Your English-speaking guide will meet you in the hotel lobby for this morning’s overview walking tour of historic Salzburg. Begin by heading up to the Hohensalzburg fortress, strategically located on a hill overlooking the old town. It is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. Originally built in the 11th century as a simple bailey with wooden walls, the structure was gradually expanded and strengthened in the following centuries. Because the fortress never came under a military siege and was surrendered without a fight to Napoleon’s army, this is one of the best-preserved castles in Europe.
You will also see the Salzburg Cathedral, a 17th-century Baroque building which was the site of Mozart’s baptism. The church is dedicated to St. Rupert – Salzburg’s patron saint. St. Rupert also founded the Benedictine St. Peter’s abbey, the oldest monastery in Austria. The Romanesque abbey church, still in use today, was dedicated in the 12th Century. Its interiors were refurbished in the Rococo style in the 18th Century. The abbey also houses the oldest library in Austria including 800 ancient manuscripts and some 100,000 volumes, focusing on medieval church history, art history, and items relating to the local history of Salzburg,
Salzburg’s most famous son is of course Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and you will get a chance to visit his birth- house. Mozart’s father was a member of the prince’s chamber orchestra and young Amadeus learned to play the harpsichord at the age of 3. By the age of 5 he was already writing his first compositions.
Finally, walk through the gardens of Mirabell Palace, located on the bank of the Salzach River, which was supposedly built by a local archbishop for his Jewish mistress. This is where “Do Re Me” was filmed during The Sound of Music.
