Kapitelplatz (Salzburg, Austria)

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Kapitelplatz (Chapter Square)

On our way to Hohensalzburg Fortress, we passed by the small but beautiful Kapitelplatz (Chapter Square). This square, a place of concentrated activity in Salzburg’s old town, is bordered by  Salzburg Cathedral, on the south, by the Cathedral Provostry (Dompropstei) and Archiepiscopal Palace in the east, the Novice’s Wing of St. Peter’s Abbey in the west and the Cathedral Chapter’s mills.

Check out “Salzburg Cathedral” and “Hohensalzburg Fortress“

The cathedral as seen from the square

The Cathedral district was comprised of austere, sovereign residences lined up on Kapitelgasse, Kaigasse and Chiemseegasse and Chapter Square was once the site of the Cathedral Abbey.  Until the archbishopric was dissolved in 1803, the high clergy once resided on the square and in the palaces in the adjacent streets. Dominated by the cathedral canon, this area was defined by majestic and imposing residences lined up along Kapitelgasse, Kaigasse and Chiemseegasse.

Cheska, Kyle, Grace and Jandy browsing at one of the souvenir stalls inside the square

The constant water supply of the canal for the millstones of St. Peter and the Cathedral, diverted through Mönchsberg to the Kapitelplatz,  still supplies water to St. Peter Bakery and the Chapter Fountain (which dates from the 17th century) on the square.

Grace, Kyle and Cheska with the Chapter Fountain in the background

Slightly secluded from the spacious square, the fountain (or horse flood) was modeled on Roman fountains and built under Archbishop Leopold Freihher von  Firmian  in 1732 to plans by  Franz Anton Danreiter. The winged horse ( Pegasus ) which once stood there is now in the Mirabell Gardens.

Check out “Mirabell Palace and Gardens”

Te statue of Neptune

Framed by a marble balustrade, it has a niche architecture built in front of the fountain house. The ramp, used by the horses to access the water, leads straight up to the monumental figure of Neptune (God of the Sea), in a high arched niche carried by double pilasters, holding a trident and crown as well as the mane of the horse with one hand and mounted on a seahorse with a fishtail and with water leaping from its nostrils.

The tritones on the left

The tritones on the right

The two water-spitting and much older (made in 1691) Tritones  came to their present place only later.  The water flows in a wide band, under the seahorse, into the lower-lying pool. The Baroque figure, one of the most stylish in Salzburg, was sculpted by  Josef Anton Pfaffinger.  Above the display bell  is a vase decorated with putti with a  chronogram (” LeopoLDVs prInCeps Me eXtrVXIt “) with Archbishop Firmian’s coat of arms found above the niche.

The chronogram above the niche

Filling the square with life are a number of giant communal chess-boards (where people play a game of chess with oversized chess pieces), plenty of colorful souvenir stalls and the “Sphaera,” a work of art by German artist Stephan Balkenhol.

The Sphaera, designed by German artist Stefan Balkenhol, is part of the “Salzburg art project.” Standing about 9 m. high (including the pedestal), this work of art is better known under the slang term “Balkenhol-Mozartkugel.” This abstract, gold-plated, two-ton ball, with a diameter of 5 m., is made of glass fiber reinforced plastic and lies on a wrought iron frame with a weight of 3.5 tons. On top is a 300 kg., bronze male figure dressed in white shirt and black trousers and emanating a neutral expression.

Kapitelplatz: Salzburg 5020, Austria

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel (Mondsee, Austria)

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Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

The last leg of our “Original Sound of Music Tour,” via Panorama Tours, brought us to Mondsee, a quaint and colorful town of lush countryside, shops and restaurants, where we made our final stopover at the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel situated right smack in the middle of the town center.  We were given an hour to explore the area.

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Maria (Julie Andrews) von Trapp walking down the aisle of St. Michael’s Basilica in the film “Sound of Music.”

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Another movie scene of Maria walking down the aisle. Behind is the Wolfgang Altar

Do you remember Maria (Julie Andrews) and Captain Georg (Christopher Plummer) von Trapp’s wonderfully famous wedding scene at the “Sound of Music?” This is where the wedding in the film took place (though, in real life, they got married at Nonnberg Abbey where Maria was a postulant). The exterior of the church was never shown in the movie, as it was then under renovation.

Maria and Captain von Trapp at the high altar

Maria and Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) at the high altar

The bright and welcoming yellow and white, Late Gothic-style and three-aisled St. Michael’s Basilica, located next door to the monastery building (founded by Bavarian Duke Odilo II in 748, it has been restored and turned into a classy hotel) and courtyards, is the cultural and spiritual heart of the Mondsee region.

View of pipe organ from high altar

View of pipe organ from high altar

The second biggest church in Upper Austria, it is also one of the most prominent and largest monuments in Austria. This former Benedictine abbey church, officially as Pfarrkirche St Michael, was constructed under the direction of Abbot Benedikt Eck and consecrated in 1487.

High Altar designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger

High Altar designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger

The pink and white ceiling with snowflake-like designs

The pink and white ceiling with snowflake-like designs

In 2005, Pope John Paul II upgraded the church to a minor basilica and, that same year, a huge restoration and renovation of the interior began that included every part of the basilica. During one of the many restorations, the framing on the Gothic vaults have been discovered to have been painted in the original light pink color. It took 3 years to complete and, in 2009, the church was reopened and was conferred  the title “Austria’s Monument of the Year.”

