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The hills are alive...
Salzburg is picture-perfect. The town is small, gorgeous, and feels family-oriented. It's also a music-lovers' paradise. Some people might not appreciate the Mozart-mania (you can buy just about anything emblazoned with his image), but hey, he WAS great. I'd be proud of him, too.
View from the 12th-century Festung Hohensalzburg, once a fortress, now an museum and artists' colony. You can walk up the hill from the old town or take the funicular to the summit.
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Nonnburg Convent is the oldest continuously-inhabited nunnery in the German- speaking world (Benedictine nuns). Founded by St. Rupert around 700. Late Gothic basilica with crypt, Romanesque frescoes (c. 1150). Quiet, serene, not crowded, at least while I was there. My fondest memory of Salzburg occurred while walking around the hillside, beneath the fortress. I stepped into a church I recognized from The Sound of Music. In the dim light I was looking at old frescoes when suddenly, from out of nowhere, the singing of nuns floated over my head. I never did see the nuns, but they were practicing somewhere nearby, and in the ancient church, it sounded like heaven.
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I enjoyed the easter egg shop. These hollow eggs are intricately painted with just about any design you can think of. They really are miniature works of art.
Mirabell Palace is a place of great beauty and the Mirabell Gardens, another spot featured in The Sound of Music, are equally delightful. The gardens were designed in 1690; groups of sculptures, the weirdly humorous Dwarves` Garden, exquisitely planned flower beds, the maze and the `hedge theatre` all make this a must-visit.
Mondsee is one of the lakes in the area known as Salzkammergut, which has over 40 lakes and beautiful mountains. Mondsee is also a charming small village that`s picturesque and cute. I had a great cheese strudel in the cafe marked Braun in this picture. Distance to Salzburg is 25 km.
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St. Gilgen, another stop on the Sound of Music tour, is a lovely little town, and well worth a stay if you are a tourist in Austria. It`s located on Lake Wolfgang, a 45-minute bus ride from Salzburg.
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