The River Salzach in Salzburg by night.

Photo: Flickr user marco_ask

Salzburg’s W.A. Mozart Airport is a regional airport served by about 30 airlines. That means it is not nearly as busy as Frankfurt’s or Munich’s larger airports. And that means you may not find it cheap or easy to arrive in Salzburg by air.

A simple solution is to fly into Munich and continue to Salzburg by train. And that’s relatively easy to do.

For starters, there’s an S-Bahn station at the airport that runs directly to and from Munich’s main train station, the Hauptbahnhof (or Hbf). You access this station directly from the arrival hall on the ground floor.

From the Hauptbahnhof, trains run between Salzburg and Munich regularly, from early morning to late at night, about every hour. The trip takes about 2 hours and runs through scenic landscapes and along the shores of beautiful Lake Chiemsee.

What’s more, unless you’re travelling alone, you can save money by purchasing a Bayern ticket. Good for travel on local and regional trains, the Bayern ticket costs just €29 if purchased online or at a ticket machine (€31 if purchased at the ticket office). It covers a group of 2 to 5 adults travelling together and can be used from 9 a.m. to the following morning at 3 a.m. It’s good on the S-Bahn portion of the journey as well as the trip between the Hauptbahnhof to Salzburg.

The Bayern ticket can be used on all local trains (Interregio-Express, Regional-Express, Regionalbahn, S-Bahn) as well as the Münchner Verkehrsbund (MVV) and Verkehrsverbund Nürnberg (VGN), and the Augsburger Verkehrs- und Tarifverbundes (AVV). Be aware, though, that it is not valid for some of the trains between Salzburg and Munich; confirm that the train you select accepts it before departing Munich.

Smoking remains very popular in Austria. With about 2.5 million smokers in the 20 to 50 year-old age range—or about 60—its population approaches near-world-record status for percentage of smokers. Among teenagers about 15 years of age, 24 percent of boys smoke. Among girls, the rate actually rises to 30 percent. Overall, something like 40 percent of those 15 to 20 smoke regularly.

So if you’re sensitive to tobacco smoke, be aware that you may encounter more smoking in Salzburg than you may be accustomed to. In 2010, new regulations on smoking in public places went into effect. However, these are not as restrictive as those in many other countries, and smoking may still occur in restaurants, bars and cafés.

The new rules call for establishments under 50 square metres to be either wholly non-smoking or to allow smoking. Larger restaurants and bars are required to provide non-smoking sections. Red or green signs must be posted to alert customers whether the establishment or the area is smoke-free or not. However, you may find the signs hard to spot.

In reality, the rules are not well enforced. Non-smoking areas may be located beyond smoking areas, meaning diners pass through the smoking area before arriving at their tables in non-smoking areas. Or the separation between areas may be open, so smoke drifts into supposedly smoke-free zones.

If you want to be seated in a non-smoking section, be sure to specify your wish clearly when making reservation. You’ll need to be pro-active: The person taking the booking may not ask your preference. Once you’re seated, it can be difficult to change your table to one in a different area.

Also keep in mind that smoking is not regulated in open-air dining areas and guest gardens, so in outdoor settings you may find yourself seated near smokers. This is not likely to change soon; a 2010 poll found only 19 percent of Austrians supported stricter smoking bans.

The iconic Festung Hohensalzburg dominates both the skyline and Salzburg's history.

Photo: Flickr user SteFou!

Salzburg’s long line of ruling Prince-Archbishops displayed their wealth and power through building magnificent churches and palaces, many of them breathtaking in their architectural beauty. But the most important building in Salzburg’s history is arguably its iconic fortress.

The Festung Hohensalzburg, to give it its formal name, rests atop Mönchsberg, the mountain in the centre of the city’s Altstadt. Mönchsberg (‘Monk’s mountain’) is 504 metres (1,654 feet) high, so the large, sprawling white fortress at its height dominates the city skyline. It can even be seen from the 1,972-metre high summit of Untersberg, the mountain massif on the Austrian-German border 12 kilometres to the south.

There has been a citadel on the spot since at least Roman times, if not before.  Excavations within the existing complex have revealed Roman coins and jewellery, including a rare Mars brooch. Even older artefacts have been found, such as a stone axe from the Neolithic period and jewellery and utensils from the Celtic period. Fragments of brick Roman structures, including foundations and retaining walls, are being excavated and can be seen.

