert Fürst's staff continue to honour his great-grandfather's recipe though unlike the old man, Norbert doesn’t insist that his staff whistle while they work. This rule wasn't enforced to make it look as if they were happy workers, but rather to ensure that they weren't eating the Mozartkugeln.

9. Sporer Wines and Spirits is a hospitable place. This tiny, always busy shop-cum-bar is a third generation family business in the Getreidegasse, next door to the hotel Blaue Gans. Sporer sells a selection of liqueurs and schnapps which can be sampled by the glass or purchased by the bottle. The ‘House Blend’ is a tasty herbal liqueur while their orange punch is still made according to the original 1927 recipe. Jolly good it is too.

10. The Museum of Natural History is an ideal place to go on a rainy day. The Aquarium has 36 tanks, the largest holding 10,000 litres of water and all manner of colourful fish, while living reptiles and amphibians can seen in the Reptile area. Inhabitants of 56 terrariums include snakes, water and land turtles, lizards, frogs and Mississippi alligators. The Space Research Hall features an original-size diorama of the moon landing, a futuristic space station, as well as a number of rocket models. The new Science Centre offers visitors the chance to feel the music inside a walk-in violin and has interactive exhibits galore for all ages to enjoy.

The SalzburgCard (£19/24hrs, £25/48hrs, £29/72hrs) offers admission to the main sights, public transport within the city and discounted tickets for some concerts and excursions. See www.salzburg.info for details.

© TheTravelEditor.com

Reproduced with the kind permission of TheTravelEditor.com

More pages

Page 1: 10 Reasons to Visit Salzburg

Find your perfect villa rental with Villas4You over 500 villas across 20 destinations

Find your perfect Scottish holiday - over 300 cottages to choose from

The best deals on car hire in the UK, USA, Europe and beyond Alamo has the car you need at the price you want!

Discounted Airport Parking - available across the UK

The best villa holidays from James Villas with our hand-picked villas and all the support you need in resort, we're the number one choice