Wow, what a trip.
Salzburg, Austria is such a beautiful city with so much to see that it is impossible to see everything in only three days. Unfortunately three days was all I got since I was with the class group.
We got there Wednesday afternoon and walked around for a while. That evening we went to a Mozart performance that was held in the fortress overlooking the city. The musicians were amazing.
I did not realize that it would be a dress-up event so I was grossly under dressed the entire time with an “Indiana Basketball” t-shirt and jeans. (Remember: Mozart equals dress up.)
Thursday we had an entire day to explore the city. We started at Schloss Hellbrunn on the outskirts of the city. Hellbrunn was simply amazing. Besides a castle, there is also a beautiful garden and even a zoo. After lingering in the garden for about an hour, we went to the zoo.
I am not a fan of zoos, but this zoo was amazing since the entire time we had great views of the Alps on the horizon.
Friday was our last day in the city and I spent much of the day with the two associate instructors walking around the city. The coolest thing that I saw was the Schloss Mirabell gardens.
In 1965 a few scenes from “The Sound of Music” were filmed in the Mirabell gardens. “The Sound of Music” continues to be a big tourist draw for the city. While in Salzburg, I saw several “Sound of Music Tours.” These tours visited several places in the city that appeared in the 1965 musical.
Salzburg’s other claim to fame is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart was born in the heart of Salzburg in January 27, 1756. The house where he was born is now a museum.
For the most part, Salzburg was a good trip. The city is beautiful and the people are nice.
The only downside to the Salzburg trip was the youth hostel where we stayed. It sucked. Quiet hours are supposed to start at 10 p.m., but it was not enforced because screaming girls could be heard throughout the night. It seemed more like a playground than a hostel.