Leaving Austria

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As promised in our last blog, we have been enjoying Salzburg for the last several days and believe that it is one of the most interesting and tourist friendly cities that we have toured. Our campground Nord-Sam is large, private with excellent facilities and close to the city. It is 100 m. from a bus stop that connected us with the Central Station (Bahnhof) to then take a bus directly into the Old City. Buses run frequently and on time and are free when purchasing a Salzburg Card. Our experience with this type of card, purchased for 24, 48 or 72 hours is an ideal way to see most of the outstanding sightseeing attractions free or at a significant discount.

We opted for the 72 hr. card allowing us to move around the city easily and enjoy events and sites at our leisure. As it turned out we had three gorgeous days to spend in Salzburg. Our first day we took the funicular cable railway(the oldest funicular in Austria, built in 1892) up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, and explored it inside and out as well as all of the museums that it contains. The 360 degree view of the city was exceptionally beautiful and enticing The Carillon, down on the market square plays at 7am, 11am and 5pm and it was a delight to hear, as we sat outside of the Panorama and Sound of Music museum, eating lunch. We were able to get tickets to an Organ Concert in the Cathedral Dom to celebrate Salzburg's Music Festival. The tickets were for the next day and the cathedral filled quickly as all tourists were cleared out for the concert.

Our next day started with the wonderful surprise of walking into the Mirabell Palace Gardens and the Palace itself: right off our bus route. The Palace is now used for administrative offices and we congratulated a newly married couple and their family. Three stories of huge marble stairways were amazing. From there we walked to and photographed the Lutheran Christ Church and the Mozart Museum and his residence. Across the Salzach River on the LOVER LOCKS with amazing mimes footbridge and then we were in front of Mozart's birthplace and were eventually able to take a cruise on the Amadeus, a high powered boat, along the waterfront of much of the city. We could see parts of the original fortress wall that remains thru out the city.

Our third day was spent at Hellbraun Palace, gardens and the trick fountains tour.The Archbishop Markus Sittidus (1612-1619) had the summer palace of Hellbraun built, with all of its trick fountains. not as a residence but purely for his amusement and the amazement of officials and friends It was an airy and festive place and once enjoyed only by the select few, it is now open to all to enjoy. The water pools and gardens added to the restive and impressive atmosphere. The tour thru the trick gardens use water jets to surprise and entertain all who enter. Cover your electronics and prepare to get wet. It is on the edge of the city and was not an overnight facility so therefore no bedrooms are seen. The tour of the palace is spectacular and the audio tour was in English and very illuminating. Adjacent to these grounds was a Zoo, that on a Saturday morning was filled with families with excited children that loved feeding the animals. The steep rock natural areas gave the animals a natural habitat.

As we left Salzburg on a Sunday morning in the pouring rain, our GPS guide, Richard, took us through the middle of the city as we said goodbye. All commercial businesses in Austria and Germany are closed on Sunday which meant our meandering thru the city to find the Highway was simply wet and not crowded and lengthy.

Last night we stayed at a Stellplatz in a hotel/restaurant parking lot with about 5 other motor homes, in Rosenheim, a convenient stopover on the way to Munich, from which we will continue our blog as we progress thru Bavaria.

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