Friday, June 7, 2013

Salzburg - A Day Tour

In Munich, we decided to take a day tour to Salzburg. We heard a lot of interesting stories about this city and is therefore very keen to experience the sights by being there in person.

Salzburg means "salt castle", referring to its massive fortress and the white gold from the mountains in the South. It is the capital of a federal province of Austria with the same name. Its approximately 150,000 residents make it the fourth biggest Austrian city. Beyond that, it is Austria′s most beautiful spot - as the residents there will arguably claim.

The city′s magnificent Baroque town centre is rated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and can easily be explored by foot. A classic music festival, the city′s most famous son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the heart-warming musical "The Sound of Music" created the area′s fame and popularity with music enthusiasts all over the world

We booked the tour via Radius Tour and Bike. Cost EUR 42 per person and I think it is a good deal as it include the train tickets return.


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We met at the Radius Tour and Bike office which is at the Munich Central Station. Thankfully, our hotel -  Hotel Stachus is within walking distance to this location.
Meeting Point for our Salzburg Day tour 

Here's our group and we walked to catch the train 
And here is our train, we walked to the end of the train to look for an empty carriage so that our small group can have the cabin to ourselves.
The train ride to Salzburg takes about 45 minutes. On the train our guide Mike gave us an overview of the city and highlights of what to see and eat there.
The beautiful Mirabelle Gardens where Julie Andrews and the children were filmed singing Do-Re-Mi. At the background, the Mirabell Palace is a historical building in the city of Salzburg, Austria. The palace with its gardens is a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Site
Side view of the Mirabell Palace
At the side of the Mirabell Palace and a beautiful fountain
Surprised to see a local bride and groom at the Mirabelle Gardens 
Location of the Mirabelle Gardens

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by the river Salzach
 The city of Salzburg is situated by the river Salzach, a river that runs across the entire province in a bended curve and shapes the landscape of it. The Salzach is 225 kilometres long and one of the most important rivers of the Austrian Alps. By international visitors, it is often incorrectly referred to as "Salzburg River".

This is probably due to the similarity in the names. In fact, "Salz" means salt and "Ache" is an old German term for a river. The name therefore refers to the importance that the Salzach had as a transportation route for salt from Hallein and other mining places of the province up to the late 18th century.
Quaint streets of Salzburg  - nice shops and plenty of attractive merchandize. 
Don't forget to stop by Balkan Grill Walter for the best foot long hot dog in Salzburg

And enjoyed a cappuccino as well as the beautiful warm sunshine
 In the middle of the square sits a grand baroque fountain, or 'Residenzbrunnen'
Residenzplatz is a large, stately square in the heart of the historic center of Salzburg


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