ISSUE 10: Salzburg, Austria 2015

…a continuation of ISSUE 9: Munich Germany 2015 (The beginning)

...And just like that we were cruising the roads of Germany en route to the beautiful city of Salzburg, Austria. It was approximately a two and half hour drive. The roads were line with green pastures and mountainous terrain. We had originally planned on stopping by the Salt Mine before we got into the city, but it didn't pan out on the first day, so we decided we would enjoy it the following afternoon on our way to Vienna.

Finding our hotel, Hotel Bräu Imlauer, in Salzburg turned out to be a tedious task, even with Apple maps. Partially due to the fact that we ended up off the grid on our way in.. We were trying to find our way by memory which turned out to be a task from hell.  At this point hunger had set in, and we spent a fair amount of time driving around in what felt like circles. We finally pulled into a parking garage to try to re-route and were eventually able to ask a gentleman working there for guidance. He gave us some general directions, and just like that we were back on track, and finally reached our destination. It was a decent hotel, obviously older but clean. Our  With our lodging arrangements settled we were able to head back out to find ourselves a true Austrian dinner.

We found a quaint restaurant on the other side of the crystal clear river tucked back on a small side road. I had the fried chicken (schnitzel) with veggies and Brad ordered the duck. It was incredibly delicious... Fried chicken in Europe just always seems to be so much better than it is here for who knows what reason.  Being Americans, we are quick eaters, so once we finished our meal we decided to go explore the town. We found the action near the Christmas market in the square. They had a man-made ice skating rink set up for those daring to try, and as usual we watched the locals enjoy their evening out, and wandered the market looking for souvenirs & snacks... Yes, as a matter of fact, I did get another Nutella crepe...

It was freezing cold. We attempted to wander the city for a little while, but the temperature made it out to be a daunting task. So, we eventually decided to head back to the hotel which was a long walk down dark streets, and over rivers. At one point, I thought I had lost all feeling in my toes... Even with two pairs of wool socks & my hand warmers that found their way into my boots. It felt like the oncoming of frost-bite. Whether or not it was, we will never know because we ended up stopping in the local McDonald's so that I could warm up, and so Brad could use the restroom.  We sat there for a little while until I figured I could handle the cold for the rest of the route. It was tough, but we made it. There is something about Salzburg nights that are brutal. Maybe it's because of it being a smaller city, the streets were mostly eerily quiet.

The next morning we planned to visit the fortress, and do some additional exploring. It was a beautiful winter walk. We passed by these astounding homes that were built into the cliff as we headed into the city center. I coudn’t imagine living in the with only having windows on one side of my home.

We needed to find food, so we stopped at a small bakery/sandwich shop just off the main road, and an easy and good meal to start the day.

On our way to finding the fortress, we ended up stumbling into a beautiful cemetery, part of which was also built up into the side of a mountain cliff. We were able to get some brilliant views of the town below when we went inside.

From the cemetary we continued to work on making our journey to Fortress Hohensalzburg. Finding the path up to the fortress seemed to be a little more challenging than anticipated. We attempted to follow the masses, and thankfully that plan paid off.

You do have the option to take the tram up to the top, but we opted to walk since we love the exercise, and it was a great way to warm up. By the time we arrived, and had paid our entrance fair, we had taken our winter coats off, for a short while anyways.

The fortress now acted as a museum of artifacts from earlier centuries such as clothing, weapons, and furnishings. It was a quality exhibit... but for me... you’ve seen one, you've seen them all. The main reason I made the climb was for the views which were gorgeous.

What I loved about this fortress is that at Christmas time there is a small market for the tourists that serves treats, hot beverages, and has trinkets for the adults & toys for the children... This was just another opportunity for Brad to pick up a toy bow and arrow & pretend to shoot me. Sadly, for him, if I die, he doesn't get much...

After observing some breath taking views, we knew we needed to get a move on because we decided to go to the Salt mines before he headed to Vienna. We stopped at a small sandwich chain & grabbed our usual sandwiches, Sprite, and a pretzel for the road. We ate our sandwiches inside (Yes, I know, we eat a lot of sandwiches), but then sat and finished our drink along the side the river in peace.  The river water there is so incredibly clear, it was almost shocking to see such clear water running through a European city... When you compare it to that of Paris or London, it's night and day. Perhaps, that is because it is so shallow and I'm assuming ice-cold snow melt.

With our bags in the car and our route mapped, we were off on the next adventure, which may I saw was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.  Part of why I selected Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden is because of Brad's mining background. I thought it would be interesting to see what it is like to be inside of an underground mine (even though Brad work's in an open pit). Also, I should point out, the other reason I was so intrigued is because the salt mine has 2 giant wooden slides that you go down! Ahhhh, how fun is that!?

This experience was so much more than we anticipated. First, everyone get's a jumpsuit... you put on your jumpsuit, and you wait for the tour train. Once it arrives, you get to be up close and personal with your group and possibly other tour guests. As you straddle the car personal space becomes a thing of the past. (I should point out that we were the youngest ones in our group, as we got in with a large group of rowdy senior citizens which was hilarious.) It's so worth the space invasion! You get to walk through salt mine tunnels that offer a faint sparkle while you learn about the history of the mine. You get to take a boat ride! Yes, there is a small boat ride... and that boat ride includes a light show!!  I’m not even kidding. You get to go down 2 big slides... and you have the option to purchase a souvenir picture at the end... We did not buy the souvenir photo because Brad didn't like the way it turned out. I however, thought it was hilarious & decided to snap a photo of it with my phone. I would do this tour again... and again… and again! It was so fun. I was entertained, active, and smiling the whole time!

It was a great way to end the day before our dreaded drive to Vienna...