Side Altar (1)

Side Altar (2)

The basilica has two 52-m. high towers and statues of Saints Peter and Paul on the façade. For architecture buffs like me, it is unassuming on the outside but beautiful inside. We entered the basilica through a small lovely gift shop which helps in the upkeep of the basilica. The beautiful Baroque interior, dating back to the 17th century, features Baroque-style altars collaboratively created by Matthais Wichlhammer and the famous Swiss Baroque sculptor Meinrad Guggenbichler, outstanding pieces of work, with lots of black and gold, that are really stunning and nothing short of extravagant.

Poor Souls Altar

Poor Souls Altar

The light and airy interior, exactly the same as it was when the movie was filmed, was even more impressive when we looked at the ornate details up close. The ceiling, with soft almost pink snowflake-like designs on a clean white background, was also beautiful.

Wolfgang Altar

Wolfgang Altar

Seven of these altars were carved by Meinrad Guggenbichler who, from 1680, dedicated much of his life to beautifying the monastery.  Its 18 m. high early Baroque high altar. with the relics of Abbot Konrad II, dates from 1626 and was designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger.

Altar Josef

Altar Josef

More altars were then built in the monastery church.  These included the Holy Spirit Altar, the Wolfgang Altar, the Corpus Christi Altar, the Poor Souls Altar, the Sebastian Altar and the St. Peter Altar. Later, other altars were added, this time by Franz Anton Koch. These were the John Altar, the Altar Josef, the Anna or Virgin Altar and Antonius Altar. The altar cross was put together by a Mondsee  sculptor.

Antonius Altar

Antonius Altar

Once up the high altar, we could see the equally beautiful and impressive pipe organ at the opposite end of the basilica. There are also additional artifacts to be viewed at the museum attached to the basilica. The gilded statues and paintings made me wonder where they got the resources for such extravagance.

Altar of Annunciation (1680) by Meinrad Guggenbichler

Altar of Annunciation (1680) by Meinrad Guggenbichler

I am not used to seeing such splendor. One of the most photographed churches all over the world, this cinematically famous basilica is visited by more than 200.000 people each year. Even if you are not a “Sound of Music” movie fan, the elegant and classy St Michael’s Basilica is still worth spending time walking through. 

John Altar

John Altar

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel: Kirchgasse 1, Mondsee 5310, Austria. Tel: +43 6232 4166. Open daily, 9 AM – 7 PM. Although entrance to the basilica is free, there is a small admission fee for the museum.

The museum

The museum

Gift Shop

Gift Shop

How to Get There: Bus140 from Salzburg runs every 30 minutes and takes approximately 50 minutes (25 kms.) to reach Mondsee.

The Colorful, Sound of Music Town of Mondsee (Austria)

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Mondsee

After our short photoop stopover at the Salzburg Lake District, we again boarded our tour bus for the final destination of the Original Sound of Music Tour – the scenic and lovely, Baroque Upper Austrian  lakeside town of Mondsee in the Vöcklabruck district.

Check out “The Original Sound of Music Tour”

Peter briefing tour participants upon arrival at Mondsee

Located at the northern banks of Mondsee Lake (one of Austria’s last privately owned lakes), it is named for the lake’s crescent-moon shape. One of the biggest (and the warmest) of the Salzkammergut 76 lakes, Mondsee lake is 11 kms. (6.75 miles) long and 2 kms. (1.25 miles) at its widest.

Cheska at the town square

At the town, our Panorama Tours guide Peter allotted us time to avail of lunch as well as explore the lemon-and-white, twin-spired Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, the cloister collegiate church of the historic medieval Mondsee Abbey (founded in 748).

The author (left) with the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in the background

The interior of the church hosted the wedding of Maria (played by Julie Andrews) and Captain von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer) in the famous 1965 Austrian-set musical film The Sound of Music.

Grace and Kyle at a fountain beside the church

It has made the town the go-to wedding destination of the region, with 400 weddings taking place throughout the year.

Check out “Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel”

Colorful townhouses

Apart from its connection with the movie, charming Mondsee is a riot of gaily painted townhouses, mostly restaurants and stores selling handcrafted wares, bordering its main square and along its streets.

The Rathaus (town hall)

Right outside the church is the city tram stop where trams bring visitors to the lakeside promenade which is lined with several highly rated and elegant restaurants and cafés serving traditional Austrian fare (such as local apple strudel and freshly baked rye bread from a traditional mill) as well as modern cuisine.

Drachenwand (Dragon Wall) MountainA stunning backdrop is formed by the craggy rock face of the impressive Drachenwand (Dragonwall) at the southern shore of the lake.

Schlossbräu Mondsee,

Mondsee is also home to a series of Neolithic pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements discovered in 1864 in the lake.  Dating back 5,000 years, they are that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kyle and Jandy

In the warmer months, Mondsee offers stunning scenery and, in December, charming Weihnachts (Christmas) festivities.

Mondsee Tourist Information Office

The town is a 28-km. (21 min.), drive, via the A1, from Salzburg and thanks to its proximity to the city, Mondsee is frequented by visitors every weekend.

Mondsee Town Square

Mondsee Tourist Information Office: Dr.Franz-Müller-Straße 3, 5310 Mondsee, Austria. Tel: +43 6232 2270. Website: salzkammergut.at.