Today’s fortress, however, was begun by Archbishop Gebhard, who reigned from 1060 to 1088. In 1077, during the dispute between the pope and the emperor known as the Investiture Controversy—a struggle over political power between secular and religious authorities—Gebhard took the perhaps politically unwise position supporting the pope. Feeling as a consequence vulnerable to the powerful petty kings of southern Germany as well as the emperor himself, Gebhard built a series of three mountaintop fortresses to protect himself and his interests in the province of Salzburg.

He built Hohensalzburg on Mönchsberg amid the remains of older structures and adjacent to Nonnberg Abbey, a 7^th century cloister established by St. Rupert. Hohensalzburg was the biggest of his fortresses, and it remains the best preserved and largest medieval fortress in Central Europe.

In the succeeding years, as archbishops came and went, and as the struggle between religious and secular princes (and emperors) continued, Hohensalzburg remained the secure seat of the archbishops. Its walls were reinforced, bastions added and artillery towers built. It became a stronghold in the heart of the medieval city, protecting the townspeople as well as the elite from conflict and invasion.

In Early Modern times, as firearms became more powerful and siege tactics evolved, Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (reigned 1495-1519) and his successor Matthäus Lang (reigned 1519-1540) greatly expanded the defensive capacities of the fortress with solid gate towers, shield walls, and ultimately, a massive cannon roundel with 6-metre thick walls. These works proved effective in 1525 when the archbishop was forced to flee to the fortress, where he survived a three-month siege by angry Salzburg residents before being rescued by the Swabian Alliance.

It was during this period also that the magnificent Golden Hall and other state rooms were decorated. Sumptuously painted in rich colours, with deep blue ceilings spangled with gold stars, the rooms reflect the majesty and grandeur with which the archbishop was regarded.

However, even this splendour was insufficient to please later archbishops. By the 17^th century, the principal residence of these princes of the Church had moved to the grander Baroque Residenz near the Dom. More and more, the Hohensalzburg became primarily a military garrison, home to the countless soldiers who trained there. After the mid-19^th century, when Salzburg was no longer a military city, the fortress became a military detention centre, storehouse and barracks. In 1892, construction began on a funicular to whisk the growing number of tourists up to the Festung and a restaurant to feed them there.

Today, the Festung remains one of Salzburg’s most visited attractions. It merits a spot at the top of your list of things to do here.

Salzburg is famous for its chocolate confections.

Photo: Flickr user Chocolate Reviews

Here are my picks for Salzburg’s Top Five Chocolatiers:

Salzburg’s traditional Cafe-Konditorei Fürst is famous for its signature candy, the Mozartkugel. Created by Paul Fürst in 1890, these rich concoctions start with a pistachio centre surrounded by marzipan and nougat and then coated with chocolate. You’ll see Mozart balls displayed everywhere in shops around Salzburg, most wrapped in gold and red foil. It’s the silver and blue foil that distinguishes the original Fürst confection.

Sold at the flagship shop at Brodgasse 13, near the top of Altermarkt, Fürst Mozartkugeln are also available at the chocolatier’s other shops: Mirabellplatz 5, Ritzerbogen/Sigmund Haffnergasse and Getreidegasse 47.

With their layers of intense flavour and extraordinary sweetness, Mozartkugeln may not be to your taste. Never fear: Fürst also offer traditional chocolates, nougats, truffles and other specialities. The Fürst cafes are also a popular stops for ice cream, ice coffee, pastries and coffee.

Braun, at Churfürststrasse 4 (near Cafe Tomaselli) is the Salzburg branch of a 100-year-old family-run confiserie based in Hallein, south of Salzburg. For four generations, the family has created mouth-watering confections from long-held family recipes. Renowned for their high-quality ingredients, these chocolates and truffles are swooningly wonderful. My favourite, the rich, deceptively simple Keltonhelm, seduces with just one bite. There are also French specialities, including pastel-tinted macaroons. The shop’s simple elegance keeps the focus on these hand-crafted delicacies.

