Post a splendid tour of Innsbruck, I took an evening train to Salzburg - my last city in Europe. It was an OBB Railjet which is a high-speed rail with speed going up to 230 km/h. Those 1.5 hrs was full of splendid scenic views - scenes of outskirts of Europe we have all admired in Bollywood movies. I then had FaceTime with my family members in Bangalore and Kolkata to share the amazing views of Europe. My uncle & aunts were happy & kind enough to say 'baithe baithe Europe ghum liye'.
Salzburg - also known as the City of Mozart (famous composer) is a city in Austria which attracts many tourists for its beauty & history. Similar to a bifurcation in Budapest, Salzburg city is split into two halves by the Salzach River - Alstadt as the Old City and Neustadt as the New City. Selection for this city was simply based on its natural beauty and an urge to explore Austria. I stayed at Youth International Youth Hostel which is a part of the Europe's Famous Hostels. The hostel was located at a distance of barely 10 minutes from the main railway station. Spread over a decent size, it was a well-maintained place. I simply loved its cafeteria, AV room and a small library to sit back, relax and read books. Every evening, guests have access to unlimited rounds of complimentary highly nutritious salads. 'The Sound of Music' movie + cosy cushions + salad = perfect evening. That's how I was welcomed at the hostel. Those days UEFA Champions League football matches was on and on inquiring about its telecast availability, I found another football fan that was a staff at the hostel. We both discussed at length about our favorite clubs, players etc. We spent that night at a nearby bar and watched PSG vs Real Madrid. Ask anyone and they would agree that watching a football match with equally retarded fans is a blessing. It was a pretty cold night as we returned and we both had to take necessary intakes to keep our bodies warm.
Next day after a heavy breakfast, I was out to explore Salzburg's Old City. First stop being the local market nearby wherein vendors flocked in to sell the perishable items. Manually I tried converting the prices to local Indian prices to calculate which place is cheaper (though the answer was expected). I then headed over to the Hohensalzburg Fortress - a castle built at rooftop of a small hill overseeing the entire city. There is a special Fortress Funicular built to carry you up as on foot can prove to be too much. View from the top was quite refreshing as cool breeze sweeps you away. I still remember the scenes of Golden Chamber which is lavishly decorated with vines and grapes. As one roams near the fortress one could see stalls selling memoirs, kids playing in courtyard and I was reminded of fairs in India. Salzburg Cathedral is located in close proximity of the fortress. I was simply awestruck at the design of its altar, ceilings and central dome. Human ancestors were definitely more skilled and advanced in construction. Makartsteg's footbridge overlooks the Salzach River and is quite famous for lovers attaching their personal padlocks. I undertook a Salzach River cruise which was a relaxing experience though I was disappointed that it doesn't run at night. My favorite location out here was a small seating area in form of a garden overlooking the river. I had visited this place several times during my stay, spending hours reminiscing my European trip thus far, maintaining my personal diary and planning for my blogs.
Following day, I undertook a trip to the top of Untersberg (a group of mountains) via a cable car that took us atop in a matter of few minutes. The panoramic view of Salzburg city, Berchtesgadener Land in Germany and Rosittental deep below awaits the riders. I personally felt a lot more cold out here than at Mt. Nordkette in Innsbruck which was much higher in altitude. Next up was a tour to the factory of Austria's biggest private brewery Stiegl. The tour enabled an experience of Brau Cinema which showcased the entire process of brew making, the brewhouse and a free beer which tasted quite good. I was lucky to arrive at a moment when a consignment of beer was out on its way from the brewery - try visualizing a traditional cart full of beer boxed being pulled away.
Now it was time for the most awaited part of my trip in Salzburg - it was time for Hallstatt. I undertook a half-day trip from provided by Klook. Its a small town on the outskirts, boasting of beautiful lakeside views all around and a glorious mountain range. During my journey, I even met a couple from Bangalore living in close proximity to my place. It was strange to have never met them on Bangalore streets but bumping into each other far away in Europe. On our way, we passed by the global headquarters of Red Bull (gives you wings). Reaching there, we first undertook a funicular railway to connect us to the Skywalk Hallstatt viewing station. The view from its extreme end was surreal. Don't remember seeing such clear deep blue water. A sense of calm, excitement passed throughout my body. Such beautiful was the view, that people were queuing up to catch a perfect glimpse. Below the station, the best thing to experience was a walk around the 16th century Alpine houses and alleways. We were cautioned in advance by our tour manager not to create a nuisance and disturb the natives. There is also an ancient salt mine which unfortunately was closed during my visit. In the past social media has tagged Hallstatt as the most 'Instagrammable town in the world'. Though I haven't seen the entire world but I can definitely vouch for this a perfect picturesque place. Due to overcrowding, there are news to limit the number of tourists per day (imagine a town with population of 780 having 20-30K tourists per day). So hurry up and visit it soon before it closes down to preserve native culture.
By far Austria exceeded my expectations of natural beauty and I would love to visit it again during winters. European tour of 2019 was simply splendid, the most adventurous and memorable trip of my life till date. So far I have only touched 5 cities of Europe with many more to come - Tathastu (so be it)..
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