On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
I have no idea what Festung Hohensalzburg is, but I imagine we are about to find out! We’ll close out the week with Part 1 this morning, and Part 2 this evening, in On the Road After Dark. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that while it distresses me to learn that ottar has antibodies, I am delighted that he came through it okay and is still here t share his wonderful adventures with us. ~WaterGirl
otmar
During the Corona surge in Austria it was not recommended to visit elder relatives. When I learned that I had developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the beginning of June, I decided to visit my mother in Salzburg. Going by train was an interesting experience, as this was my first travel after three months of staying close to my home in Vienna.
Saturday (June 13th) was a warm and sunny day, and in the evening, we decided to go for a walk.
We chose the path via the Nonnberg convent: at about half hight this path (“Hoher Weg”) circles the southern end of the “Festungsberg”, the “mountain of the fortress”. Once we are on the other side, the old town lies beneath us. The big church is the cathedral of Salzburg. The entrance you can see is the “Stieglkeller”, an old beer garden. “Stiegl” is the oldest and largest brewery of Salzburg: they trace their origin back to 1492. And the carter to the Sound of Music tourists as well: there are signs that promote a music evening with Schnitzel + noodles. That always annoyed me, as no contemporary Austrian will ever eat his Schnitzel with noodles.
Continuing on, we reach the point where the path towards the entrance of the fortress splits from the road circling the mountain. High above us the fortifications loom. The house in the middle is the “Hoher Stock”, the central and oldest part of the fortress where the Archbishop had his rooms.
We already passed a first gate where we met the ticket officer who was just calling it a day. When I was growing up here, the entrance was free, and we kids often went up and roamed around the fortress. These days, there is usually an entrance fee (waived for locals, though), but came just at the right moment: no more controls, but not closed either. We had it easy. What you can see the main gate protected by a drawbridge over a steep ravine. If that bridge was up, you couldn’t even try to cross the moat, as the “moat” has a ~60° angle down towards the city. Try filling that.
If you managed to get past the drawbridge, you’re still not inside the castle. This this is the next gate you need to pass. The slits above are for archers and crossbows shooters.
The fortress has at least two layers: The outer ring of buildings follows the contours of the mountain. Inside of that ring, a central “fortress in the fortress” provides additional protection against attackers. By the way: that fortress was never taken by force. This picture was taken when we emerged from the passage protected by the previous gate. On the left side are the buildings of the outer ring, the right side belongs to the core of the fortress.
When I was a kid, the main courtyard of the fortress had a marvellous old Tilia / Linden tree. It was about 200 years old when it had to be removed in 2017. So now there is a new one there. On the right side you can see the chapel of the fortress.
Another picture between the outer ring and the inner core of the fortress.
suezboo
What a fascinating conglomeration of buildings, otmar. Thank you for introducing them to me. Do people still live within the walls?
Sab
I see these photos and feel like a midwesterner visiting NYC. Everything is up there somewhere.
JPL
What a wonderful journey and than you for sharing. I will admit that climbing the hills would get to my knees, so I’m glad you did that.
p.a.
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blacque_jacques
Lovely town! Me and my ex saw the 1998 eclipse from there since it was along the arc. All hotel rooms were booked the previous night, so we took a sleeper train from Amsterdam. Weather was lousy but it magically cleared up a half hour before and after totality. It was magical.
Also of course the massive monastery/beer hall!
evodevo
Was there in 2010 – great trip. Stayed in a hotel down below and took the funicular up to the fortress.
debbie
So you make it past the archers and crossbows, you grab those handbars and haul yourself up to that tiny ledge and narrow opening? Winning!
Betty Cracker
Ages ago, two friends and I spent a few days in Vienna and then drove to Salzburg and spent a few days there. The trip remains one of my fondest memories — it’s such a beautiful part of the world! Thanks for the photos.
otmar
@suezboo: As far as I can remember, my mother knew someone who lived up there. I’m not sure if that’s still the case.
The buildings are mainly used as museums and galleries. There used to be a summer school for art up there each year.
