Salzburg Pt. 2
We’ve spent our entire time in Salzburg at the southern bank of the river, where the old town and castle were located. We decided to cross over and check out the northern side. We walked through this area quickly last night coming from the train station, but it was so late then and everything was closed. Linzer Gasse seems known more as a shopping street, though it is kept as pedestrian only. I love that about Europe, so many walking streets without cars. We crossed the bridge over the river, and took a moment to look down at the water. Were it not a cold December day, it would be nice to slowly cruise through the city on a boat.
There was a stall set up that looked like a Christmas market stand, but it’s maybe one that is always there. They had more than just the Gluhwein though, there were a bunch of cocktail drinks along with sparkling wines. One we found was a Stroh Hüttenpunsch, and it was served in these awesome orange mugs. Stroh is an Austrian spiced rum, and this punch made from it was served hot. Such a nice dose of warmth on this cold day!
We walked up the Linzer Gasse and got a few pictures, but we weren’t planning to do much in the way of shopping. Neither of us are shoppers really, but these kind of streets are still good to go see and people watch. Anyway, we didn't spend much time there. I had marked on the map a spot in a park off the side of this street that was supposed to offer the best view of the city, however. We ducked off the Linzer Gasse to Kapuzinerberg, which seemed like we were going through a building until it turned into a small alley. Once in the alley, the road seemed to go straight up the hill. The map showed this would go up to a Monastery at the top of the hill, and it was a nice steep climb. Apparently those in the monastery liked to torture themselves, as the alley was lined with the Stations of the Cross – that Catholic tradition of going from station to station and saying the prayers. As a kid I remember it done in the aisle of a church, but here going up a steep hill it seems much more like a pilgrimage!
We climbed up to the top of the hill and rested a bit at this little park that gave a nice lookout over part of the city. The houses and rooftops were pretty for sure, but you couldn’t really see the old town. We left the Kapuzinerberg behind and walked along the walled edge of the elevated park. There was a trail of sorts that wound through the park, though it was likely just a worn path from people walking that way instead of an actual planned trail. The drop was a few stories straight down on the other side of the walls! We followed the path around to the front of the park, past an old turret section that someone converted into a gypsy hut. We were heading over to investigate, only to find someone living inside! We felt bad for intruding on her privacy, though honestly I looked over her setup and imagined that it must be an interesting life. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little curious to try it out…
We went down to the walls at the clearing, and there was the view we were waiting for! The row of colorful houses along the river was like the face of the city, and the towering steeples and domes rose above the rooftops. The city had a beautiful backdrop of the castle on one side, and a mountain peak on the other. The diffused sunshine was amazing in the way it fell upon the city, and the snowy mountainside appeared almost blue in the soft afternoon light. We stood and marveled over the striking skyline before us, taking in as much as we could before the cold wind forced us off the hillside.
We trekked back to the monastery and found a different way down from the hill, this time being a steep narrow stairway called Imbergstiege that cut along the church and then through a tight neighborhood to the Steingasse.
Back across the river, we stopped in to this tiny shop that sold tiny things. Beth loves this stuff! The shop itself was really small, and they sold tiny wood carved figurines. Beth has a little collection of them already that she picked up years ago in Berlin, and she got a couple small pieces to add to them. These figures could easily fit on a dime, they are all sooo tiny! We didn’t get much because they were also a bit expensive, but it was definitely a great shop to drop in and check out.
Past the hotel away from the old town is a section of the city that is said to be known for its restaurants. We didn’t have much at all in the way of food here, and we were so curious to try it all out. Also past the hotel is the Stiegl Brewery, the big one here in Salzburg. We are familiar with some of their things from back home, and we do love their Radler. We stood in front of the hotel and debated going down to one spot or the other, but instead we decided it was late enough already. There's lots more that Salzburg has to offer, but will have to wait until next time. We grabbed our bags and started down to the train station to make our way to Vienna. We wanted something from Stiegl while we were here, so we dropped into a grocery store and got a few Radlers and a ham and cheese baguette for later.
The train ride was relaxing and uneventful. Upon arrival at the Vienna train station, however, we had a startling welcome. As we entered the main concourse of the station, a swarm of police ran past us and into the terminal. We wondered if we should get out of there quick, but saw that it was a false alarm. Someone had left their duffel bag sitting in the middle of the main room while they walked over to a stall to get a coffee. Folks, listen up now. We live in the age of terrorism. Travel lanes are targeted. If you leave a bag unattended, people are going to suspect it is a bomb. Have some common sense. Good job on Vienna’s security and police though to be on top of that almost immediately!
We checked into the hotel after a long walk from the train station. The place is a bit interesting. When you took the stairway up, some doors opened to hotel hallways, but some doors opened to private residences. The stairway itself was wide, with short concrete steps that gradually spiraled around the elevator shaft as they worked their way up the building. The stairway actually reminded me very much of the way up to my dad’s old apartment here in Vienna, which was close enough to this neighborhood so the similarity isn’t too surprising. We found our room and relaxed for a bit with our Radlers. Even with the baguette we had on the train, we didn’t have much to eat today. It was getting late though, and we knew our options were limited but decided to head out anyway.
We walked up to the Nachtmarkt, a really nice outdoor market in the city. It was mostly closed at this time of course, with the exception of the bars, and the empty stalls were dark and quiet. We were planning to come here tomorrow, but were really hoping to find something quick tonight. No such luck, so I turned to Google to find late night places. There were a few around, but the closest was a Serbian restaurant called Beograd. We decided to go check it out…
We weren’t sure it was open at first, as it looked like just a few people hanging up front. There was a group at a table near the back though, so we decided to stay. Good thing we did, because the food was excellent! We started with a Macedonian Meze platter, with tarmasalata, tzatziki, feta, stuffed grape leaves, and olives. Very similar to a Greek platter, naturally as Macedonia is on Greece’s border, but still a bit unique in its own way. I’m not always a tarma fan, but this one was good! Beth had Muckalica - grilled pork chops with paprika peppers and onions with rice, and I had the Srpski Djuvec – the Serbian pork goulash over rice. All was outstanding, and an added bonus – Beth’s Muckalica totally sounds like it could be a metal band!
Only a couple hours in, and we’ve already had some fun in Vienna. This is an amazing city, so we are looking forward to the next few days, and then it’s the New Year!
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