Our Austrian Adventure

 

Josh and I had the amazing privilege of traveling to Austria and a couple of other European countries at the end of the summer. We flew into Salzburg and spent ten glorious days exploring the loveliest city, hiking the Bavarian Alps, and jumping on a train to Venice for a couple of days. It was literally the trip of a lifetime. 

I wanted to share some of our amazing experiences for my own record, but also as a helpful guide if you decide to visit Austria in the future! 

Salzburg was absolutely breathtaking and has truly become my favorite European city. I can't wait to return one day and take Colette to visit. It is so clean, has a quaint feel (reminded me a lot of Edinburgh), and the people were so friendly! 

Josh and I just took our time exploring and getting lost in this spectacular little city. There are so many beautiful things to see and do in Salzburg. The shops are so charming and the food was delicious! They also have the most beautiful parks I have ever seen.

Here are some of our favorite things we did...

Visiting the Fortress (aka as Fortress Hohensalzburg)

This was a bit of a hike to the top but the views are amazing! The Fortress dates back to 1077 and the achitecture is absolutely stunning. It is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

Browsing Salzburg's Old Town 

We had a lot of fun browsing shops in Getreidegasse, eating in the little cafes there, and seeing the magnificent Residenzplatz Square. We took a carriage ride around the streets and admired the gorgeous architecture and live music. 

The Sound of Music Tour 

Josh and I took the tour but I honestly enjoyed exploring the sites on my own more. I am writing a seperate blog post for this because there was just so much to see and do! 

Mirabell Gardens 

We enjoyed these gardens so much that we actually visited several times. The gardens are immaculately kept and are also the setting to several scenes in The Sound of Music. It is a wonderful place to sit down and eat gelato, people watch, and just take in the beauty of the city. You can also see the Fortress on top of the hill and it's quite the breathtaking view. 

Mozart's Birthplace

This museum (located in the heart of Old Town) was very interesting. It is where Mozart was born and lived several years of his life. You can also see Mozart's Residence (a separate museum) but we had heard this one was more interesting. There are several artifacts from Mozart's life and would definitely recommend if you are into musical history.

Edelweiss Cooking School

We took a cooking class our last day in Salzburg and it was so much fun! Our chef, Johann, was so informative and we learned to make authentic Apple Strudel and Salzburger Nockerl. Johann made us some delicious goulash soup for lunch and we snagged one of his cookbooks to take home with us. His goulash soup has become one of our favorite recipes to make at home! 

We had such an amazing time in Austria and cannot wait to return someday!