A friend I met on my trip to Lapland last semester met me at the Salzburg airport and was my host for the night. Before my arrival, my friend had asked me if there was anything I would like to see in the city. I had suggested trying to sights from the Sound of Music. It turns out that although set in Austria, very few Austrians actually know the movie. By the time I had arrived, my friend had watched the movie and made a list of places in the city which had appeared in the film. Throughout the day we visited the park where part of do-re-mi was filmed, the fountain, the gate of the nunnery, the Von Trapp house and the gazebo.
We spent the day exploring the city. Salzburg is absolutely gorgeous. Our day of sightseeing included climbing a very steep hill to a castle which overlooked the city. Construction of the castle began in the 12th Century. It was crazy to wander around knowing that the castle has existed since well before Canada was discovered! The views from the tower of the castle were magnificent. Mountains surrounded the already beautiful city.
I stayed in my friend’s residence room. It is probably the nicest rez room I have ever been in. There was a large bedroom, with a private kitchen and bathroom. To add to all of this, the view was remarkable. I am so unbelievably jealous of the view! (See the picture below!) The village was perfect-exactly how you would imagine a mountain village. It was called Kuchl and I would highly recommend visiting this village if you’re ever looking for an escape. It was so quiet and relaxing.
The following day I was back into the city of Salzburg to meet a friend who had studied in Jyvaskyla with me. We spent the day touring more small villages surrounding the city. The next morning we woke up and went to a beautiful restaurant on a mountain which overlooked a lovely little lake. It was a beautiful and sunny day so we then spent the better part of the day relaxing on a dock enjoying the lovely weather.
Now, as you all know the key to my heart is hockey and I was thrilled to see a game while in Salzburg. The Salzburg RedBulls faced off against the Linz Black Wings. It was an intense game in the final round of the playoffs. The RedBulls were victorious which excited the home crowd.
I had an amazing time in Austria, but by this point it was time to head to Germany!!
Me at the gate to the nunnery in the Sound of Music
What a view! (from my friends rez room!)
The dock where I spent an afternoon!
Hockey!