The Original Sound of Music Tour (Salzburg, Austria)

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The Original Sound of Music Tour

The next day, after an early breakfast at our hotel, we again walked to Mirabell Gardens where we joined Panorama Tours “The Original Sound of Music Tour” with other tourists on board an airconditioned bus.  The Sound of Music is a movie based on a successful Rogers and Hammerstein Broadway musical that premiered in New York on March 2, 1965.

Our Panorama Tours bus

Panorama Tours started as Kleinbusse am Mirabellplatz which, for three months during the film’s shooting in 1964, provided six Volkswagen vans for director Bob Wise to transport his 250 stars and staff around.  In the 1970s, the company morphed into today’s Panorama Tours, doing two four-hour “Sound of Music” tours a day, every day, all year.

Check out “Mirabell Palace and Gardens”

During the 4-hour tour, we were to be shown the most important sights in and around Salzburg where the movie was filmed.  It was the biggest grossing musical of all time, if receipts are adjusted for inflation. Because of its core family values, hummable tunes and stunning scenery, the film turned into a worldwide success.

Our tour guide Peter Nussbaumer

Julie Andrews starred as Maria von Trapp, a real-life ex-nun who married Capt. Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer), an Austrian naval officer, after she became governess to his children. Both musical and film are based on the “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” written by Maria von Trapp in 1949.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

In Austria, the film ran only for a very short period and was subsequently dropped probably because of instances of Nazi complicity depicted in the film which were certainly too much to bear for the Austria of the 1960s, which was forging a new, democratic future for itself. In 1966, the first American tourists started arriving and were asking about the film settings from bemused locals.

Hohensalzburg Fortress as seen from the movie (www.pinterest.com)

Two dozen locations in Salzburg were featured in the film. At Mirabell Palace and Gardens, most of the “Do-Re-Mi” song was filmed. Throughout the trip, our Australian guide Peter Nussbaumer was very funny and made the tour entertaining.  Along the way, we passed by (but did not stop) at Nonnberg Abbey, Hohensalzburg Fortress and Mozart Bridge (Mozartsteg) where a number of movie scenes were shot.

Check out “Hohensalzburg Fortress”

Nonnberg Abbey

At Nonnberg Abbey, they include the opening part where nuns go to mass and Maria returns too late; performance for the song Maria” was staged in the courtyard and the children came to the Abbey’s gate to ask Maria to return to their home.

The Von Trapp children at the abbey gate to ask Maria to return to their home (www.pinterest.com)

The escape scene, with the Nazi cars parked outside the Abbey gate, was also shot in the original spot.

Mozart Bridge (Mozartsteg)

The Mozartsteg, a filigree Art Nouveau iron pedestrian foot bridge over the Salzach River, was built in 1903 by a private group called the Mozartstegverein to connect the Steingasse area to Mozartplatz. It was inaugurated by the Governor of the Duchy of Salzburg and the then Mayor of the city.

Georg Krimml, a wealthy owner of Café Corso, lobbied and donated the funds for its construction to increase customer traffic to his café.  Up until 1920, it was privately owned and you can still see the toll booth (now a tiny coffee shop) on the Mozartplatz side of the bridge. The bridge was used in the sequence, at the beginning of the My Favorite Things montage, where Maria takes the von Trapp children on the picnic in the mountains.  

From Mirabell, a short 4.3 km. (10-min.) drive via Leopoldskronstraße brought us to our first destination – Leopoldskron Palace (Schloss Leopoldskron), a rococo palace and a national historic monument in Leopoldskron-Moos, a southern district of the city. The palace, and its surrounding 7-hectare park, is located on the lake Leopoldskroner Weiher. The grounds, adjacent to those of Schloss Leopoldskron, were one of the main exterior locations and ten outdoor scenes were filmed there portraying the von Trapp home.

Mountain view from the palace

However, the interior of the palace was never used as the Von Trapp villa. Terrace scenes, using a replica of Leopoldskron’s terrace and “horse-gates” that lead to the lake, such as the family drinking pink lemonade (“not too sweet, not too sour, just too… pink!”), Maria and the Captain arguing and the children and Maria falling off the boat into the lake in the famous boating scene, were actually filmed on an adjacent property (known as Bertelsmann, at the time).

Terrace scene at The Sound of Music (www.pinterest.com)

For The Sound of Music, the pathway from the villa to the lake was constructed but was later removed. The statues, as well as the gate, remain.

Liesl at the terrace (www.pinterest.com)

Shots of the building itself, as well as the scene where the Captain watches the children arrive in a boat with Maria, were filmed at Schloss Frohnburg. As the Leopoldskron’s Venetian Room was smaller and too narrow than the ballroom in the film, the decor of the room was meticulously copied and recreated in the 20th Century Fox studios in Los Angeles for the waltz scenes in the ballroom.

The Baroness (Eleanor Parker), Maria Von Trapp (Julie Andrews) and Capt. Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) at the ballroom

In 1987, the “Sound of Christmas,” a special production starring Julie Andrews, John Denver, and Plácido Domingo was also filmed at the Schloss Leopoldskron. In 2014, the palace, home to Salzburg Global Seminar since 1947, and the neighboring Meierhof building, were opened as a privately owned Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron.

