But it has always been this way, because you can get a similar impression when admiring the architecture of Salzburg – St. Stephen’s Cathedral, towering over the oldest part of the city. With its scale and wealth of decorations, Ruperta would easily fit into the center of Vienna, Paris or Milan. Its façade, made of local marble, invites visitors into a spacious interior that can accommodate up to 10,000 people. Here you can also see an invaluable monument to the city’s history – a bronze baptismal font from the 14th century that recalls the sacraments administered to the city’s most famous inhabitants – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Father Joseph Mohr, author of the lyrics to the Christmas carol “Silent Night”. What is most significant, however, is that the temple is considered the first Baroque building built north of the Alps. This is thanks to Markus Sittikus – a fabulously wealthy and influential bishop who ruled Salzburg in the early 17th century. The priest, who comes from the noble von Hohenems family, spent his entire youth in Italy, then returned to the city, fascinated by the local culture and art. Regardless of the costs, he decided to completely change the finished project, already approved by his predecessor, hiring the renowned Italian architect Santino Solari, who built the temple according to the best Italian standards of the time.
This was only possible in Salzburg – a city ruled for centuries by bishops who exercised both secular and spiritual power here. Established in ancient times at the crossroads of important trade routes, the centre quickly grew rich through the trade and storage of the salt mined in the area. This is where the city’s name comes from, which means nothing more than “Salt Castle”. You can learn a lot about its origins by visiting the exhibition housed inside the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which towers over the historic centre. A few minutes’ funicular ride takes you into the fabulous world of a medieval city. And at the same time, you’ll have wonderful views – the city centre looks fantastic from here, cut through by the winding bed of the Salzach River, the impressive towers of old churches and, of course, the mighty Alpine peaks looming in the background. The Salzburg mountains are almost within reach, because you can reach the lower station of the cable car, which takes you to the Untersberg peak, at an altitude of over 1,770 m above sea level, from the city center by bus in just over half an hour. Interestingly, the mountain itself is shrouded in mystery and a whole series of legends related to still unexplained paranormal phenomena that supposedly occurred here in the past. It is no wonder that Untersberg has inspired artists, and the Bavarian composer Johann von Poissl even dedicated one of his operas to it.
Music city
After all, Salzburg is, above all, music and art. Notable artists have linked their lives to the city on the banks of the Salzach River – the aforementioned Joseph Mohr, the renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan and the actor, director and former director of the Salzburg Festival – Max Reinhardt. Although it may be tempting, it is impossible to speak of the “city of salt” without mentioning Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Traces of one of the most famous composers in the history of music can be found here at almost every stage, and his life and work were marked by growing up in the foothills of the Alps. It is therefore not surprising that one of the most popular museums in Austria is the one created in the apartment of Mozart’s family, located in a characteristic yellow-fronted tenement house at Getreidegasse 9. The musical genius was born in an apartment on the third floor. , consisting of a modest kitchen, living room, bedroom and study where his father Leopold worked – a renowned musician, composer at the time and, at the height of his career, deputy bandmaster at the court of the Salzburg bishops. Today you can see here original artifacts from the period, family chargers and personal mementos of the Salzburg prodigy – including: a few strands of hair or a silk wallet that he would carry with him until his death.
Mozart was just a few steps from St. Paul’s Cathedral. Rupert, where he played the organ, his favorite instrument – “in my eyes and ears, the organ is the king of instruments,” he wrote in one of his letters to his father. However, he soon moved, together with his parents and sister, to an apartment located across the river, on Makarta Square. The composer spent seven years in an apartment larger and much more comfortable than the cramped Getreidegasse apartment, during which three of his operas were written. When visiting the interiors that belonged to the Mozarts, it is worth going down the stairs to the courtyard to see the characteristic wooden belvedere. Originally it was located in the garden of the Freihaustheater in Vienna, but thanks to the activities of the Mozarteum Foundation, it was located in Salzburg. It was here that Wolfgang Amadeus composed his famous work “The Magic Flute”.
