Oh...that's good. The Sporer family has been distilling schnapps and selling it from this friendly hole in the wall for just over a hundred years. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. It's the easiest and best experience if you have an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Android. You don't go to Salzburg to avoid the tourists. It was the harnessing of wind and water power with mills like this that helped kick the economy into gear and lift Europe out of what many call the "Dark Ages." The lake is a playground for visitors in rental boats, which come with two speeds: slow and stop. But his later residence, the Mozart Wohnhaus, across the river, offers a better exhibition on his life and times. Wolfgang Mozart spent much of his first 25 years in Salzburg — one of the greatest Baroque cities north of the Alps. In good Baroque style, the art is symbolic, cohesive, and theatrical...creating a kind of festival procession that leads to the resurrected Christ triumphing high above the altar. The oar lock is still made of the gut of a bull. see our FAQ. The same two men were there that served us in 2013. The other couple chose the restaurant and it was Wilder Man. Getting a beer is fun in itself. Herr Sporer: You have this after dinner as a digestif or you drink it beside a beer in the evening or... The building itself, bombed in World War II, is a reconstruction. Rent bills are sent out about every 10 years. The hills are alive with the sound of music... …was named after this once-important spot. It's Sunday morning. This giant Baroque church, where Mozart was baptized and later served as organist, boats exceptional stucco work, five organs, and lots of light (it doesn't have stained glass, and never did — just clear windows to let light power the message). Nannerl called this portrait the best ever done of her brother. This square, with its striking cathedral and Italian-style palace was the centerpiece of his Baroque dream city. Today, its three floors house rooms with exhibits displaying paintings, letters, personal items, and lots of facsimiles, all attempting to bring life to the Mozart story. (17:24). Rick Steves' Europe. Buy your token, choose a mug —two choices: big and HUGE, give it a rinse…and fill 'er up. Most of the happy tourists probably wouldn't be here if not for the man honored by this statue. Until next time...keep on travelling. Herr Alfred Lenz makes the town's traditional boats from a 200-year-old design. Salzburg and Vienna will always have part of my heart! Rick- Glad to see that you are re-visiting some places that are among the favorites of my husband and myself- due to your TV show. ▲▲ Salzburg Cathedral Glorious, harmonious Baroque main church of Salzburg. Zum wohl! The well dipped into a rain-fed cistern. How do you like that? There was a Hallstatt before there was a Rome. Salzburg is forever smiling to the tunes of Mozart and The Sound of Music. Prost! In the 13th century, Salzburg was plumbed with a clever canal system, which has brought water into Salzburg from nearby hills ever since. Tucked away in the heart of the Old Town and abutting the rock wall of Mönchsberg is St. Peter's Cemetery. They're cooked up fresh and simple and served with a nice Austrian dry white wine. ▲▲ Salzburg Museum Best place for city history. If no one cares enough to make the payment, you're gone. Mozart spent a good part of his childhood on the road, performing all over Europe. Archaeologists claim that since 7000 B.C., people have come here to get salt. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. A highlight is riding miner-style from one floor down to the next...praying for no splinters. Last time I stayed in the Hotel Elephant, and it was very good, small rooms, central and it had air conditioning..which many in old bldgs do not have. Rick: So this is apple and pear? Enjoying the garden/cathedral/castle view, it's easy to imagine how the prince-archbishop must have reveled in such a vista that reminded him of all his secular as well as religious power. Even after the family gained fame, touring Europe's palaces and becoming the toast of Salzburg, they continued living in this rather cramped apartment. The tiny train station is across Lake Hallstatt from the postcard-pretty town by the same name: Hallstatt. Through the centuries, Hallstatt was busy with the salt trade. Throughout the region, ski runs earn their keep in the summer as luge courses. And in Salzburg, there's no better place to experience that than here at the Augustiner Bräustübl. Salzburg and Surroundings - Rick Steves’ Europe In Salzburg, be sure to explore its delightful old town filled with Mozart history and relaxing beer gardens; then settle into a … Rich guys' fine Renaissance-style tombs decorate the chapel walls. Things Italian were respected and in vogue. Herr Sporer: Apple and pear, yes. A series of interconnecting squares lead from here through the Old Town. Is that right? While this particular tunnel dates only from 1719, Hallstatt's mine claims to be the oldest in the world. The countryside around Salzburg has plenty of farmhouse B&Bs. While the bone chapel is fascinating...there's more life down on the town square. Extending your trip? The stream, divided into smaller canals, was channeled through town. Thanks to its formidable fortress and its knack for remaining neutral, the