Laura Too
Beautiful! Thanks!
Uncle Cosmo
Hey otmar, is the Riesenschachspiel still sitting down where the Festungsgasse empties down into the Kapitelplatz? I have some fond memories of that chess set from four different visits over a 35-year period.
@blacque_jacques: I believe you are referring to the 11 August 1999 solar eclipse. (Easy to lose a year when an ex is involved.) I was farther west on the arc, in Stuttgart – & it poured rain through totality. As a budding astronomer, I’d seen the one that came up the Least Coast on 7 March 1970 – I felt badly for all the folks who’d never seen one & got cheated by the weather.
One of the best stories out of the 1999 eclipse: The high muckamucks of Germany had gathered to view it at the Olympic Stadium outside Munich – where it also poured through totality. The science lovers OTOH congregated at the Deutsches Museum on the Isar River – above which the clouds majestically parted just before second contact, affording them a wonderful view. There’s a moral in there somewhere…
arrieve
I took my mom to Salzburg in 1995. She was a huge Sound of Music fan and it was the dream of a lifetime for her to see Salzburg. I was so impressed that she managed the climb to Nonnberg but she was determined to see the abbey.
Wonderful memories. Thanks, otmar!
?BillinGlendaleCA
Thanks otmar, your nice photos bring back fond memories of the two weeks I spent in Salzburg in 1979.
Suzanne
I was in Austria for one day about ten years ago, on a group trip with my architecture studio. We were in Innsbruck, not Salzburg, but I remember walking around the city center and thinking, “Holy shit, it really DOES look like The Sound of Music!”. And then I saw a group of nuns walking by and I laughed to myself. What a lovely place. I would love to go back, and these photos are intensifying that desire.
Uncle Cosmo
@Uncle Cosmo: FTR I did not get to the Festung until my third visit to the town (1992) – the first two times (1980, 1989) I was playing on the Riesenschachspiel until after the fortress closed. (Getting there then I owe to my significant-ex, who pointed up at the fortifications & said, You can play chess all you want – after we come back down.)
Also FTR my chess score in the prior visits was 10-1/2 out of 11 – & I’m still kicking myself for letting the last game slip away to a draw. The little old men who came out to watch the games were (unsurprisingly) surprised I was a Yank, as we are not known for such intellectual accomplishments. On my first visit, after 6 straight wins (two over the alleged best player in town), one of them collected his jaw up from the pavement & asked in all seriousness, Sind Sie internazionale Grossmeister? Of course I was nothing of the sort – but damn, I was playing over my head that day – & I would happily have flown over only for one day to hear a European ask me that.
(Good memories all around!)
Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA)
I haven’t been to Salzburg, but I was in Vienna a few years ago. I only had a couple of days, so I did the tourist thing and stayed within the Ringstrasse for the most part, but I did venture out to Augarten Park to see the flak tower. I imagine the people who live there are used to it — I understand another flak tower has been turned into an aquarium — but for me, seeing this giant Nazi thing looming over this charming park and picturing what it must have looked like at the time was sobering, to say the least.
But what a beautiful city. And seeing a concert at the Musicverein was a highlight of my life.
otmar
@Uncle Cosmo: regarding the chess board: wait for this evening’s pictures.
otmar
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA): I moved from Salzburg to Vienna in ’97. These days I live about 500 yards from the big Augarten flak tower.
And my office is almost next door to the Musikverein.
J R in WV
Loved the ancient fortresses we saw on our few trips across the Atlantic. Every farmstead in Tuscany was on a hilltop with stone walls… I guess to keep from starving after armed gangs stole all the food. The towns were on taller and steeper hills, with bigger thicker walls. Nothing like THAT fortress, but in Spain we visited a city that had been a walled city, similar arrow slots above the gates, etc.
Thanks otmar, always love your European photo sets~!!~ Take care…
Mike in NC
We visited the fortress in 2010 after touring Prague and before we stopped in Vienna and Budapest. Best trip ever (Danube river cruise).