searching for the sound of music

It snowed.

Our first day in Salzburg was gloriously warm, so of course it snowed like a beast on the second day. It was beautiful, but unfortunately, we had planned to find the Sound of Music sights on our own that day. (Avoiding the expensive cost of a Sound of Music tour, though after having trouble finding a few things (and everything was coated in snow) I would recommend paying for the tour if you go.) Thus we embarked on a cold, wet, confusing journey. There were casualties: Kathy's jacket turned out not to be waterproof, as did Brittany's shoes. However, we were successful- mostly!

Hellbrun Park- We didn't realize the pavilion from "16 going on 17" was here, but it was a wonderful find once we figured out how to get there. The park is actually known for its fountains, which were obviously not operating at that time! It was a little hectic trying to find it, and virtually no one was out and about in that area of town. Our driver on bus 25 probably became very familiar with our faces-- he would let us out at a stop, continue on his route, and the next time he came by the stop we would be there waiting again!

Mirabell Gardens- We trudged through the snow and mud to get to Mirabell Gardens. In the movie, they sing part of the "Do Re Mi" song there- jumping around on the steps. Afterward we grabbed some coffee and sweets at a cute nearby cafe.

Festival Halls- We tried our best to make it back to the once-daily tour of the hall where the family sings together, but alas we entered the wrong door and missed the tour by minutes. It's still used for the Salzburg Festival annually.

Leopoldskron Castle- Finally, we journeyed to the castle that served as the front of the Von Trapp home. There was almost no one on the buses, and on the way back, our driver decided to pull over, stop the bus, and turn off the lights. With only one other person on the bus, naturally we were a little alarmed. Turns out he was just running a little early! Anyway, the lake in front of the castle was frozen over, and we were not able to go inside (I don't think anyone can) but as we ran back to catch the final bus, we witnessed snug little Salzburg in the snow for the last time.

We returned to Maastricht and popped in The Sound of Music-- it's always good, but it was especially awesome to note how many places we had actually seen that were in the movie. But beyond that, Salzburg has been my favorite stop so far. It's charming, easy to navigate, and absolutely gorgeous.

mozart, my hero

We went to Mozart's birthplace and his residence. AMAZING. First of all the birthplace...let's just say that some very creative people designed the setup. I was SUPER excited to visit these places because, well, Mozart is amazing. We arrived at the Geburtshaus, walked up a flight of stairs, and entered a room. It was kind of small and something in the center was glowing. As I looked closer, I realized it was a fake baby Mozart, wide-eyed and kind of creepy. I didn't take this picture, as photography wasn't allowed, but here is a general idea.

Yeah, complete with a neck ruffle! We proceded to tour the rest of the house, which was filled with interesting things. Bits of hair and trinkets. This second room was themed...springtime. Or fertility. Or something. It was the actual room of his birth, so to symbolize these things there was a stuffed bunny rabbit and flying birds on the ceiling! There were also some of his early tiny violins and harpsichord, which was cool. The next room implored us to get out of our comfort zone and enter a world where everything was new and different. It had stars on the floor and everything was upside down...

After the interesting tour, we crossed the river to the residence, which was much more formal and had headsets with music and trivia. It housed most of the paintings of Mozart.

At dinner, which was delicious (Spaghetti & Co. in the Alstadt) we were seated under a poster from one of my favorite movies EVER. Excellent. :)

It's no wonder Mozart was inspired to write and play music in this beautiful town, however long he was in it. And the people are quite proud. Rightly so.

the view from up here

Let's be honest. Salzburg is the most beautiful city I have ever visited in my life. I am not surprised that Mozart was inspired to write incredible music here. It was absolutely gorgeous, and our first day was blessed with the "warmest" weather we had yet experienced in Europe. It was amazing. We arrived at Pension Adlerhof, which was more like a nice hotel than a hostel. However, I looked out the window and was greeted by....well, we don't really know what it was. Some eerie figure, shrouded and stiff, stood across the street. It never moved, so I hope it was a statue. Still...creepy!


Our first plan of action was to cross the river that flows through the city to the Alstadt, or old town. Here we saw a ton of gorgeous buildings, ate an amazing chocolate dipped pretzel, and made a new friend. We called him the golden monk of Salzburg. I asked him if we could take a picture, and, as he was pretending to be a statue, he nodded and pulled his face into this leering old man expression that has no place on a monk's face. Also he wanted to kiss our hands and "bless" us with this rose he had!



We took the funicular up to Festung Hohensalzburg, the castle overlooking the city, for a breathtaking view. Pictures don't do it justice, but I tried my best.


Imagine our surprise when we were greeted with what I would consider the most terrifyingly awesome museum ever created- the Marionette Museum. Randomly, this castle housed some of the craziest, creepiest talking dolls I have ever seen. We took a ton of goofy pictures, acting like puppets, and actually drew a crowd! Apparently Salzburg is known for its marionette theatre, which we wanted to attend but was touring in France.

I noticed that the demon puppets were doing a sic 'em. We simply had to join in.

Our first two hours in Salzburg were pretty much magical. I can't wait to tell you more!