city managed to avoid the ravages of war until World War II. Then train to Vienna for 3-4 nights. Alfred claims an hour on the lake is worth a day of vacation. And while you await your strudel, you can feed the swans. The New Town has the big business and train station, but the Old Town, sitting between the Salzach River and a hill called Mönchsberg, holds nearly all the charm...and most of the tourists. Rick: OK. Its ramparts provide the best views of the city. sights of Salzburg and surrounding countryside. see our FAQ. ▲ DomQuartier Museums Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich's Residenz palace, cathedral viewpoint, and religious art. They dissolved it into a brine, which flowed through miles of pipes — the oldest hewn out of logs — to Hallstatt and nearby towns where the brine was, and still is, cooked until only the salt remained. The courtyard was the main square of this hilltop community of a thousand — which could be self-sufficient when necessary. They're reminders of the 1800s, when the first Romantic Age poets and painters discovered this region. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was the cathedral organist for two years, was born in this house in 1756. St. Peter's Church Romanesque church with Rococo decor. Stefanie (a boat) meets each arriving train and glides scenically across the lake into town. Herr Sporer: You sip it, yes. We have been traveling “Rick’s style” for 20+ years and love it. The town's decorative woodwork, a tradition that dates back centuries, reflects the wealth salt brought. Its bone chapel — or charnel house (Beinhaus) — contains more than 600 skulls (free to enter church, but small fee for bone chapel; open daily May–Sept 10:00–18:00, Oct 10:00–16:00, closed Nov–April). Allow about three hours total for the round-trip funicular ride, viewpoint visit, and 1.5-hour salt-mine tour. It's also a musical mecca, and the city puts on a huge annual festival as well as constant concerts. Different strokes, I guess. Iron crosses were cheaper than carved tombstones. Red Bull Hangar-7 — Salzburg’s big personality these days is the tycoon founder of Red Bull energy drink, Dietrich Mateschitz. The graves are a collection of well-cared-for mini-gardens. Lightweight, yet packed with info on the cities' history and culture, Rick Steves Pocket Munich & Salzburg truly is a tour guide in your pocket. Though I don’t consider it my job to breathlessly promote every destination that comes down the pike…rather, I try to give hard opinions in the spirit of the king of hard travel opinions, Rick Steves. The one in Strobl near Wolfgangsee is about twice as long, and more scenic, with grand lake views. Those Augustinians must have been the most popular monks in town for their rollicking beer garden. A briny spring sprung here, attracting Bronze Age people. Fair enough. The regulars here know that there are enough flavors of schnapps to keep them coming back again and again. Even though Hallstatt's actual sights are subtle, wandering through town is a treat. Since it had no road access, people came and went by boat. You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Munich, Bavaria, and Salzburg. Salt — so precious as a preservative in pre-refrigerator days — was a huge part of this region's economy all the way back to pre-historic times. If you'd like to commune with nature in a uniquely Austrian way, Salzburg is the ideal jumping off point for spectacular countryside to the south. Then home. Learn more about the Rick Steves Audio Europe app or download the app now: Prefer podcasts? On balmy summer evenings, this brewery has the ambience of a Renoir painting as all generations gather under the chestnut trees, as they have for centuries, to enjoy cheap food, good beer, and that special local coziness called "Gemütlichkeit." The Hohensalzburg Fortress towers 400 feet above the Salzach River. And the Steckerlfisch...now that's my kind of fish stick! To build "the Rome of the North.". It's one of many throughout the region that offer tours. Idyllic and majestic, but not rugged, it's a gentle land of lakes, forested mountains, and storybook villages rich in hiking and biking opportunities. The one in Fuschl am See (closest to Salzburg) is a little cheaper, and takes about 10 minutes for the ride up and down. For dessert — after a visit to the strudel kiosk — enjoy the incomparable floodlit view of old Salzburg from the nearby Müllnersteg pedestrian bridge and a riverside stroll home. The fun-loving, proud, and English-speaking Sporer family pours homemade spirits for regular customers and curious visitors alike. Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol Paperback – April 4, 2017 by Rick Steves (Author) › Visit Amazon's Rick Steves Page. The core of this book is five self-guided walks and tours that zero in on Munich's greatest sights and neighborhoods, plus two chapters on the best day trips (to Salzburg and to Neuschwanstein Castle). Salzburg's mighty castle offers incredible views in both directions, cafés, and a handful of mediocre museums. You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when visiting Salzburg and Hallstatt.Rick covers the essentials, including Berchtesgaden and the Salzkammergut. The 10:00 Mass is famous for its music, and today it's Mozart. Rick: Obstler is apple and...? Each of the several hundred painted skulls has been lovingly named, dated, and decorated. Sitting in the center of Europe is Austria. From the castle take a stroll across the forested Mönchsberg hill for a breezy respite from the city, and more commanding views. Rick: And what is schnapps? Many of the dug-up bones and skulls ended up in the bone chapel. Local students mix with tourists eating hearty slabs of grilled meat with their fingers or cold meals from the self-serve picnic counter, while children frolic on the playground kegs. It has very nice views of Salzburg, the surrounding mountains, and the fortress (far in the distance). The energetic Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich, who ruled around the year 1600, had the greatest impact on the town. Good ones, like this one near the town of Werfen; give you a chance to experience the richness of Austria's rural life. In the tour you'll learn the story of salt. St. Peter's Cemetery Atmospheric old cemetery with mini-gardens overlooked by cliff face with monks' caves. Rick Steves Best of Germany: With Salzburg Hit Germany's can't-miss art, sights, and bites in two weeks or less with Rick Steves Best of Germany! Explore Salzburg! While its popularity has led to a glut of businesses hoping to catch the tourist dollar, Salzburg is nevertheless both a must and a joy. Later, miners dug tunnels to extract the salty rock. It was here that he composed most of his boy-genius works. You don't throw it down, you sip it. When he was 25 he was ready for the big city and moved to Vienna. So far I have us flying into Prague, spending 3 or 4 nights, taking a driver to Salzburg (Or an overnight train to Salzburg?) Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol book. Then we'll settle into a farmhouse B&B, survive a mountain luge run, and cruise to one of the jewels of Austria's lake district. The organ loft fills the church with glorious sounds as Mozart, 250 years after his birth, is still powering worship with his musical genius. ... Last May we found ourselves in Salzburg with another couple. From Salzburg, as above re Werfen Castle and ice caves, plus St Gilgen and Wolfgangsee for choice, all easy to reach. and staying 2-3 nights (2 full days). Today, the people of Salzburg are happy to pay a premium for the reliably fresh and top-quality produce. This collection of lovingly tended graves abuts the sheer rock face of the Mönchsberg (free, silence requested). Mozart performed for the prince-archbishop right here. If you have yet to tour a salt mine, consider visiting Hallstatt's, which is still active, producing 1.1 million tons of salt each year (mostly used for road salt, though you can also buy souvenir shakers of table salt). In the fall of 1773, when Wolfgang was 17 — and his family was flush with money from years of touring — the Mozarts moved here from their cramped apartment on Getreidegasse. It's simple: push to go, pull to break...a treat for kids of all ages. From our home base in Salzburg, we side trip into the Salzkammergut lake district — Lake Hallstatt and the town by the same name. It's also the springboard for lots of alpine fun — from thrilling summer bobsledding, to idyllic boat rides in the Salzkammergut lake district, to exploring the delightful romantic town of Hallstatt. By Rick Steves Hohensalzburg Fortress looms 400 feet above Salzburg's forest of Baroque spires. Its 500-year-old altars and frescoes feature Hallstatt's two favorite saints: St. Barbara (patron of miners) and St. Catherine (patron of foresters) — lots of wood was needed to fortify the many miles of tunnels and boil the brine to distil out that salt. That's because in Austria, grave sites are rented, not owned. That was the idea. In this case, while Salzburg leaves me cold, I did manage to find plenty to like about it. (photo: Rick Steves) Those who climb (or ride) up to Salzburg's fortress are treated to … Germany's Munich and the Foothills of the Alps, ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Rick Steves' Europe. Inside Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending two weeks or more exploring Vienna, Salzburg and Tirol Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Share your candid opinions about hotels and restaurants or ask other travelers about their reviews. Then, get set to fly. They were as kind as ever and the food was still as good as I remembered. The constantly flowing water flushed out the streets, provided fire protection, and powered factories. Herr Sporer: We're always busy because we're very old traditional shop in the Getreidegasse. Get inspired with Rick Steves’ recommended places to go and things to do, with tips, photos, videos, and travel information on Salzburg. The Triton matches Bernini's famous Triton Fountain in Rome. Does that sound reasonable as far as timing? We too will be in Scandanavia (Oslo) (and London) soon- we fly out Thursday night. The banks of the Salzach River — ideal for strolling and biking — were once medieval tow paths. The Weissacher family rents a couple of simple yet comfy rooms to supplement their farm income. In 1747, Leopold Mozart — a musician in the prince-archbishop's band — moved into this small rental unit with his new bride. Its cannons evoke both threats of centuries past and the power of Salzburg's rulers. Rick Steves' Europe. Cargo boats would float downstream and be dragged back upstream by horse.