Chocolates, coffee and soufflés
Mozart is something you can’t avoid even when you’re exploring Salzburg’s culinary scene – a must-have souvenir from your stay in the city is the world-famous Mozart Kugeln. It’s worth noting, however, that under this name there are products from various producers that differ in quality and taste – some of which are mass-produced but can’t compare to the originals, which were created in a small café on the Old Market Square (German: Alter Markt). It was here in 1890 that Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst, wanting to properly commemorate the centenary of the death of Austria’s most famous composer, created chocolate delicacies that won awards at the Paris Exhibition a few years later. They are still made by hand according to the same recipe today – the filling made of pistachios, marzipan and nougat is covered with liquid chocolate and formed into characteristic balls.
Just across the street from Fürst’s studio is another iconic Salzburg establishment – Café Tomaselli, considered the oldest café not only in Salzburg, but in all of Austria. It was founded in 1700, when Johann Fontaine from France received permission from the city authorities to sell chocolate, tea and, of course, coffee in Salzburg. The restaurant, built on Złota Street (German: Goldgasse), was, however, far from the luxurious establishment it later became – as it was written in 18th century documents, there were only: “six small wooden tables, 12 leather armchairs, an iron, a hanging clock, five pewter wall lamps and 13 paintings.
Initially, the café did not enjoy a good reputation, often attracting local adventurers, so when it came into the hands of Prince Anton Staiger in 1753, his main goal was to move it to a more prestigious location and “allow entry only to friends and people who enjoy great respect.” The restaurant began operating under a new name in an impressive residential building on the Old Market Square, where it is still located today. In addition to the location, the guests who frequented it also changed – drunkards and poor students were replaced by the local elite. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a regular guest here, and several centuries later, at one of the local tables, Hermann Bahr, Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Max Reinhardt came up with the idea of organizing the first edition of the Salzburg Festival.
Just a few steps away, near a beautiful church and the historic cemetery of St. Peter, there is also the oldest restaurant in Europe that is still in operation today. The history of the place, now simply called St. Peter’s Stiftskeller, dates back to 803, when an inn began operating at the local Benedictine abbey, located in impressive cellars. Today, the place occupies several boldly decorated rooms and a pleasant courtyard, whose atmosphere is far from the stuffy Middle Ages. The local menu is also modern, although it also includes Salzburg classics. And these undoubtedly include the Salzburg Nockerl – a characteristic soufflé made of egg whites, yolks, milk and sugar. The baked cones, symbolizing the three hills that surround the city, are served with jam and served with due respect – the waiters arrive at the table on a special trolley and cut the dessert into portions at the guests’ table.
Modern and ecological
One of the hills mentioned is the Monk Mountain (German: Mönchsberg), and at its summit is the headquarters of an institution that proves that Salzburg does not dwell solely on the past. It is here that the Museum of Modern Art is located, easily accessible from the old town via an elevator that travels through a shaft dug into the limestone rock. The impressive building houses works by prominent artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, and visitors are greeted by a colorful neon sign above the main entrance, depicting a bouquet of flowers, created by Polish artist Paulina Ołowska. After strolling around, it is worth heading to the terrace, which offers wonderful views of the city and the surrounding mountains. From here, the trained eye can spot modern installations and sculptures dotted around Salzburg’s old town. This is the result of cooperation between local authorities and artists, and resulted in the “Modern Art Walk” walking route – along which you can find works by, among others: Marina Abramović, Erwin Wurm and Stephan Balkenhol.
From the terrace it is also easy to see that you can comfortably travel around Salzburg by bike – in the city and its surroundings there are hundreds of kilometers of very well signposted cycle paths, allowing you to reach the most important tourist attractions.
Last but not least, you can also get to Salzburg from Poland in the most environmentally friendly way possible. This is possible thanks to the direct night train between Warsaw and Munich, which has been in operation since December last year – its route passes, among others, Krakow, Oświęcim, Vienna and Salzburg. The journey from the Polish capital to the city of Mozart takes approximately 12 hours. If you don’t want to spend the whole night on the train, a good alternative is to choose a flight-rail connection with a transfer in Vienna. The first leg from Warsaw or Krakow is operated by LOT or Austrian Airlines, and the second leg by the Austrian rail carrier ÖBB on comfortable Railjet trains that depart from the station under the terminal at Vienna Airport. This solution guarantees, first of all, a guaranteed transfer, so that even in the event of a train or plane delay, we are guaranteed a free rebooking to the next flight or express journey.
Read also: This European capital is rarely visited by Polish tourists. That’s a mistake!
