Mozart’s Salzburg

Dear Barbara,

I took advantage of the Bayern Ticket, and I left Munich behind for an excursion to Salzburg. The train to Salzburg takes less than two hours and crosses some impressive landscape. I traveled sleepless, and the train was so warm that I’ve fallen asleep. Mid-way to Salzburg, I woke up and what I saw on the horizon was the Alps.

As I wrote to you in my letter from Munich, I couldn’t feel the presence of the Alps in the city. But being on the train offers you a unique opportunity to see the snowy peaks of the Alps. I still have in mind the views of Ararat from my recent journey to Armenia: an impressive mountain standing all alone in the distance. The Alps look entirely different though: there are several peaks, lots of mountains and you feel surrounded. Ararat is sublime; the Alps are fearsome.

I always pay attention to the first impression of a city. I’m feeling vulnerable when I’m on the road; therefore even the slightest gesture or noise can affect my perception. This doesn’t mean of course that I judge a place so quickly, but I tend to remember this first impression.

Well, in Salzburg the first impression was funny and disgusting at the same time. When I exited the train station, I checked the map and tried to navigate. A young man approached the station. He was drinking a Coca-cola. He stood a couple of meters away from me, touched his stomach, took a deep breath, and burped loudly.

This is of course not what I mean about the music of Salzburg that you’ll read below.

The music of Salzburg

Mozart is omnipresent in Salzburg. There is a square named after him; there is the house he was born, there is the house he used to live. Apart from that, the city pays tribute to the prolific composer by producing chocolates with his face on them. I try to imagine Mozart walking the narrow streets of Salzburg, and the place feels compatible. It’s not an exaggeration to say that every second shop in Salzburg is selling Mozart chocolates. The so-called Mozartkugel is today a vital industry.

The man who developed the Mozartkugel was Paul Fürst. He was a master confectioner from Salzburg that thought of paying tribute to the great composer almost a century after his death. He began by making balls of marzipan, which he then coated in a praline cream before spearing them on little wooden sticks. After that, he dipped the balls in warm bittersweet chocolate. Then, he added another layer.

There are a couple of brands offering a variety of products under Mozart’s name. As I walk down the cobbled stone streets of Salzburg, I find many products and fancy shops selling every chocolate variation you can imagine.

A palace for the mistress

The Mirabell Palace is an imposing building in the heart of the city. That beautiful baroque building was built in the early 17th century, and there is a love story attached to it. After suffering a stroke, Archbishop Raitenau decided to build a place for him and his mistress, Salome Alt. After his death, Salome was of course expelled from the palace, but the story remains. On that very palace, King Otto of Greece was born.

Nowadays, the gardens of the palace are part of the city’s public space. The locals sit on the benches and have lunch, while loads of visitors stroll around, searching for the way to the nearest bridge. From there, they will cross to the other side of the river, where the most exciting part of Salzburg is located.

Before I cross the river Salzach though, a strong smell keeps me on this side of the city. At Mirabell Square, straight in front of the church, there is a colorful street market taking place. It’s the smell of sausages that brings me there, acting like some sort of a magic flute. The locals have their lunch break, and they stand around stalls with food in hands. I take place among them, and that’s the point that makes me think that no visit to Salzburg is complete without blending in with locals and smells in this very square.

The Castle, the Alps, and that empty café in Salzburg

Chapter Square is a wide-open space behind the Dom of Salzburg. A couple of youngsters compete in chess using oversized pawns, while a statue called “Sphaera” offers a science fiction feeling to the place. The work of Stephan Balkenhol consists of a nine-meter golden ball, and a man is standing on top with a neutral expression. He seems to be overlooking the Fortress of Hohensalzburg, and I feel that I’m in a post-apocalyptic world. The man seems to be looking at the end of the world as we know it.

Nearby, there is the funicular, which is pretty expensive (12 euros) and carries visitors to the top of Hohensalzburg Fortress. It is a bright sunny day, and I feel that I can walk to the top of the castle instead. It is a steep way up, a mixture of steps and asphalt, and it takes approximately 20 minutes to reach the entrance. I’m expecting to see a majestic view from there, but the Alps are still not visible. The woman in the entrance of the Fortress, informs me that I can see the Alps from the other side of the castle. Without second thoughts, I pay for the ticket, and I continue to climb a steep road.

This is one of the most significant medieval castles in Europe, built at an altitude of 500 meters. As I walk up the road, I see a small entrance that seems to have a view towards the sky. I follow the path, and I find myself on a veranda. And there, I see for the first time the Alps.

All of a sudden (shame on me), I don’t have the urge to see more of the castle. All I want is to find a spot, preferably a remote one, and stare at the Alps. The big mountains always have an impact on me, and I keep on walking, searching for a spot. Straight behind the veranda, I see a café. It’s empty, and it’s most likely closed. There was a violent storm last week, and the Fortress is wounded. I find a chair in the empty café, and I stay there.

I always had a thing for empty cafés, but I guess you remember that Barbara. In my hometown, one of my favorite night hangouts is the empty cafés of the main square. I can stay there all night long and just stare at the people. But here there are no people at all. All I see is this terrific mountain range, with all its peaks covered with snow. I stay there until sunset, and only then I find some courage to walk around the Fortress.

The best water in Europe and the obligatory fridge magnet

Shortly after dusk, I find myself at the Mozartplatz. I keep on walking until I end up in a tiny bakery. There, I order a cappuccino and a sandwich, and I drink the tap water that I’m offered. It is so tasty! I drunk a couple of times tap water in Salzburg today, and I’m pretty convinced that Austria has the best water in Europe.

There’s only an hour before the train returns to Munich and I feel exhausted. But there is one last thing I have to do: to buy a fridge magnet from Salzburg. You might not know this, Barbara, but ever since I started traveling, I wanted to bring something back home. A souvenir made by locals, acting as a present to the people I love. In the beginning, it was easy, but as time went by, it started to be challenging. At some point I started losing way too much time; therefore I made a deal with myself: if I found a souvenir accidentally that reminded me of someone, I would buy it. Otherwise, I would only buy a fridge magnet.

This became a habit, and the fridge is often empty inside, but the surface is packed. I discover a store producing handmade magnets, and I buy one. Since the mountains magnetized me, the Alps are of course painted on it.

I bought one for you, too.

See you soon,

George

More about Austria: The melting ice cube of Bregenz

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Last Updated on February 27, 2020 by George Pavlopoulos