Anyways, had a great stay there and then on to Salzburg, where we met our friends, Peter and Christine from Vienna, who then alos became our tour guides for the remainder of our stay in Austria, and a good thing at that, as Peter really knows the country and history.
Anyways, on to Salzburg - what an interesting and fascinating city. The area dates back several thousand years and owes much of its heritage to salt, which was discovered over 5,000 years ago and was mined as far back as 3,000 years.
The introduction to the old city was quite interesting as we parked in what used to be a 4 + levels WWII bunker complex. The entrance is at ground level, right next to the archway.
Truly a fascinating and historic city, dominated by the fortress on the hill that oversees old Salzburg.
A city rife with UNESCO world heritage buildings, it's also a cultural center where seats for world class performances will set you back around $1,500+, per person.
Perhaps no wonder since this was Mozart's birthplace and the setting for the Sound of Music movie, which by the way, although well known in the US and outside of Austria is mostly a Hollywood creation. There was a Von Trapp Family and they did go to the US, where they own and run a beautiful lodge in Vermont.
The Salzburg area hosted many of the settings for the movie and we had the opportunity to view a number of the movie locations. Although OK, most impressive was the setting and buildings in the old City. The fortress, the dome church, St. Peter's Cathedral, the neat narrow streets, the houses built into the cliff, the buildings built in the early 1400s and still being used, the Getriedegasse, where even Mc Donald had to adopt to the local sign regulations and a Big Mac may set you back a few Euros.
Now on the Salzkammergut-this has to be one of Austria's treasures.
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