by Ron Stern, Travel Photo Journalist
If a city has a heart, Salzburg’s would be the old city center. Pedestrian friendly paths and bridges line both sides of the Salzach leading to the old city, and towering above is the Salzburg Cathedral and the Hohensalzburg Fortress (the biggest in Europe), constructed in 1077.
Once inside the city center, you will come to the Getreidegasse, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cobblestone streets in Europe. With baroque architecture dating from the 1600s and more than 800 shops, this is a must see for any visitor.
Part of what makes this street even more special are the dozens of ornate wrought iron guild signs festooned with the colorful logos and designs of the current owners. You are not likely to find so many of these in one place throughout the whole of Europe.
Salzburg is a musical city, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born here in 1756. His family lived on one of the middle floors of a building, now a museum, and its yellow façade is one of the most frequently photographed in the city center.
Tributes to this master composer are everywhere in the form of dolls, bobble heads and even a sweet named after him, the result of a local chocolatier’s 1st place prize in a confectionary contest for his creation, the kugel. This completely round, handmade chocolate has a filling of sweet pistachio marzipan and is known now as the Mozartkugel.
Salzburg was the location for the filming of The Sound of Music, now celebrating its 50-year anniversary, and The Sound of Music bus tour is a must while in town. In addition to providing some interesting facts about the Von Trapp family (They didn’t actually cross the Alps with their kids.), the tour takes you to some of the locations used in the filming of the movie. More info: www.austria.info