Day 44: Salzburg, Schloss Hellburnn, and the Beer Garden

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My usual pattern here in Salzburg is to go to the lobby, which has WIFI, and check email first thing in the morning. Internet at this hotel is very frustrating. Sometimes it works but most of the time there are difficulties. I got into AOL this morning but it took 2 hours to read 7 emails and try to respond to several. Skype did not work at all yesterday or today. I definitely did not post a blog entry.



I started walking in a new direction after the frustrating start to the day. I found the photo galleries I was interested in visiting. I went to the Leica Gallery, Fotohof, Gallery 5020, and the Gallerie Welz. I was disappointed because there was nothing unusual or stimulating, but I did see some classics in the Leica Gallery.



Then I found the monastery that had the beer garden (Susie Pryor told us about it yesterday). I climbed the hill across from it and looked at the small Mulln Church nearby. It had a series of stairs going up to the main part of the church, with alters along the way. Outside, I looked for the cemetery behind the church, and I stumbled across a park where young people were practicing rock climbing. Then I went down a set of steps and ended up at an art fair/market along the river.



The art fair was really fun. It stretched between two bridges, and must have had 75 white tents covering vendors of artistic objects. I didn’t buy anything but it was fun to look… lots of jewelry, scarves, clothing, woodcarving, some painting, gourmet food items, etc.



I walked back through the main part of town. I ate another sausage, this time stuffed with cheese, from a street vendor, good, of course, and stopped by the TI to get directions.



The afternoon activity was a 30 minute bus trip to Hellbrunn to see the folk art museum and the Schloss Hellbrunn. The Baroque palace, 1600s, was very lovely, painted yellow, and the gardens with fountains and pools were quiet and relaxing. The palace was intended as a day retreat for its owner, the prince-archbishop of Salzburg, so there is not one bedroom! It is known for its “trick” fountains that come on unexpectedly and soak visitors. There was always one place where the prince could stand and not get wet; tour guides now occupy those sites!



I climbed the hill to the Volkeskunde Museum and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits of folk art from the countryside. The displays, spread over three floors, reflect a cross-section of local folk art and depict popular religious beliefs, folk medicine, and the traditional costumes of Salzburg. There were some fabulous processional hats and poles used in the “Prangstangen” (patron saints’ feast days in late June) and Lungau Samson day.



Gary was out of his meeting around 4:00, so we walked to St. Sebastian church and visited the cemetery in the back. It is very old and beautiful, shady, enclosed within an old wall.



We walked across the river to the Auguftiner Brau (Augustiner Beer) beer garden. It was part of a Benedictine monastery founded in 1605, whose brethren began brewing beer in 1621. They specialize in Oktoberfest-style beer served in distinctive white porcelain mugs. You enter from the street through a wooden door into the monastery, and walk down a series of stairs with religious paintings, statues, alters… very strange because you hear lots of noise coming from below. You end up in a long hall filled with food vendors! You continue down the hallway and round a corner with more stairs and end up in a huge outdoor beer garden! The brewery is actually part of the monastery. We got our white mugs, washed them in the ice cold water sink, handed them to the beer server who filled them and slid them back across the counter! FUN! We sat in the garden, and talked to some older German men there. One took our picture.



We walked past the art fair again, and ended up at a watercolorist’s booth. Gary wanted to buy a little picture for Mandy so she would have a memory of her visit. Who should appear but Susie, Mandy and Mary Ann, Susie’s mother. Mandy picked out her watercolor and we all signed it.



Shoppers would love Salzburg… there are so many beautiful stores! Gary and I settled into watching shoppers, bikers, dog walkers, etc. along Linzer Strass at a café. We even saw two small fire trucks squeeze down the pedestrian street with sirens blaring! We were right across from a very wonderful gourmet grocery, and several boutique clothing stores, so there was lots of activity.



For dinner we walked down the street and ate at a popular local restaurant, outside, crowded. It was very good, with Austrian specialities, and we split a plate of sausages and the salad bar for each. We went home to pack and check email, and early to bed for our start home. It is hard to believe that I have been traveling six weeks!



More photos below.

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Photos

The Hellburnn Palace and Gardens
From the window of the Folk Art Museum (yes, stairs again)

Entrance to Beer Garden
You have to go through the Monastery to get to the garden!

The mugs
You could buy one to take home for 26 euros.

Buying Watercolors of Salzburg
Gary, Mandy, Maryanne, Susie and artist