A 2-hour train ride through the Austrian countryside brought us from Vienna to Salzburg. We arrived with plenty of energy, so we threw our bags down and headed right back out to take a look around. Salzburg is relatively small, so pretty much everything is in walking distance. Such a treat! The city is divided by a small river, so we had to cross a bridge to get to the older part of town.
Our first stop was St. Peter's Abbey, home to the oldest library in Austria. Unfortunately, we discovered that the library is not open to the public (which they do not mention on any website we saw when researching). But it was still cool to see the entire property and get a sense of the calm one experiences when surrounded by such history.
Afterward, we got adventurous and decided to hike up the hill to the Hohensalzburg Fortress where they say you can get the best views of the whole city.
There was admittedly a bit of bellyaching from Mel - literally and figuratively. We hadn't really had lunch, it was hot, and the hill was steep (photo above is only one of many ramps up). Not the best combo. But once we got to the top, there was no denying that it was worth every blistery step. The view is remarkable, and we would do it again without question.
Fortunately, during the hike we knew we had a great dinner to look forward to. We made reservations at St. Peter Stiftskeller
- located right next to the Abbey and declared the oldest restaurant in
Europe (founded in 803 A.D.)!
We had the treat of sitting in the cave area
of the restaurant, which made it even easier to appreciate the thought of all the
patrons who had dined there in the past 1210 years.
And the food? Delectable.
veal with mushrooms
lamb with polenta
Salzburg = quickly becoming one of our favorite cities.
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