On the 14th Dec., I made a day trip to Salzburg. I had been to that city before (I think in 2007) when my parents were visiting me. It was then a bit of a disastrous trip. So, my intentions were mainly focused on generating good memories to associate with this city, which, everyone agrees, is one of the most beautiful ones in this part of the world.

The city was all lit up for Christmas with giant stars hanging over the street. The festive spirit just takes hold of the time (figuratively shown in this photo) and it is hard not to feel a part of it – whenever, wherever, whatever one may be doing. (Dec. 2014)

In short, I started with the train from Munich after a late breakfast. Upon reaching Salzburg, I made my way to the fortress of Hohensalzburg (by far the highlight of this city and my trip). I did both the tours of the fortress – one which walks you through the outer buildings, like the storerooms, the torture chamber, and up the Reckturm with its beautiful panorama view; the other which shows you the royal residences (Golden Hall, the Golden Chamber) and the museums. The fortress is quite large and, on a beautiful day like it was, one could literally spend hours lounging around in one of the terrace cafes, or simply walk around and along the walls marveling at the beautiful views one gets from this vantage point.

After a good 4 hours up there, I descended back in to the city and walked through the decked up streets of Salzburg. With Christmas around the corner, it felt like a magical place to be. I kind of lost track of time as I walked through the streets. One thing to note is that its not just the streets, but enter one of the passages leading off the main street to some courtyard and you’ll be confronted with beautiful boutiques, shops, restaurants and cafes…even more decorated and much more charming.

At the very end of the day, I walked down the Getreidegasse towards the birthplace of Mozart and bought some chocolates (Mozartkugeln). I was tired by the end of the day … slept through the return train journey back to Munich. There are too many pictures to include in one post (as you may well imagine), but these pictures kind of summarize the day. More will follow as and when I get down to them.

About 40 minutes in to the train ride, I could already see the mountains in the distance. (Dec. 2014)

It was a beautiful winter day. Getting off the bus near Rathaus, I made my way to the Mozartplatz, where this ice skating rink was set up. In the background, you see the Dom (cathedral) to the left and the church of St. Michael to the right. (Dec. 2014)

The statue of the most famous son of the city – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – on the Mozartplatz. (Dec. 2014)

View of the fortress of Hohensalzburg from the Kapitelplatz. It would be a 20-25 minute climb, before I get there. (Dec. 2014)

At the eastern gate of the fortress near the Mayor’s Tower – I was just entering the outer precinct. The Hohensalzburg is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe. And I agree. At the top of the wall are the covered ramparts – called the Gunners’ Gallery – says a lot, doesn’t it? (Dec. 2014)

Through a winding path, I reached the smithy in the Blacksmiths’ Tower (Dec. 2014)

The Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg and the city owed their power, affluence, and influence to the salt trade (white gold). Fittingly so, one of the former storerooms, where earlier salt was warehoused, is now converted in to a mini-museum showing the 17 archbishops, who ruled Salzburg over the centuries. In the showcases below, models highlight how each of those expanded Hohensalzburg from a simple walled burg to an impregnable fortress. (Dec. 2014)

The Bell Tower with its fire bell – in the background is the Kapuzinerberg (Dec. 2014)

To the left is the Höher Stock (Upper Storey) with the apartments of the Prince-Archbishops. Standing atop the Reckturm, you get a good feel of the size of the fortress, its layout, and how it dominates the surrounding countryside. (Dec. 2014)

A view of the Salzburg city from the Reckturm (Dec. 2014)

Before entering the Höher Stock to view the royal apartments, I stopped by briefly to visit the chapel of St. George built right next to it. (Dec. 2014)

Walking around the ramparts, I could see the towers of Richterhöhe – earlier a separate outpost, it was later integrated into the defenses of the Hohensalzburg. (Dec. 2014)

The Golden Hall and the adjoining Golden Chamber is the highlight of the royal residences. The Golden Hall is a large room with wooden walls. The ceiling is coloured in a shade of twilight blue and studded with golden rosettes. This was meant to give the impression of a starry sky. Without the odd fire alarm sticking out, it does not take a mighty leap of imagination to see how this would really look like in those days..in the flickering candlelight. (Dec. 2014).

The Golden Chamber is by far the most beautiful room in Hohensalzburg with its intricate, secular, Gothic gold work on the ceilings and on the walls. I will have to write a separate post on this. (Dec. 2014)

Hohensalzburg as seen on the path to Richterhöhe – tinged with the colour of the pale wintry evening sun. (Dec. 2014)

Descending from the fortress I wandered through the city and landed at the glittering Christmas Market in front of the Dom. (Dec. 2014)

The city was all lit up for Christmas with giant stars hanging over the street. The festive spirit just takes hold of the time (figuratively shown in this photo) and it is hard not to feel a part of it – whenever, wherever, whatever one may be doing. (Dec. 2014)

Before heading off to the railway station, I wanted to see this yellow building – Getreidegasse 9 – the birthplace of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Dec. 2014)

I bought some chocolates, had some coffee and cake..figured it would be a good time to head back to the railway station. I decided to walk and took one final look at this beautiful city from the Makart Steg. Till we meet again! (Dec. 2014)