Your Travel Expert On: Salzburg, Austria

By MAUREEN JONES (Star Patcher)

I was in Europe last month to attend a meeting of the top agencies who are members of the Signature Travel Network and we were going on an Amawaterways River cruise on the River Danube from Vilshofen to Budapest in Hungary.

One of the side trips, was a day to Salzburg which I have been to many times. A lovely town, home of Mozart and the festival in July and August attracts many music lovers. My parents loved Austria, and we went every year in both the winter and the summer. It was an easy journey from England, and they went for several weeks. We usually stayed in small mountain towns, with great hiking or skiing.

The movie “Sound of Music” has made this town famous world wide since it is based on a true story of Baron Von Trapp, his seven children and their nanny who he married, ( played by Julie Andrews ) who escaped the Nazi and came to live in the U.S.A. Maria was attending the Nonnberg Abbey, a Benedictine Monastery in Salzburg studying to be a nun. The Austrian Government refused for many years to show the movie, and denied the story, saying the U.S. Government had made it all up to show Austria in a bad light for their support of Hitler. However, in recent years they discovered that a million visitors a year go looking for the sites where the movie was filmed and the most popular tour today is the Sound of Music. I had to laugh at a group of Japanese tourists who had just got off a bus and they were all singing “Maria” at the top of their voices. This was out of season, so it must be a mob scene in the summer. This year the movie is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The wedding did not take place in Salzburg Cathedral, but in a little town called Mondsee, an hour from Salzburg, situated on a lake, and it is very interesting to go through the church, Basilica St. Michael, where it all took place. Mozart was an organist at the Cathedral in Salzburg.

When I think of Salzburg, and Austria, I remember a girl, Hermina, who I used to ski with for many years in Squaw Valley when I was part of a ski group. One day on a lift going to the top of the mountain I told her I had just returned from visiting my mother in England and she gave me some lovely china plates to bring back. Hermina told me, the most valuable thing in my mother’s house in Austria is a large painting in the dining room of Hitler which I will inherit. I was glad to get off the lift, I didn’t want to get into a political debate about the Nazi movement.

There are some lovely quaint shops, intriguing alleys, and many outstanding coffee and pastry shops around the town. It is a lovely place to visit for the Christmas Market in December. The two hotels we use are the Hotel Goldener Hirsch and the Hotel Sacher. They give our clients lots of extras, such as a free breakfast, free lunch, pick up from the train station, plus additional amenities. A great traditional restaurant is Fideler Affe or Weiserhof, and cafes like Tomaselli offer local specialties. Try Salzburger Nockerl, a soufflé like dessert.

The train service is excellent and you can go to many other parts of Europe from here. I never fly within Europe if I can help it. Rail Europe does such an outstanding job.

Maureen Jones

Maureen Jones is president of All Horizons Travel at 160 Main Street, Los Altos. Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises, and all types of leisure.

Previous columns by Maureen:

• Your Travel Expert On: Munich
• Your Travel Specialist On: London, England
• Your Travel Specialist On: Elite Entree in Spain
• Your Travel Specialist On: Alberta- A Wonderful Province in Canada
• Abu Dhabi- A destination apart
• Mougins, Cote De A’zur, France
• HIGH FIVE: What Tops Your List in South Africa?
• Lima, Peru’s Crossroads of Past and Present
• Why Use A Travel Agent?
• The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
• Scotland, The British Open 2015.
• Delectable Dining - Hawaii’s Farm Fresh Table Temptation.
• Themed River Cruises.

Also on Patch:

• Parents and Teens Need Access to Mental Health Care
• Attn: Dog Owners: These Chews Pose Salmonella Risk For Pets, Humans
• Report Ranks Bay Area Air Quality Low, But Cites Improvement
• WATCH: ‘TELL MOM I’M OK’ - Petaluma Man Found Alive After Nepal Quake - See Mom’s Reaction
• UPDATED: Suspect Shoots at Police Near Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, Search Underway
• Your Divorce Is Not Part Of Your Teen’s Graduation