April 27, 2017

On Easter weekend, Grant and I had plans to take a road trip up to Prague with a friend. Our plans fell through, and in some ways it was fortunate as we later found out that Prague had been stormy and rainy the whole time. I had just finished reading Jack Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’ and was really looking forward to the fun I would have on the road trip (minus the drugs and wild parties). If ever there was a book to get you inspired to take a road trip, this book is it!

So, we drew up new plans that would not take us North but would take us East and then South. Our friend drove up from Switzerland, and on a Thursday morning, we were off. The rain came down hard on this day, but aside from creating some traffic getting out of Innsbruck, we had a smooth drive. The first stop on our trip was Salzburg.

 

 

I’d always dreamed of visiting this historic city. I love classical music and I’d always wanted to see the birth place of Mozart. As we approached the city at around 2:00 pm, the rain was still coming down, but it made the various shades of green in the surrounding hills all the more noticeable. And the castle on the hill that overlooks the city loomed ahead beckoning us to visit it first.

 

We parked the car thinking we were near the funicular that would take us up to the castle. We soon learned that we were on the other side. Assuming we could just walk around the base of the mountain to find our way up, we kept walking but only found buildings and a sheer rock wall to our left. Finally after about 30 minutes, Grant (with his usually keen architect’s sense) exclaimed, “We’re not going to find a walkway up to the castle. It’s designed really well to keep people out!”. So we changed our tactic and went in search of the funicular in the most touristy spot in the city. We soon found it. Sure enough, Grant was right. To build the funicular track, 20 feet of castle wall had been drilled through. While riding through the tunnel, one got the giddy sensation of “breaking in” to the castle.

The building of Hohensalzburg Castle was started in 1077 over a Roman settlement dating back to 180 A.D. The location was very strategic as it is on a steep hill that is easily defensible and has a view to alert anyone in the case of the city being attacked. Throughout history, the castle went through several expansions. The ticket price included the main part of the castle, museums, and palace rooms. These rooms once housed the Prince-Archbishop and seemed very luxurious for the time period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came down with the last funicular of the day, and leisurely explored the old town area. Even today, the cobblestone streets are very well preserved and the old buildings are maintained in excellent condition. I could just picture myself in an 18th century ball gown walking down the street to attend a ball… let me rephrase that, wearing a farthingale dress and stepping out of a stage coach.

 

 

We came to a small square with an unassuming frontal church façade. This is Salzburg Cathedral. We decided to enter, partly because we were curious but also because we were so cold. Not only was this day rainy, it was also windy and damp. We were stunned when we entered.

 

 

 

After this, we needed to get out of the cold. We found a cozy restaurant. We only half-read the outside menu before entering. If ever a poster of a delicious-looking cheeseburger draped with bacon could influence one’s restaurant decisions, we were complete suckers. I think the chilling cold also had an effect. We ordered and soon had warm food in front of us.

 

 

 

As we finished, our friend asked if we were ready to “brave Siberia again” and we reluctantly said, “Yes”. That became the motto of the day. And if there had been a T-shirt titled, “I survived Siberia” I would have bought it with pride. Shivering, we walked across the bridge to the Mirabell Palace. This is known for it’s lovely gardens. This palace was built in 1606 after the Archbishop got gout and wanted to avoid the narrow city streets. It was built as a pleasure palace for him and his mistress Salome Alt.

 

 

 

 

We finally left the city at 7:00 pm. It was very beautiful and Grant and I definitely want to come back again. We didn’t get a chance to visit the Mozart museum but we did pass the house he was born in:

 

 

Driving to a town near the Austrian-Slovenian border, called Velden am Wörthersee, where we had hotel reservations, proved to be a little more challenging. There was a blizzard on the part of the freeway that passes through the Austrian Alps on the way. The roads were slippery and the visibility wasn’t very clear. We took it nice and slow and finally got to Velden two hours later than expected.

Velden am Wörthersee is a resort town on the edge of Lake Wörthersee. The hotel that Grant had booked was right out of the movie ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ and had a really nice 1920’s charm. When we entered our room, I felt like I had been transported back in time. This is definitely a hotel we want to stay at in the Spring or Summer, that way we can enjoy the lake and mountain activities.

Hotel Corinthia Velden:

 

 

 

 

To be continued…

 

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