Gwen's Austria Christmas Markets Adventure

This morning our guide will meet us for an overview walking tour of historic Salzburg. Salzburg’s Old Town with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centers in Europe and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Hohensalzburg Fortress, strategically located on a hill overlooking the old town, 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.

We will also see the Salzburg Cathedral, a 17th-century Baroque building which was the site of Mozart’s baptism. We can also see 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 we will get a chance to visit his birthplace. His family lived here for 27 years and today we will see items from Mozart’s childhood.

All throughout our sightseeing today, we’ll also be noticing sites from The Sound of Music, including Mirabel Gardens (“Do-Re-Mi”), the abbey and the cemetery where the family hid from the Nazis.