Hellbrunn Palace

From Leopoldskron, a short 4.8 km. (8-min.) drive, via Morzger Str., brought us to Hellbrunn Palace (Schloss Hellbrunn), site of the Sound of Music Pavilion, the glass gazebo setting for the two main love scenes between Liesl (Charmian Carr) and Rolf (Daniel Truhitte), featuring the song Sixteen Going on Seventeen, and the kissing scene (Something Good) of Maria  and Capt. Von Trapp.

The author outside the Sound of Music Pavilion

The scenes were originally situated in the gardens of the Leopoldskron Palace. Only long shots of the Austrian gazebo are seen in the film as the gazebo interiors were shot on a Hollywood sound stage. At the end of the filming, the gazebo was presented as a gift to the city of Salzburg.

Rolf kisses Liesl inside the pavilion (www.pinterest.com)

After their numbers became too big for the business convention center housed there, constant trespassing resulted in it being moved and, in 1991, was reconstructed and shown publicly by the city council in the ornamental gardens of  Hellbrunn.

The tree-lined avenue where Capt. Von Trapp saw his children dangling from trees

Neaby is the tree-lined road leading to the castle where Capt. Von Trapp unknowingly noticed his own children dangling from the branches of the trees, to the horror of their father.

Lake Wolfgang and the town of St. Gilgen in the foreground

After our film-location tour within the Salzburg, we were driven out into the Salzburg Lake District Area (Salzkammergut) at St Gilgen, passing Lake Fuschl and Lake Wolfgang, where panoramic aerial shots and scenes of the picnic were filmed. The Salzkammergut extends over the entire area of lakes belonging to the Alps and Lower Alps and 3 Austrian provinces (Salzburg, Styria and Upper Austria) share this unique countryside. At our photo stop, we had a wonderful view down St. Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang.

L-R: Kyle, Cheska, Grace and Jandy

Nonnberg Abbey: Nonnberggasse 2, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 841607

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron: Leopoldskronstraße 56-58, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.

Schloss Hellbrunn: Furstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg.

The Sound of Music Panorama Tour: Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.  Tel: +43 662 883 211-0 and +43 662 874 029

Makartsteg Bridge (Salzburg, Austria)

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Jandy, Cheska and Kyle at Makartsteg Bridge

The Makartsteg Bridge,  the most modern bridge over the Salzach River in the Salzburg city center, is open for pedestrians and cyclists only.  Connecting the new part of the city with the old town (Altstadt), it was named after the 19th century Historicist painter Hans Makart, who was born and raised in Salzburg.  Providing artwork for many of the pompous buildings of the Ringstraße, Makart became famous as a painter of the Viennese Historicism.

The current bridge is is already the third Makartsteg, the first one built in 1905 in Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) and demolished in 1967. The second Makartsteg, famously known as the “swinging bridge” (if you stood still at the center, you could feel it move rather strongly), was crossed by some 20,000 pedestrians on an average day and soon was in bad shape, being demolished once again in 2000.

View of the Salzach River, Hohensalzburg Fortress and the city from the bridge

One year later, the current Makartsteg bridge was opened with a massive festival, with live music along the river banks during a warm June night, fireworks and some 25,000 people cheering at the most elegant Makartbridge the city had seen so far.

Port of the Amadeus tourist boats

On the left side of the bridge is the “port” of the Amadeus tourist boat. Though there’s nothing special about the bridge itself, the panoramic view of the city, the cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress, the sunset and the boat traffic from this bridge is good.

Locks attached to the bridge’s chain link fence

However, this is not what the bridge is so famous for as the chain link fence of the bridge is covered in a sea of locks brought there by lovers from all around the world.

The locks at night

Hence, the name “Love Lock Bridge.” Following a popular, century-old tradition, these lovers inscribe their lock with their initials, affix the new love lock to the popular footbridge, snap photographs and then tossing the key into the river, an act symbolizing their unbreakable and eternal love.

Jandy enjoying the night time view of the city from the bridge

This practice is viewed, by many, as a romantic gesture while others consider it a popular form of vandalism as many cities around the world are struggling with what some call litter and vandalism on their most cherished public walkways. In fact, the French did away with the one in Paris completely due to weight issues.

In May 2011, on the basis of a resolution of the City Hall (which declared them to be inconsistent with the regulations in force concerning “posters and similar things”), the first 42 love padlocks were removed. However, it was soon acknowledged that this was a misapprehension and, probably counting on greater profits from tourism , this tradition was allowed to continue.

Manny and Cheska

Locks are purchased in a few of the stores just off of the. Prices reflect being in a highly tourist area. The locks are said to be removed every few years to make room for new ones. However, there is no mention about all of the keys laying on the bottom of the river.

The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show (Austria)

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The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show

For our first night in Salzburg, Grace, Manny, Jandy, Cheska, Kyle and I proceeded to Sternbrau Restaurant, at the old heart of the city (next to the famous “Getreidegasse” shopping street), to watch the amazing “Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show,” (Check out video here) a daily show & dinner event with 74 seats available.

Sternbrau Restaurant

The most successful dinner show in Salzburg, it has, for 24 consecutive years, been mesmerizing and entertaining Salzburg visitors from all around the world with its harmonic blending of songs from The Sound of Music movie, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, operettas and other excerpts of Salzburg’s musical past.

