Salzburg
“more than Mozart’s birthplace”
Close to the German border lies Salzburg, the fourth biggest city in Austria.
Looking good, Salzburg
Located at the site of the Roman settlement of Iuvavum, Salzburg was founded in 696 as an episcopal see. The name Salzburg, literally, “salt castle”, refers to salt extraction, which was its main source of income.
That’s salty
Salzburg is known worldwide as the birthplace of Mozart. It’s also known for being the filming location for the movie The Sound of Music. The Altstadt (historic center) is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What’s so special?
Born in 1756, Mozart is regarded as one of the best music composers of all time. He was the seventh child of Leopold Mozart, who was also a composer. Baptized as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, he often adapted his name to different languages, the most relevant being Amadeus (Latin for Theophilus).
The yellow house
At 17, he and his family moved to the so called Wohnhaus. At 25 he left Salzburg for Vienna after one final falling out with the Archbishop. A part of this house was destroyed by allied bombings during WWII.
The pink house
Located right across the street from the Mozart Wohnhaus is the birthplace of this mathematician and physicist. He may not be as famous as Mozart but he is known for the Doppler effect.
Living in the shadows
It looks quite modern but this restaurant has existed since at least the year 803, with records showing Charlemagne visited the restaurant in that year.
The oldest restaurant in the world
Literally “emperor nonsense”, Kaiserschmarrn is a fluffy shredded pancake whose name refers to the Austrian Kaiser (emperor) Franz Joseph I.
That’s nonsense
Austria offers delicious desserts such as Sache Torte. Other delicious Austrian desserts are Apfelstrudel and Punschkrapfen.
Tasty
The Austrian dialect of the German language is very similar to that in Bavaria. Standard German (Hochdeutsch) uses the expression “Guten Appetit” (enjoy your meal), whereas in Austrian dialect it’s “an Guadn“.
Enjoy
The Sound of Music is an American music film released in 1965 that was filmed in Salzburg. Each year, the city attracts more than 300.000 visitors because of this movie. The iconic song Do-Re-Mi was filmed in the gardens of this palace.
Do-Re-Mi
This square was used for the filming of the song I Have Confidence where the main character Maria splashes water from the fountain into the statue of the horse.
I Have Confidence
Just in case you were wondering.
You don’t say
Mozart was baptized in this very cathedral.
Just look at that sky
Construction of this castle began in 1077 and has been expanded ever since.
The castle
The Austrian flag was first used in 1230, making it one of the oldest national symbols currently in use by a contemporary nation.
The flag
Salzburg lies on the northern boundary of the Alps. The 1,972‑metre-high Untersberg is the closest alpine peak less than 16 km away.
Alps
And that’s the end of this chapter.