Austrian Adventure {Day 4}

After 3 nights in Tirol, we checked out of our resort and drove one hour east to Salzburg, a charming old city on the Salzach river. The old historic part of the city sits between the river and a mountain and is almost completely car-free, so it makes for great walking around and shopping during the Christmas market season. Bits of The Sound of Music were filmed here and what was not filmed here, but filmed on a sound stage in Hollywood, was inspired by the scenery in Salzburg, where the Von Trapp family lived until they fled the Nazi's in World War 2. We plan on going back to do the full bus tour and see all the sights from the movie and real life of the Von Trapps sometime in the warmer seasons. Below is the Dom or Cathedral, the statue of Mozart, who was born in Salzburg and lived there most of his first 25 years. Bottom right is a pink church that is 1400 years old!

 Another smaller church set next to a beautiful, old cemetery, the one that inspired the scene in The Sound Of Music where the family hides from the Nazis behind head stones. The actual scene from the movie was filmed on a set.  

 Walking around Salzburg, down the main shopping drag where old iron signs still depict what is sold in the stores beneath.

 Europe is known for their Christmas marrkets and Salzburg has a really big one. The markets are all outside, where vendors sell everything from traditional junk food of the region and warm beverages to ornaments and decorations to hats and purses. Steve bought a nice, traditional Bavarian style hat to go with his Lederhosen. I didn't see anything I couldn't live without except a few cookie cutters. Brian couldn't live without this donut with sprinkles!

 When we were done with the market and walking on our way to dinner, we stopped into this toy store to warm up and Brian got his picture next to a 6-foot-tall Lego Elephant. We left without purchasing the elephant but each kid got a little matchbox-car-sized city tram that look just like the ones zooming around Salzburg.

 We finally made our way to the Augustiner brewery, an old monestary that you can get food and bier and just have some good, old Austrian fun in. See the kids up there waiting for a pint? Steve has never been happier there with his liter. I am not a bier drinker but I took a sip and it was really good.

 The Augustiner is really informal and has basically what looks like a mall food court and you just find a stall that carries what you fancy, get your food and bring it back to the table for some good eating.

 Some good, hearty Austrian food. Mostly meat and potatoes of course. And that pretzel was the size of a newborn baby. Below: in case they run out of bier mugs on the wall of mugs, you could drink out of this giant one?

 Some pictures along the walk from the city center to our hotel, about a mile each way in the freezing cold, with a wind chill of bitterly cold. But it was good for walking off all the meat and taters and bier! We spent one night in Salzburg and then headed back home to make final preparations for Christmas!