Cheska, Kyle and Grace at the entrance of the restaurant

In 1991, three entrepreneurs – Franz Langer (music director), Martin Uitz (former CEO of Salzburg Land Tourism) and Stefan Herzl (CEO of Panorama Tours) – created the Sound of Music Dinner Show (as it was called back then), a dinner concert with live on-stage performance of The Sound of Music compositions combined with an Austrian dinner. It was staged daily, from May till October, in the big hall of the Salzburger Stieglkeller underneath the famous Hohensalzburg Castle.

In 2000, the dinner concert moved, from the Stieglkeller, to the Sternbräu with Franz Langer updating the program, featuring more compositions of W.A. Mozart and Salzburg‘s operettas, and renaming the daily event to “The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show.”  Even a stepdaughter of Maria von Trapp, also called Maria, used to visit the show several times.

In 2014, Roman Forisch took over from Franz Langer (since 1997 sole owner of the show) as new manager and relocated “The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show” to the Festungssaal (Fortress Hall) on the first floor of the K+K Restaurants am Waagplatz, a historical landmarked building next to the famous Salzburg Cathedral and right in the middle of the historic district of Salzburg.

Festungssaal (Fortress Hall)

The building, one of the oldest sites in Salzburg, was a brewery in the Middle Ages first mentioned in 1542.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart liked to come here regularly, especially in 1777. At the beginning of 2013, the building was restored, modernized and, after almost two years, re-opened as a restaurant in 2014.

Soup of the Day

Viennese-style Schnitzel with Noodles

The move to this historical building added a final piece to the cultural tourism highlight, providing the makings of a truly wonderful evening with its ideal combination of a splendid, high class culinary experience and a comfortable and atmospheric  Medieval location.

Roast Pork with Dumpling and Cabbage Salad with Bacon

Before the show, a dinner is served at 7.30 PM (Doors open at 7 PM).  We enjoyed a traditional Viennese 3-course meal, in a candlelit setting, prepared by chef de cuisine Michael Pratter and his team.  It featured a starter (Soup of the Day), a choice of white or red meat (Roast Pork with dumpling and cabbage salad with bacon or Vienna-style Schnitzel with Noodles) and their famous homemade Grandma’s Apple Strudel with Whipped Cream for dessert.

Grandma’s Apple Strudel with Whipped Cream

The one-and-a-half-hour show began at 8.30 PM at a stage with an area of about 10 square meters, right in front of the dinner tables. The “Sound of Salzburg Show” features a group of 4 singers (2 female and 2 male), all trained artists from all over the world, and 1 female pianist.

The four performers and the pianist (at right)

On stage, they performed a program which includes the greatest hits of the aforementioned The Sound of Music musical (Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein) and  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Salzburg‘s operettas.   For the Sound of Music, they performed “The Sound of Music (song),” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Do-Re-Mi (Reprise),” “Do-Re-Mi (Fuge),” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Maria,” “My Favorite Things,” “Lonely Goatherd,” “Laendler Tanz,” “Edelweiss” and “So Long, Farewell.”

The two lady performers dressed up as nuns

The Mozart repertoire consisted of “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” “Ronda Alla Turca,” “Papageno Arie (Zauberflöte),” “Pa-Pa Duett (Zauberflöte),” “Vedrai Carino Arie (Don Giovanni)” and a “Minuet from Don Giovanni.”

Salzburg operettas featured, with live piano accompaniment, were Ralph Benatzky’s “Regenlied (Im weißen Rößl),” “Im Salzkammergut, da kammer gut (Im weißen Rößl)” and “Im weißen Rößl am Wolfgangsee (Im weißen Rößl); Fred Raymond’s “Saison in Salzburg (Saison in Salzburg)” and  Franz Lehar’s “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Das Land des Lächelns)” and “Lippen Schweigen (Die lustige Witwe).”  A folk song, Und jetzt gang i ans Petersbruennele, was also featured. 

Cheska dancing with a male performer

The show thus featured 5 different composers who each have their own style and lived in various parts of the musical history.  Thus, the job of the singers (who perform in 15 countries around the world as musical ambassadors for Austria) of the Sound of Salzburg show wasn’t easy as every single song they sang was supposed to be sung in the right way, in the way the composer intended.

They also needed to have a broad understanding of music to perform every one of them, know what the songs were actually about as well as to learn them by heart. In short, they have to live the song.

The real Maria von Trapp

The show also included an 8-minute, really interesting film clip of an interview from the real Maria von Trapp. The video, not the best quality, was from the 1980’s but you can see and hear everything you need to understand the real von Trapp story behind the movie.

Manny, on stage, serenaded by a lady performer

The dinner side of the show was great and the show itself was very entertaining.  The show was in English so we didn’t have to worry about not understanding anything. There were a couple of songs sung in German but we didn’t need to understand German to enjoy the tunes.  The performers also did a little audience participation.  Manny was pulled on stage, seated and serenaded by a lady singer.

Kyle (center) on stage with performers and other members of the audience

The male singers also grabbed a few ladies from the crowd (including my daughter Cheska) and taught them how to dance a traditional Viennese dance. Some kids (including my grandson Kyle) also joined the performers on stage. If you love “The Sound of Music” or simply just love Austrian music and culture, you would have a great night at the “Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show.” I definitely would recommend it. 

