Saying Goodbye to Salzburg

Mozart’s Birth City

Even though the weather didn’t cooperate in the way I had hoped (grey clouds were ever-present), my stopover in Mozart’s birth city turned out better than expected. 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. Apart from boasting one of the most famous birth houses in the world, Getreidegasse is 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.

Sound of Music & Old Town Sights

One of the most appreciated parts of Salzburg is Mirabell Gardens, where Sound of Music was shot. The Old Town (a ten minutes walk via one of the bridges) offers more sights. 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, do consider a walk along Franz-Josef Kai by the river.

A Pleasant Surprise

As I love surprises of most kinds, my favorite part of the trip occured when I arrived to the family-run Atel Hotel Lasserhof and the receptionist said they had a water leak in my room. Apparently, he had both good and bad news.

“Always bad news first,” I said.

“As we are fully booked we can’t offer you another room at our hotel tonight.”

“And the good news?”

He smiled. “We have booked you a room at a nearby 4-star hotel we cooperate with, at no extra cost.”

Located at Rainerstraße 14, Hotel StieglBräu is one of the best Best Western’s I have stayed at. Warm and welcoming with kind and helpful service, spacious rooms, an extremely comfortable bed, and a great location near Mirabell Gardens only ten minutes from the Old Town.

Once the time for my departure came, saying goodbye to Salzburg was not easy. But I reminded myself that I can return in the future, or read other people’s stories from this Austrian city.