Variat Tourist: Salzburg

Mozart home city, beautiful views and why the locals do not need to leave the city in order to have a rest.

If you like traveling, mountains, beautiful views and ... salt - you have to go to Salzburg. "Salz" means salt in German and the name of the city can be literally translated as "salt castle". But it was not enough for locals to use "salt" once and they named also the river - Salzbach and the castle - Hohensalzburg. No, the locals do not eat more salt than other people, salt production was just the first business the first locals did.

Even sculptures in Salzburg are white. As for example the Empress Elisabeth of Austria monument that was shot in Geneve by italian anarchist. She was the wife of the Emperor Franz Joseph I who led Austria-Hungary in the World War I.

Almost all buildings in the city center are baroque and are painted in pastel colors.

Although the city looks modern some traffic lights are about 30 years old.

The Church of Holy Trinity

Because of its beautiful buildings Salzburg is sometimes called "the northern Florence"

And that is one of the city most visited places of interest - the Castle Hohensalzburg that was one of the catholic states stronghold during the Thirty Year's War.

The river Salzach and Alps foothills.

This is the old part of the city on the left bank of the river.

The Capuchin monastery built on the Capuchin hill.

And of course Salzburg is the birthplace of the great musician - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Even if it is hard for you to remember birthplaces of many famous people - once you have been to Salzburg you would never again forget Mozart's home city because of an enormous amount of small shops selling well known candies "Mozartkugeln". Those shops are everywhere. Candies Mozart, cups with Mozart, t-shirts with Mozart... The great musician would be surprised if he got to know that his face would be printed somewhere in South Asia on cigarette lighters.

There are many beautiful small streets in the city that look even better during christmas holidays.

This one interesting device is a barometer, thermometer and some more "...meters" in one.

After have seen dozens of Mozartkugeln shops you are finally looking at the Mozart monument.

Austrians feel themself obviously offended when somebody asks if they see kangaroos from their windows every day.

Salzburg Cathedral where Mozart was baptized.

You can walk by foot to the castle but there is a funicular for lazy tourists, on the right side of the picture. But it costs about 6 or even 10 euro to get to the castle on the funicular so we decided to go by foot even if it were "Mozart's funicular".