Kyle (second from right) with the performers

Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show: Sternbräu Restaurant, Griesgasse 23 5020 Salzburg. Tel: +43 660 5020520 and +43 699 10248666.  E-mail: office@soundofsalzburg.info . Website: www.soundofsalzburg.info. Daily show times (from mid May to mid October): 7 – 10 PM (dinner & show) and 8:30 – 10 PM (show only). Admission: € 39 (adults), € 32 (Salzburg Card & Students), € 20 (children 7-14 years of age) and free for children under the age of 7 (accompanied by an adult). Click here to book tickets online)

Guests can choose between three different 3-course menus (drinks not included) or our deluxe 4-course menu with premier seating (with drinks, the show and a CD). Menu choices for vegetarians and seafood lovers are available on request.  Food and beverages must be paid directly at the restaurant.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens (Salzburg, Austria)

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The Grand Parterre of Mirabell Gardens

The Grand Parterre of Mirabell Gardens

After checking in and freshening up at Hotel Garni Evido Salzburg City Center, we all met up at the lobby to begin our exploration of the city, starting with the nearby Mirabell Palace and Gardens, a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most beautiful Baroque gardens in Europe, it was built along a north-south axis and oriented towards the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salzburger Dom cathedral.

View, from Rose Hill, of the Small Parterre, Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress

View, from Rose Hill, of the Small Parterre, Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress

The palace, outside the medieval walls of Salzburg, was built about 1606 according to Italian and French models, at the behest of Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich  von Raitenau as a residence for his mistress Salome Alt. From their union, 15 children were born, 10 of whom survived. When von Raitenau was deposed and arrested in 1612, Salome and her family were expelled. After Wolf Dietrich’s death, the palace was renamed “Mirabell” (from the Italian word mirabile, bella meaning “amazing” or “wonderful”) by his successor, Markus Sittich von Hohenems.

Mirabell Palace

Mirabell Palace

Prince-Archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach had Mirabell Palace redesigned, according to plans designed by the famous architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, in a lavish Baroque style from 1721 to 1727, integrating the individual buildings into a self-contained complex. On June 1, 1815 the later King Otto of Greece was born here, while his father, the Wittelsbach crown prince Ludwig I of Bavaria served as stadtholder in the former Electorate of Salzburg.

Rosenhugel (Rose Hill)

Rosenhugel (Rose Hill)

On April 30, 1818, the palace was damaged by the great fire that swept through the city.  A number of frescoes, including those by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Gaetano Fanti, were destroyed by the flames but the masterly grand marble staircase that led into the palace and the marble hall, one of the most precious works of art at Mirabell Palace, survived unscathed.

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From about 1818, Mirabell Palace owes its present unassuming Neoclassical appearance to Peter de Nobile, the court’s architectural consultant and director of the Vienna School of Architecture. The edging of the windows, the capitals and stucco work are details that bear witness to the palace’s former splendor. Charming putti (cherubs) decorate the marble balustrade and the sculptures in the niches, all among the finest products of the European Baroque, are the work of the famous Georg Raphael Donner.

The Rape of Persephone

The Rape of Persephone

Aeneas and Anchises

Aeneas and Anchises

On June 3, 1944 Gretl Braun, the sister of Eva Braun (later to marry Adolf Hitler), married SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler‘s liaison officer on Hitler’s staff, at the Mirabell Palace, with Hitler, Himmler and Martin Bormann as witnesses. Eva made all the wedding arrangements.

Rape of Helen by Paris

Rape of Helen by Paris

Today, Mirabell Palace houses the offices of Salzburg’s mayor and the municipal council (its rooms are not open to the public). The Marble Hall, considered to be one of the most beautiful wedding halls in the world, was formerly the prince-archbishops’ ballroom and a concert venue for Leopold Mozart and his children Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart.  Meetings, awards ceremonies and romantic concerts (Salzburg Palace Concerts) are regularly held here. Mirabell Palace is also a popular location for weddings.

The author at the Grand Panterre

The author at the Grand Panterre

Grace at the Grand Parterre Fountain

Grace at the Grand Parterre Fountain

The famous, geometrically-arranged Mirabell Gardens was redesigned, under Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun, in 1689 based on plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, and completely remodeled around 1730 by Franz Anton Danreiter. Noted for its boxwood layouts, it has mythology-themed statues dating from 1730.

Grace and Jandy

Grace and Jandy

The “Grand Parterre,” the oldest part of the Mirabell Gardens that is still preserved, is embraced by a marble railing decorated with vases by Fischer von Erlach.

Vase by Fischer von Erlach

Vase by Fischer von Erlach

In the heart of the garden is a large fountain, with four statue groups sculpted by Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto from 1690 around it – “The Rape of Prosperina,” “The Rape of Helena by Paris,” “Aeneas and Anchises,” and “Hercules and Antaeus,”  symbolizing the 4 elements (fire, air, earth and water).

Statues of Roman gods and godesses

Statues of Roman gods and goddesses

On the balustrades are statues of Roman gods and goddesses (Ceres, Pomona. Venus, Vesta, Juno and Chronos, Bacchus, Jupiter, Mars, Hercules, Vulcan, Hermes and Apollo) made by B. van Opstal in 1689.

