The AmaDolce arrived at Passau on this day and we decided to take on the day trip by bus to Salzburg. The excursion took up the entire day, and because the road back from Salzburg was wet and rainy, we didn't get to see much of Linz either. Linz is where the ship sailed to after most of the passengers disembarked for optional tours either to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov. We intended to do Linz as short tour and maybe even a nite visit after dinner, but the rain dissuaded us from venturing from the comforts of the ship lounge where a nite cap, good music and some dancing kept us busy til bedtime.
We came away from Salzburg deciding that one day, a return trip to stay near the lake districts of Fuschlsee, Wallersee or Mondseeland would be captivating & romantic indeed. Salzburg itself is just one big tourist mecca... must confess.. even though we are tourists...it is pretty easy to see how one could get pretty weary of the busloads of tours that descend upon the small idyllic city day in and day out. The city is a destination not just for its surrounding beauty per se but attracts all sorts of fans of Sound of Music tours, and well then of course there are the Mozart fans as the city is where Mozart spent much of his youth. Every August, there is in fact a Mozart festival in Salzburg..god help them!
Some pics from our 2 hr bus ride. Could not resist snapping some although these images from a moving bus really do not do justice to how pretty it really is to gazed out at the expanse of this rural landscape.Geographically, Salzburg comprises of a typical ice age landscape. When the glaciers withdrew millennia ago, they left great masses of ice that created small basins and then everything melted, gaving rise to some of the clearest lakes.There are these gentle hills that are so well tended and dotted by small scale farms with sprinkling of farm cows & lambs that it looks like its straight out of a children's picture book.
Salzburg was made very prosperous from the salt mines during the days of the Celts and continues today with a strong economy, only 4% unemployment, lowest in the EU. They have a very progressive tax system - Austria highest tax is up to 50%. It is the second largest city in Austria (#1 Vienna; #3 Linz). Salzburg's notables include Christian Doppler, the physicist who in 1842 described the Doppler effect - the change in frequency of a wave (or other periodic event) for an observer moving relative to its source.
Our local guide taking us around Getriedgasse
Salzburg Cathedral is of 17th Century baroque style. It was first started in 700 - 800. Several extension and rebuilding occurred through 15th & 16th centuries. However, the Cathedral was quite extensively damaged during WWII. Repairs and restoration was completed in 1959
Dome of the Salzburger Dom 
North view of the Cathedral
Atop the hill is the nunnery of Stift Nonnberg in which Fraulein Maria left to take up her post with the Von Trapp family
Residenzplatz with the Domplatz arches, through which Maria enters, and the Residenz Fountain, in which she splashes in the movie "Sound of Music"
Cemetary in Salzburg - also used in the Sound of Music film when the Von Trapps try to escape and was confronted by Liesl's then boyfriend Rolf
St. Peter's Cemetery is where composer Haydn is buried but Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not (he died a pauper & was buried in commoner's ditch) Quite an irony as the whole of Salzburg now owes so much to the man that the Archbishop once tossed out.
St. Peter's catacombs in the cliff face behind
On the road again for a 45 min drive en route to Mondseeland - here again are some pics out the tour bus
Just a hop off the bus for a quick photo of the lake district...really too bad it was overcast.. must plan another trip and stay longer next time :D. There seems to be lots to do - good hikes, bike trails, spas, boating ..etc, not least of which, close to few charming villages and Salzburg to explore
Town of Mondseeland...Mondsee lake is currently up for sale & is the home of inventor of Red Bull
Here is the church in Mondseeland that was the very one used in Sound of Music for the wedding scene
