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Today was a magical day, and Salzburg is definitely a magical place. You’ll never see anything greener or colors any deeper than all the colors around it that compliment it so perfectly. The deep blue water, and even the sky …. when it’s clouded ….. has a peaceful and color-filled haze around it that just mesmerizes you. We couldn’t believe we were really there in the midst of such majesty. There is so much more to Salzburg though, than the mountains, lakes and rivers.
Here are some places we visited that are perfect examples:
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The first place we went to was Motzart’s birthplace …. a tall multi-story yellow house with a large arched entryway. It had steps going up that were wood and so old, they were curved in the middle. No doubt Motzart had walked those steps many times in his lifetime.
The next place we went was to Mirabel Gardens, again, one of the places that had a big part in the Sound of Music. It’s where those statues are that are facing each other with their fists pointing outward are as you enter the gardens.
Minkey Mama was in Garden Paradise. She’s a major gardener and does landscapes as well, so she always has to go to gardens everywhere we go.
After that, we went to Old Town Salzburg, and that turned out to be one of the most enjoyable places we went just for hanging out. There were street muscians that were extremely talented, simple street food markets, a church and abbey where the nun scenes were filmed in the Sound of Music, and a beautiful old courtyard with a really large fountain.
There were several horse-drawn carriages and unusual breeds of dogs you see in Europe that are so cute. Minkey started shrieking with laughter when he saw one that looked like it had dread-locks! It sort of looked like a giant black lamb. The Minkster wanted to ride it, but Minkey Mama refused to ask permission for Minkey to do that. Grrrrrrrrr.
Tucked away in the back part of the courtyard, was one of those charming little niches you’re constantly surprised by in Europe that had huge wrought iron gates and a little columned walkway with some very old and unique shops and the coolest restaurants imaginable.
We saw one that we HAD to go to. It’s thought to be the oldest restaurant in Europe, and had the date above the door reading 803. When you walked in on the stone floors, you felt like it actually WAS 803. Low ceilings and tiny doors, and arched windows with wrought-iron left no doubt about its age. Minkey Mama is 5’3, so she said it was custom made for her.
We actually saw two other groups from our boat, and sat next to one of them, so we had a great time. Me and Minkey Mama had a veal stew and wine, and my Auntie Dawn had a chicken vegetable and noodle lasagna-type dish. There was also creamed spinach, a delicious sparkling fruit drink, and sour dough bread with some unique spreads. It was an incredible afternoon.
Right outside the windows of the restaurant was a little church (St. Peters) and a tiny, charming little cemetery similar to the one we saw in Durnstein. We walked around there and Minkey had his picture taken on the gates and on a few of the graves. There were some unusual open ‘tombs’ tucked into the stones of the courtyard that were like little private family burial places and they would have flowers, vases, beautiful carved headstones, etc. It was a captivating place.
Above and below are a video and pictures of this restaurant (called Stiftskeller St. Peter’s). It’s within the walls of St. Peter’s Archabbey and dates back to the year 803 (no typo!).
It is especially magical at Christmas and during the Mozart concerts and dinners they hold here in the beautiful formal dining room.
Celebrities and notables from all over the world frequent it often when they’re in Salzburg. Bill Clinton has also been here as well.
Obviously, we didn’t take all of the stills as we couldn’t wander around the restaurant taking pictures! Minkey tried to, so he had to go in the dreaded purse for a while. He kept the waiter entertained by constantly nipping into the wines and climbing all over everything.
St. Peters has 5 dining rooms – one is in a vaulted cellar, another where we ate has low vaulted ceilings and deer antlers on the walls with checked tablecloths and rustic wooden tables and chairs and overlooks the picturesque graveyard outside in the courtyard.
Here we all are at the entry and inside the restaurant. The Minkster was incorrigible. LOL Here he’s telling the waiter he needs some wine in this glass!!
…………………………………………………………………..Here’s Minkey in the Graveyard
Before we went back to the bus for a ride into the Austrian mountains and lake district, we went across a little walking bridge where we got a fantastic view of some of the city of Salzburg from the river. And on the gated railings across the bridge were hundreds of colored locks.
We found out they were “love locks” and you could buy one and put your name and the love of your life on them before locking them onto the gated railings for all time. What a charming culture Austria has! I put me and Miss Piggy up there. Minkey Mama’s is a secret. lol
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To top off that full and wonderful day, we went to our bus for a long and beautiful ride into the mountains of Salzburg. Minkey thought he had died and gone to Heaven when, at the end of the ride, the roads and the scenery began to get more beautiful and green than anything we’d ever seen.
As we climbed to the top of one of the mountains, we suddenly came on a very pretty restaurant built right on the side of the mountain. It looked like a huge white atrium or conservatory (sort of like you might see in England) with all glass windows and views of the countryside and the river below that literally took our breath away.
It had a large, wrap-around balcony with telescopes so you could see the little towns, the steeples of little white churches, the river, and the other mountain peaks surrounding us.
It was every bit as gorgeous as the mountain top where Julie Andrews and the ‘Von Trapp’ children played and sang in the Sound of Music. It was hard to believe we were really there ….. right in the middle of it all.
After getting over being so stunned by the view, the Minkster came out and started climbing all over the railings and telescope and sides of the restaurant. Minkey Mama was afraid he would fall off the sides and end up living in Salzburg the rest of his life!
Even the ride there was beautiful. All over that part of Austria and the mountains, are huge fields of the bright yellow flowers used to make Canola oil like we see in our stores. With all the trees and gorgeous deep green and plush grass, the flowers made a sort of brilliant checkerboard all over the mountains and roads. UNBELIEVABLE.
It was all we could do to not stop the driver and get out so we could live there forever!
I hope all of you get to go here or somewhere like this in your lifetime. If you’ve ever considered a trip to Austria or Switzerland, don’t let time pass you by. GO THERE. You’ll never, ever regret it!
xxxoooo Minkey
And here’s the slideshow!_____________________________________________________________________________
