The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.
The Town of Music
By [Faery]
The sound of music… Does it ring a bell? You probably remember that wonderful musical in which a young nun makes the life of twelve children as beautiful as it was miserable before her arrival. This movie, as you may know, was based on a true story, which takes place in one of the most enchanting cities of Austria: Salzburg. However, Salzburg also has a much deeper relation to music, although less renowned. This town is the birthplace of one of histories greatest musicians and composer, Mozart himself, who was born at Getreidegasse no. 9 on January 27th 1756. There’s no need to looking further to understand the richness of Salzburg’s musical history and culture.
There are many ways to discover Salzburg, and many a thing to see and do, no matter what time of the year you decide to pay a visit. For my part, I was there right before Christmas, and a snowstorm greeted us on our first evening in town. It only added to the magic of the fairy-tale we were living, walking around the old town under the glowing Christmas lights. We were enchanted to stumble upon the Christmas market, very unique, nestled at the foot of the cathedral. The atmosphere there was one of pure joy, friendship and happiness, even to the strangers that we were. Unfortunately, it couldn’t last more than an evening’s time, but it was enough to make us forget the cold.
When daylight returned, we put on our warmest clothes and left the hostel for a tour of the city. If you are a little fortunate, there are a variety of guided tours offered, from the classical sight-seeing tour to the Sound of Music tour, which takes you to all the major sights and shooting locations of the infamous movie. However, as we were kind of short on money, we opted for the Exploring Salzburg city guide, which gives you detailed information on most of the important things to see. Among those you can’t miss, note the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which is the oldest and best preserved medieval fortification in Europe. You can climb all the way up to the fortress, or take a lift.
View from the fortress
Less impressive, but just as enjoyable, a walk around the old town or on the surrounding hills are worth the effort you put in them. There are some truly gorgeous fountains, among which the famous horse fountain seen in The Sound of Music. One of the best things to do to spend a few hours away from the cold, especially if you want to take advantage of free activities, is to take a stroll in all the wonderful churches spread around the city. They are witnesses of history and always keep in their arms some beautiful artwork.
The Horse Fountain
For more information, you can visit
http://www2.salzburg.info/index.html
back to the TH Issue 12 Index
Stumble!