Fresh, crisp summer skies, horses, violins, lakes, flowers, mountains, castles, cobblestone. Europe has many a haven of natural scenery poised with charm. Yet there is something pristine about western Austria. The sky is very blue and the landscape very green. This is a scene of organic allure. Its existence is unimposing, unpretentious and almost matter-of-fact. For one thing, the city of Salzburg is much less hyped up and known in the Middle East than the likes of Barcelona, Paris, Venice and Cannes. In fact, it is hardly ever mentioned. What is even more striking is that when and if Austria is brought up, it is its capital, Vienna, which takes the limelight. Indeed, we were guilty of this oversight whilst planning our triangular trip. Our original plan spanned the Austrian capital, Prague and Budapest, the latter a 50-minute train ride from Vienna. Yet having been told by an avid traveler that Salzburg features in his list of top three destinations, we tilted the triangle westward.
This is a place with a German imprint, which forms part of the Swiss-German-Austrian arc of perfection, organization and graceful introversion. This is certainly no Spain or Italy, and partygoers, naturally, had better stick to the Mediterranean coast.
This is a relatively hidden yet very virtuous haven. Set against an Alpine backdrop and home to Mozart, Salzburg’s historic city center has been branded a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, overlooks the Mirabell Gardens, an ensemble of carefully synchronized flower arrangements. To the right of the bridge, the old town offers couture and cobblestone in a vintage setting.
With the music festival that begins in the last 10 days of July and lasts until September, we found ourselves engulfed in harps, bands and violins in what added a huge dimension of flavor to our experience. The fact that music complemented natural elements cannot be overstated and I strongly advise travelers to try this time of year, if not for the melodies, for the blueness of the sky that illuminates its summer spirit.
Another obvious oversight is that Salzburg is where the acclaimed musical “The Sound of Music” was filmed. Maidens in dresses sing their merry tunes in green fields of flora in what truly is every bit the image of the oil-painting utopia that it is made out to be. Indeed, the film having been selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry owing to its “cultural, historical and aesthetical” significance only goes to reinforce the importance and uniqueness of the Salzburg scene.
In the distance, rich green, ice-capped mountains overlook emerald waters. Day excursions are offered to the Salzburg lakes, notably Lake Wolfgang, Mozart’s first name. Having been to several lake districts in Europe, including the British, French, Italian and Swiss lakes, I can attest to the fact that the Austrian lakes and their surroundings can be differentiated in their sharpness of color. In fact, the quality of water inside Lake Wolfgang is so high that it has been endorsed by the European Union. Different tours are offered, though we were told to refrain from the “official” Sound of Music tour since we had already been to the lakes (otherwise said, if you’ve been to the lakes and do not wish to go again, don’t fall for the tourist trap).
A source of major disappointment that is felt to this day was not having had prior knowledge about Salzburg’s Ice Caves, the largest ice caves in the world. Having almost run out of time and having learned of their existence only there and then (a fact that still has me wondering why this city and its marvels are so poorly promoted), it dawned on us that we had neither the hiking boots nor the warm clothing, not to mention the stamina following a series of train rides, to embark on this highly original adventure. Here, thus, is a traveler’s warning of faux-pas in your planning.
We did, however, pay a visit to the Hellbrunn, a bedroomless, 17th-century Baroque villa whose waterworks springing from the ground offered respite from the summer heat, which was still bearable thanks to the Alpine winds, much unlike the Mediterranean summers experienced in cities like Rome and Seville.
After a day of ardent sightseeing, we find ourselves dining on cobblestone next to Mozart’s house, located at the beginning of the old town and painted in yellow, after which we sipped tea along the oldest canal in Europe with the vintage Hohensalzburg Castle towering over us, illuminating the waters before us.
That, simply, is the refreshing four-day experience we found ourselves engulfed in haphazardly. Hotels are on the pricier side (compared to those of the Czech Republic, certainly). The Crowne Plaza Pitter is an unpretentious, traditional but solid hotel with a breakfast (at the time) superior to that of the Marriott on the Champs-Elysees.
For history lovers who are flying out of Vienna, a pleasant surprise we came across in our tour book is that of the Sigmund Freud museum, the founding father of psychoanalysis, located in his former practice and apartment, with carefully preserved artifacts including his hat, bag and cane. Captions under the pictorial biography of his life enlightened us with a real dimension to Austria, namely the fact that it came under Nazi rule prior to World War II and became subsumed under Germany until the very end of the war in 1945. It also shed light on Freud’s origins in the now Czech Republic and other interesting facts, including the idea that Freud, among others at the time, was a proponent of cocaine in the treatment of pain-relief.
Last (but in no way least), a must-see on your way out of Vienna is the Schonbrunn Palace, a 1,441-room summer residence from the 16th century with the most impressive garden I’ve seen to date, the “Great Parterre”, overlooked by the glorious Gloriette structure made of recycled stone left over from the demolition of a previous palace. And like many other European cities, you will be spoilt for choice over which classical renditions to listen to live.
In short, such is a fairytale experience in a picture-perfect setting of pristine pathways and waters, defined skies and mountains and crisp winds from the Alps, all harmoniously swaying to the sound of music amidst old forts and opulent flowers.
The sound of music
The sound of music
