It is difficult to say if Salzburg is now known to
the world more as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or the site where “The
Sound of Music” was filmed. I venture to say that most tourists visit this
charming city built in 755 AD because, at some point in the past 40 years, they
believed that Maria and the Von Trapp Family redefined life expectations.
Of course Salzburg is more than that, much more.
Over the centuries the city has seen war, destruction and also rebirth. Since
its last destruction during World War II, the city, its institutions and famous
Salzburg Summer Festival have made Salzburg the attraction of Austria. In 1997,
it was designated a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO, in part because of
its neo-classic and baroque architecture.
But Salzburg is foremost the birthplace of Mozart.
… Less than 3 hours by car from Vienna, one
approaches the city through winding roads surrounded by scenery announcing the
Alps. It was a cold and foggy day when our car drove through the lake region
with a short stop at Wolfgang Lake. The
fog and the quiet of the town gave these benches a delightful context.
An hour later Salzburg welcomed us with its castle
atop the mountain and bucolic river bank. The bridge that leads to the town
center was crowded with tourists but I found a moment to isolate the accordion player
and the city in the background.
The baroque architecture of the city at the foothills
of hills where the castle is perched is charming to say the least. But the main
attraction for me was the small size of the old city allowing for non-stop
discoveries during a 2 hour walk. While millions of photos were being taken of the
St. Peter cathedral and horse carriages, I was hoping for a memory associated
with people. Here is what I took a photo of: a couple was being photographed
for their wedding album, allowing the public to also take pictures. For me her
happy smile will be associated with Salzburg.
I tried to not identify the Mirabell Square with Maria
and Von Trapp children singing “Do-Re-Mi”,
or the St. Peter’s cemetery as where the family’s flight was filmed. Instead, I
looked at the tombstones going back centuries trying to get a glimpse into the
past. This picture, on a 200 year old tombstone made me stop and think.
For a Westerner, being in a thousand of year old
city is always a challenge when comparing with a few hundred years old cities
on “younger” continents. Salzburg has a very visual way of summarizing its age:
many of the old building have two dates on their front facades: on the left is
the original date of built, and on the right the date when they were
rehabilitated/painted. Brilliant!
… On the way back to Vienna it was good to slowly
enjoy the Mozartkugel chocolate, the
original recipe of which was created in 1890 by Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst.
Nougat, chocolate and marzipan to end a great trip!
December 5, 2016
©Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2016
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