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The Heckentheater (Hedge Theater), a hedge maze located in the main part of the Mirabell Gardens, was created between 1704 and 1718 and is one of the oldest hedge theaters north of the Alps.  The Heckentheater is still used for performances in the summer, including concerts of the Salzburg Festival.

The Von Trapp children at the Hedge Theater

The Von Trapp children at the Hedge Theater

The Zwergerlgarten (Dwarf Garden) features a number of misshapen creatures, made of white Untersberg marble, dating back to the time of Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach.  In 1854, the gardens were opened to the public by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Kyle and Cheska at the Small Panterre

Kyle and Cheska at the Small Panterre

The “Small Parterre,” the part of the Mirabell Gardens just along the backside of the Mirabell Palace, is directly attached to the Grand Parterre.  At its core is the Pegasus Fountain with a copper statue of Pegasus made in 1661 by Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck for the well on the Kapitelplatz near the Salzburger Dom cathedral.

Pegasus Fountain

Pegasus Fountain

There it stayed until 1690. After that time, it was used for the well on the Mirabellplatz Square until the great fire of 1818, and finally transferred to its current location in 1913. From Rosenhügel ( “Rose Hill”), we had a beautiful view all over the Small Parterre towards Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Maria and the Von Trapp children at the Small Panterre

Maria and the Von Trapp children at the Small Panterre

Several scenes from the 1965 movie The Sound of Music were recorded here. Maria (Julie Andrews) and the von Trapp children (Charmian Carr as Liesl, Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich,  Heather Menzies as Louisa,  Duane Chase as Kurt,  Angela Cartwright as Brigitta,  Debbie Turner as Marta and Kym Karath as Gretl) sing ‘Do-Re-Mi‘ while dancing around the Pegasus Fountain and using the steps as a musical scale.

Fraulein Maria and the children at the Grand Parterre Fountain

Fraulein Maria and the children at the Grand Parterre Fountain

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Mirabell Palace and Gardens: Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 80720. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurdays, 8 AM – 4 PM; Tuesdays and Fridays, 1 – 4 PM.   No visit in case of special occasions.  The Mirabell Gardens are  open daily from approximately 6 AM to dusk.  Admission is free. The Hedge Theater and Dwarf Garden are closed during the winter.   The Orangerie is open all year round, 9 AM – 4 PM.

Gare de Paris Est Train Station (Paris, France)

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Gare de l'Est Train Station

Gare de l’Est Train Station

It was our last day in Paris and, after breakfast at the hotel, we all  walked, with our luggage in tow, to the nearby Gare de Paris Est Train Station, one of six large SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français or “National society of French railways” or “French National Railway Company”) termini in Paris. Here, we were to take  the train to Munich (Germany), the first leg of our trip to Salzburg (Austria).

Gare de l'Est Train Station (1)

One of the largest and the oldest railway stations in Paris, it is the western terminus of the Paris–Strasbourg railway and the Paris–Mulhouse railway. It provides train transportation to major cities in Central Europe such as Zurich, Switzerland; Munich, Germany and Vienna, Austria.

Hall Alsace which gives access to the yellow train platforms, lanes numbered 2 to 12

Hall Alsace which gives access to the yellow train platforms, lanes numbered 2 to 12

Opened in 1849 by the Compagnie du Chemin de Fer de Paris à Strasbourg (the Paris-Strasbourg Railway Company) under the name “Strasbourg platform” (corresponds today with the hall for main-line trains), it was designed by architect François Duquesnay and was renamed the “Gare de l’Est” in 1854, after the expansion of service to Mulhouse.

Gare de l'Est Train Station (7)

The Paris East Train Station (Gare de Paris-Est) represents the Belle Epoque generation of railway buildings. The west wing is the original building built in 1847 and, in 1854, due to increased rail traffic, the east wing was built.

Gare de l'Est Train Station (1)

Central train platform

In 1885 and 1900, the Gare de l’Est station was renovated and, in 1931 it was doubled in size, with the new part of the station built symmetrically with the old part, thus significantly changing the surrounding neighborhood.

Gare de l'Est Train Station (5)

At the top of the west façade is a statue by the sculptor Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire, representing the city of Strasbourg, while the east end of the station is crowned by a statue personifying Verdun, by Varenne.  Strasbourg and Verdun are important destinations serviced by Gare de l’Est.

Gare de l'Est Train Station (6)

On October 4, 1883, the Gare de l’Est Station saw the first departure, for Istanbul, of the Orient Express . As a terminus of a strategic railway network extending towards the eastern part of France, the Gare de l’Est saw large mobilizations,  at the beginning of World War I, of French troops, most notably in 1914. In the main-line train hall, a monumental painting by Albert Herter, dating from 1926, illustrates the departure of these soldiers for the Western front.

Gare de l'Est Train Station (4)Paris Est Train Station: Place du 11 Novembre 1918, Rue du 8 Mai 1945, 75010 Paris, France. Open daily, 5:30 AM – 1 AM.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris (Paris, France)

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Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris

From the Eiffel Tower, we again walked to the Champ de Mars Metro Station where we took the Metro to Anvers, the nearest Metro station to our next destination – the imposing Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, known for its many artists that have been omnipresent since 1880.  From Anvers, we walked for 2 to 3 mins., up the Rue Steinkerque, to the hill at the foot of Sacre-Couer.