Confusingly, there is another chocolatier called Braun in Salzburg, this one located on narrow, winding Judengasse (at No. 1) in the most medieval part of the city. Based in Vienna, it also features mouth-watering hand-made chocolates. Its most popular selection, called Venus’ Breasts, have chestnut-cherry-cognac centres, presented in a pair, one coated with dark chocolate and the other in white. Delicious! The shop also features packaged chocolates in a large assortment of flavours and types from around the world.

La Chocothek at Getreidegasse 40 also offers a wide assortment of hand-made truffles as well as packaged chocolates and other treats from a variety of the best manufacturers. Create your own assortment by choosing individual truffles and chocolates from the arrayed selection. You’ll find plenty of ideas for gifts, too.

Finally, one of the more intriguing shops is Zotter Schoko-Laden at Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz 4. Located slightly below street level, the colourful displays of brightly wrapped chocolate bars and the ranks of hand-dipped truffles are simultaneously mysterious, inviting and cheerful. The minimalistic shop design is warmed by colour and lighting. Zotter proudly offers only organic and Fair-Trade products sourced from producers around the world. NOTE: Due to the renovation of the Hotel Blaue Gans, Zotters is temporarily closed until mid-to-late March, 2012.

Majestic Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun, Austria

Photo: Flickr user bortescristian

Just a little more than an hour’s drive south of Salzburg, you’ll find the charming village of Kaprun, located near the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest nature preserve in the Alps. A great place for a weekend getaway in any season, Kaprun sits at the base of Kitzsteinhorn, a glacier-covered peak that reaches 3,203 m (10,509 ft) above sea level.

The village itself reflects its medieval roots. Its 12^th century castle sits on a rise as you enter the town. Extensively renovated recently, the castle is offered as venue for weddings and special occasions. In July, it’s the site of an annual medieval fair, attracting as many as 4,000 visitors to see the spectacle of jousting and other medieval traditions re-enacted in period dress.

The biggest draw to Kaprun, though, are the outdoor activities. With its neighbour, Zell am See, Kaprun is famous for its skiing, particularly on the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. The permanence of the glacier provides for skiing ten months of the year. There are excellent runs for all levels as well as for snowboarders. And there many off-piste possibilities too.

You reach Kitzsteinhorn in the Gletscherbahn, an aerial tramway that is supported at one point along its three-part length by the tallest support pillar of any aerial tramway in the world. At the summit, you find breathtaking views of the valley below and alpine peaks far into the distance.

Even non-skiers can enjoy the natural beauty of this alpine wonderland. There’s plenty of walking and hiking trails. The aerial tram is open year-round for those who want to visit the glacier up close.

And for truly astonishing beauty, don’t miss the nearby Hochgebirgs-Stauseen Alpine reservoirs, open summers. Begun during the Second World War, they were completed with funding from the Marshall Plan. The two dams are fed by the glacier and are, respectively, 1,068 and 2,040 metres above sea level. Their waters feeds a power plant in the valley below that contribute to Europe’s power grid.

To get to the reservoirs, drive past the entrance to Kitzsteinhorn and continue to the free parking structure, on your right. From there, a bus takes you up canyon roads up the mountain and the alpine valleys to a funicular. The funicular, with a track well over a metre wide, is claimed to be Europe’s largest. The final stage of the journey is on another bus, up dramatic roads with sheer drops on one side while placid bell-wearing cows graze on the other.

At the reservoirs you’ll find a visitors centre with children’s activities, several food options and guided tours of the reservoirs that even take you inside the dam’s wall.

On your way back to Salzburg, consider stopping at another natural wonder, the Eisriesenwelt (Giant Ice World) at Werfen. When you do, make sure you have warm jackets and walking shoes—you’ll need them!

Ikarus at Hangar 7

With its skyline of Baroque steeples and domes, its intimate medieval streets and lanes and reminders of The Sound of Music—and Mozart—everywhere, Salzburg is one of the world’s most romantic cities. And lovers, young and old, will find plenty of scope for making special memories.

Perhaps the most special of all romantic restaurants is the Smallest Restaurant in the World, a tiny snug of a room in a tower in the Hotel Schloss Monchstein, high above the city. This private dining room will seat four, but it’s perfect for just the two of you. Here’s where you can, for a price, make romantic dreams come true.

