Monday, August 9, 2010

Three Eastern European Cities - City 2

Salzburg


From Prague we took the train to Salzburg, Austria.  I loved taking the train.  I felt very safe and it was not hard at all.  We had reserved specific seats, but I do not know if that was necessary.  We were also in regular class.  We even had to transfer trains at one point, but did not have any issues.  I would advise packing light, since you are in charge of your own luggage, and packing snacks.  Riding through the countryside was amazing.  At one point, we realized the windows on the train opened and the fresh air made for a fantastic nap.

First off, Salzburg is BEAUTIFUL.  Between the mountains and the water and the gardens, it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.  It also felt really clean.

Secondly, Salzburg sounds beautiful.  Between Mozart's home, a music university, and all of The Sound of Music references, I felt as if I should be able to play classical music for just visiting the city.  We did attend one classical music show.  It was... ok.  The second half was much better, since I recognized the songs, but I caught Kyle sleeping a couple of times and contemplated leaving at intermission. 

In Salzburg, we walked the streets, saw the Castle, saw Mirabell Gardens, took advantage of the great shopping, and went to an out-of-the-way pub for beer.  and strudel.  I could have stayed in Salzburg longer.  It is a smaller city, but with a lot to offer, and I like the sit-outside-at-a-cafe-and-eat-pastries attitude.


Mirabell Palace
My only negative thoughts about Salzburg was our hotel.  We went with the Crown Plaza because Kyle had a bunch of points we could use.  It was nothing to blog about.  I would stay there again, if it were free, but it would not be on my list if we were paying.  There were also a lot of Arabs at our hotel - just an observation.

Hohensalzburg Castle  
Getting around - We walked everywhere we needed to go.  Salzburg felt pretty small.  It seemed like you could walk from one end of the city to another, if you like walking.  A lot of the locals ride their bike, everywhere.
Language issues - Almost none.  Most of the menus have an English version and most spoke at least a little English.
Food - Good.  We found a great vegan cafe one day and pretty much ate bread from the street carts the rest of the time.  The bread is AWESOME.  I also fit in strudel (several times).


Yummy 
To see more pictures, click here.

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