The Montmartre Funicular

The Montmartre Funicular

Upon arrival, we all rode the Montmartre Funicular (a.k.a. Funiculaire de Montmartr) which runs from Place Suzanne-Valadon to Place Willette below Sacre-Couer.  Other tourists climbed the staircase alongside the tracks.  It was cold, windy and overcast during our visit.

Statue of Jesus Christ at the facade

Statue of Jesus Christ at the facade

This minor basilica, in the 18th arrondissement, to the west of the Gare de Nord and north of the Opéra Garnier, is commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica or simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur). This popular and iconic landmark, located at the summit of the Butte Montmartre (said to be derived from either Mount of Martyrs or from Mount of Mars), the highest point in the city, is a double (political and cultural) monument.

Statue of Joan of Arc

Statue of Joan of Arc

Sacré-Cœur is both a national penance for the secular uprising of the Socialist Paris Commune of 1871 (Montmartre had been the site of the Commune’s first insurrection) and the subsequent defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and is publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ.

Statue of King St. Louis IX

Statue of King St. Louis IX

Designed by Architect  Paul Abadie (who won  over 77 other architects in a competition), its foundation stone was laid on June 16, 1875.  Abadie died in 1884 and 5 architects continued with the work: Honoré Daumet (1884–1886), Jean-Charles Laisné (1886–1891), Henri-Pierre-Marie Rauline (1891–1904), Lucien Magne (1904–1916, who added an 83 m./272-ft. high clock tower), and Jean-Louis Hulot (1916–1924)

The cathedral's interior

The cathedral’s interior

It was not completed until 1914, when war intervened, and was formally consecrated on October 16, 1919, after the end of World War I when its national symbolism had shifted.  The structure’s overall style, showing a free interpretation of Roman–Byzantine features, is a conscious reaction against the Neo-Baroque excesses of the Palais Garnier, which was cited in the competition, and has many design elements that symbolize nationalist themes.

The basilica's dome

The basilica’s dome

Built with travertine quarried in Château-Landon (Seine-et-Marne), its stone, when it rains, reacts to the water and exudes calcite which acts like a bleacher, ensuring that the basilica remains white even with weathering and pollution. Its portico, with three arches, is adorned by two bronze equestrian statues of French national saints Joan of Arc (1927) and King Saint Louis IX, both done (by Hippolyte Lefebvre.  The 19 ton Savoyarde bell, one of the world’s heaviest, was cast in 1895 in Annecy.  It alludes to the annexation of Savoy in 1860.  The Savoyarde clock, at the clock tower, is one of the world’s largest.

Christ in Majesty

Christ in Majesty

A 480 sq. m. mosaic in the apse ceiling, entitled Christ in Majesty and created by Luc-Olivier Merson, is the largest in France and among the largest in the world. On display in a monstrance above the high altar is the Blessed Sacrament (a consecrated host which, according to Church teaching, has become by the consecration of the priest Christ’s Body and Blood during Mass), continually on display there since 1885.

The cathedral's high altar

The cathedral’s high altar

The basilica also has a large and very fine pipe organ, built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and installed in Paris in 1905 by Charles Mutin Cavaillé-Coll’s successor and son-in-law), is composed of 109 ranks and 78 speaking stops spread across four 61-note manuals and the 32-note pedalboard (unusual before the start of the 20th century; the standard of the day was 56 and 30), spread across three expressive divisions (also unusual for the time, even in large organs).  The organ was ahead of its time, containing multiple expressive divisions and giving the performer considerable advantages over other even larger instruments of the day.

The parvis

The parvis

The basilica complex includes a garden for meditation, with a fountain. From its parvis, we had one of those perfect Paris postcard views. The top of the dome (the second-highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower), open to tourists, affords a spectacular panoramic 360°view (up to 30 kms. on a clear day) of the city of Paris, which is mostly to the south of the basilica.

View of Paris from the parvis

View of Paris from the parvis

The entrance to the dome and the chapel-lined crypt is located on the left side of the basilica. Buy a ticket, then climb a steep 234-step spiral staircase to the base of the dome. The crypt can also be visited for an additional €2.

Cheska, Jandy and Grace

Cheska, Jandy and Grace

Sacre Couer de Montmartre Basilica: 35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 53 41 89 00. Website: www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com.  Open day, 6 AM to 10:30 PM. Admission is free. The dome is accessible from 9 AM to 7 PM in the summer and 6 PM in the winter. When visiting the basilica, tourists and others are asked to dress appropriately and to observe silence as much as possible, so as not to disturb persons who have come from around the world to pray in this place of pilgrimage. The use of cameras and video recorders is forbidden inside the Basilica. 

How to Get There: The basilica is accessible by buses 30, 31, 80, and 85 which can be taken to the bottom of the hill of the Basilica. Line 12 of the Metro can be taken to Jules Joffrin station and visitors can then change to the Montmartrobus and disembark at Place du Tertre. Line 2 or 12 of the Metro can be taken to Pigalle station where visitors can change to the Montmartrobus and disembark at Norvins, or to Anvers station which gives easy access to the steps or the funicular car that leads directly to the Basilica. The Montmartrobus operates on a circular route from Place Pigalle (near the Pigalle Métro stop) to the top of the Butte, where you can get off for the short walk to Sacré-Coeur. Or you can stay on the bus until it goes down and around the other side of the hill, then passes Sacré-Coeur on its way back to Pigalle.