Less pricy but also intimate is Winebar Restaurant Flavour on the city’s Right Bank. This cosy room is carved out of the stone of Kapuzinerberg. Softly lit in violet, it features an imaginative fusion menu and attentive service away from the crowds.

The Gersberg Alm Romantikhotel restaurant has offered Salzburgers a retreat from town life since Mozart’s time. Serving Austrian specialities, this favourite site for weddings and other romantic occasions is rich with traditional charm. In addition to an extensive wine list, you’ll find a tantalising range of Schnapps.

Tucked inside historic Linzergasse, a burbling stream passing along the floors of Restaurant Wasserfall lends a romantic soundtrack to the evening. This intimate restaurant and winebar draws on the cuisine of the Mediterranean. It’s especially strong in seafood.

Though it seems counter-intuitive, one of Salzburg’s finest restaurants is located near the airport, in a hangar. Ikarus, part of the empire of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, hovers over his collection of vehicles below. Its degustation menu changes frequently as guest chefs visit.

Newspapers on display at Café Tomaselli

Photo: Café Tomaselli

Salzburgers love their cafés. A home away from home, the café is where Salzburgers relax with a newspaper or book, visit with friends, and refresh themselves over Kaffee und Kuchen, a glass of Sekt or wine or a light meal. In warm weather, they congregate at pavement tables to watch passers-by; in cold weather, they watch the passing parade from cosy interiors.

There is no shortage of cafés to choose from, and nearly everyone has his or her favourite. One of the best places to find a congenial café is in the graceful, late 19^th century precinct near Mirabellgarten. Here, on Franz-Josef-Strasse, several cafés are concentrated, including arguably the city’s most beloved, Café Wernbacher. This long-established institution resonates with many younger Salzburgers from childhood excursions with parents or grandparents.

Next door is Café Fingerlos, with a sleeker, slightly more elegant, interior and a reputation for captivating pastries. It’s a little more spacious than Café Wernbacher with large windows the better to keep an eye on the passing parade and gracious Fin de Siècle buildings.

The oldest café in Salzburg—one of the oldest in Europe, in fact—is famed Café Tomaselli, located at the top of Alter Markt near the university. Its wood-panelled interior, staffed by waiters in tuxedos and black-and-white clad waitresses, has been frequented by musical geniuses from Mozart to Max Reinhart. In the tradition of Vienna’s classic coffee houses, Tomaselli is a place to linger over coffee and a selection of the day’s newspapers on their wooden staffs.

Just about a hundred metres away, facing the Mozart statue in Mozartplatz, you’ll find Café Demel, a relatively recent import from Vienna. Its pastel-and-floral decorated interior, as romantic as a wedding cake, stands in contrast to Tomaselli’s dark panelling. Both, however, offer exquisite pastries as well as coffee, wine and spirits.

You’ll find a complete change of pace at the Afro Café, near St Blasius Church opposite the entrance to Getreidegasse. Decorated with bright graphics in saturated colours, it offers great coffee, breakfast, African-themed food, art objects for sale, jazz and an upbeat approach to the traditional café.

Located opposite the Mönchsbergaufzug bus stop by the Museum der Moderne, the Republic Café is a café serving coffee, breakfast, dessert and drinks by day and a lively music venue and bar by night. In summer, the broad terrace is a welcome place to relax under umbrellas; in winter its cave-like interior is hip and urbane. It’s famous for its jazz Sunday brunches.

With thirteen official holidays throughout the year, Austria is very generous with its public holidays. Of these, ten are specifically religious in origin. Even if the holiday falls on a weekend, it is always observed on the day on which it falls. Holidays are not moved to the nearest Monday, nor do workers get a free day in compensation for a holiday falling on a non-work day.

National Day, 26^th October, is the year’s patriotic celebration, marking the return of national sovereignty at the end of the post-World War II occupation.

