Saying goodbye to Salzburg was difficult because I hadn’t seen everything I wanted to see. But when you get that feeling it’s easy to remind yourself the place will still be there and you can return in the future. Apart from the cloudy and rainy weather, my stopover in Mozart’s birth city was even better than I expected, partly because of a water leak. I will get to that later.
A lot in Salzburg revolve around Mozart, you can even visit the house where he lived and see the piano he played. House of Mozart’s Birth, a big house with several floors, is located at Getreidegasse 9 and attracts curious tourists all year round. Except for boasting one of the most famous birth houses in the world, Getreidegasse is also an exceptionally pretty shopping street lined with boutiques, cozy cafés and beautiful arcades.
Another Mozart feature is the Mozartkuegeln, a delicious candy made of fine chocolate, hazelnut nougat, hazelnuts, marzipan and a caramel-resembling substance. Each Mozartkuegel is wrapped in foil and has a portrait of Mozart on the front. Just make sure you get the real deal and not some cheap fake version.
One of the most appreciated parts of Salzburg is Mirabell Gardens where Sound of Music was shot, but the old town (a ten minutes walk via one of the bridges) offers many great sights as well. I saw the Cathedral at the Cathedral Square, St Peter’s Abby with the Benedictine monastery at St-Peter-Bezirk, the Mozart Square and the fortress at Mönchberg above the city center. After a day of sightseeing in Salzburg, don’t miss Franz-Josef Kai along the river. This area is especially pretty in the evening and the restaurant near the river is one of the best in Salzburg for a tasty dinner.
As for the water leak, apparently it had taken place in the room I had booked at the family run Atel Hotel Lasserhof. The young receptionist kindly explained he had both good and bad news.
“Bad news first,” I said. “Always bad news first.”
“As we are fully booked we can’t offer you another room at our hotel tonight.”
“And the good news?”
He smiled. “The good news is that we have booked you a room at a nearby 4-star hotel we cooperate with, at no extra cost.”
Hotel StieglBräu was located at Rainerstraße 14 and one of the best Best Western’s I have ever stayed at. Warm and welcoming with friendly and helpful service, spacious rooms, an extremely comfortable bed and a terrific location near Mirabell Gardens only ten minutes from the old town.
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September 14th, 2007 → by Erica Johansson
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