Of the religious holidays, six are ‘movable feasts’; linked to Easter, their dates change from year to year. In addition, although Christmas Eve (Heiliger Abend) is not an official holiday, it is an important family day, so most of Austria shuts down at midday. Also, many workers take the week off between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

These are the official holidays in Austria for 2012:

January 1       Sunday           Neues Jahr                    New Year’s Day

January 6      Friday              Dreikönigsfest             Epiphany

April 9            Monday           Ostermontag               Easter Monday

May 1              Tuesday          Tag der Arbeit             Labour Day

May 17           Thursday        Christi Himmelfahrt  Ascension Day

May 28           Monday           Pfingstmontag              Pentecost Monday

June 7            Thursday         Fronleichnam               Corpus Christi

August 15      Wednesday    Maria Himmelfahrt    Assumption of Mary

October 26    Friday              Nationalfeiertag           National Day

November 1  Thursday        Allerheiligen                 All Saints’ Day

December 8    Saturday       Maria Empfängnis       Immaculate Conception

December 25  Tuesday        Weihnachtstag             Christmas

December 26  Wednesday    Stephanitag                  St. Stephen’s Day

Public holiday are observed widely. Most businesses close for them, and public transportation runs on holiday schedules. However, in Salzburg and other tourist centres, restaurants, attractions and even some shops remain open.

Austria observes Daylight Savings. In 2012, clocks go forward one hour on 25^th March (GMT+2). Standard Time (GMT +1) resumes on 28^th October.

Fröhliche Weihnachten und Alles Gute für das Neue Jahr!

Salzburg in Mist

Photo: Flickr User Gatanass

With the New Year nearly on us, it’s not too early to make some resolutions to ensure even more fulfilling travel in 2012. Here are my intentions for getting the most from upcoming adventures:

• Read more about the history and culture of places I plan to visit. Right now, I’m deep in the fascinating history of the Hapsburgs, the family that ruled most of Central Europe for over 600 years.
• Put itineraries, bookings confirmations, background research and ideas on my Kindle. This lets me carry around a ton of information in my handbag, so I can retrieve the information I need without fumbling through notebooks and scores of loose pages.
• Look past the superficial décor of hotel rooms to see if those things essential for comfort have been provided. I’m not talking about luxury or glamour. The worst hotel experience I had recently was not simply that the room was over a nightclub that offered live music until 4 a.m. It was that in each of the  three (overhead and bedside) lights in  the room, there was a measly 40 watt bulb. Not only could we not sleep, we didn’t have enough light to read – or even to see if our socks matched.
• Last of all, allow time to relax in our destinations, even wander off itinerary. Having a few hours to get lost in the wilds of Slovenia – or the wynds of Edinburgh – open possibilities for memorable adventures.

Best wishes for 2012 and Gute Reise!

Windows of the Mozart Geburtshaus, seen from Universitätsplatz

Photo: Lorraine Seal

Fortress Hohensalzburg

The Festung, the fortress that sits high on the mountain in the centre of Salzburg, comprises several museums on one site. Your entrance ticket gives you access to all of them. Among the most interesting displays are gilded and painted State Rooms, an exhibit of historical musical instruments and the imaginatively presented display of weapons and armour. Fragments of beautifully drafted medieval frescos can be seen on the walls in the gallery leading to the State Rooms. Take a minute to look for them. A remarkable exhibition covering the Alpine front of World War I is also here.

Mozart’s Geburtshaus

Accessed from Getreidegasse, the birthplace of Salzburg’s most famous son is possibly the city’s most popular museum. It contains artefacts of his life, including violins, a clavichord and harpsichord he played, and an exhibit showing how families lived in the period.

Mozart Wohnhaus

Across the river on the Right Bank, on Makartplatz, stands the Mozart Wohnhaus, where the Mozarts moved when apartment on Getreidegasse became too small for the family. An excellent audio guide provides an in-depth presentation of the period, as well as insight into Mozart’s work.

Dom Museum

Open only over the summer and during Advent and Christmas, the often-overlooked Dom Museum makes a great break from the crowds at the Christmas markets. Go directly to the top floor to see exquisite examples of liturgical treasures and lovely religious art from the medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. A bonus is the passage to the Rupert Oratory exhibits, which takes you through the Dom’s organ loft. This gives you the opportunity to see the cathedral from a very special perspective.

Reality and the Sound of Music at the Salzburg Museum

This new exhibition, located in the Panorama Museum wing of the Salzburg Museum, casts light on the true story of the Trapp family, in contrast with the fictionalised account that was popularised in the film and musical tale. It includes manuscripts and artefacts, some on display for the first time ever. Closes 3 November 2012.