Salzburg, Austria 2004

Passing by quaint little villages while curving along the German-Austrian boarder

Above and below: the German-Austrian countryside

First view of Salzburg: giant square concrete smokestack. Very mid 20th Century.

Salzach River upon entering the city

My glorious arrival at the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (train station).

Notice the first class train car behind me? ;-}

Next to Mozart-Wohnhaus (Mozart's Residence).

Just to the right (which didn't make much of an impressive picture) is Makartplatz 8 where the Mozart family lived from 1773 to 1787. Mozart lived there for seven years from 1773, writing numerous symphonies. He composed the 'Re Pastore' and began 'La Finta Giardiniera' and 'Idomeneo' during his time there. The building was restored after extensive bomb damage in 1944.

"Do not enter: bicycles excepted"

Mirabell Palace Gardens

This palace in Mirabellgarten was built in 1606 by the Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress Salome Alt, who supposedly bore him 15 children. More recently these gardens were featured in the 1964 film The Sound of Music.

Above and below: spectacular place to get married, eh!

Mirabell Palace Garden

Stairs leading to a locked and gated underworld

Salzburg architecture

"Riddle of the Sphinx" advert

Interesting long but narrow houses built up against a cliff face.

Traditional Austrian architecture butted up against euro modernism.

Salzburg Cathedral

Left and right: Judengasse - Jewish Alley

Beautifully decorated eggs in a shop display window

Japanese subtitles reflect the island nation's love affair with Salzburg and its famous son, Mozart.

Unexpectedly, as I was walking around Salzburg there was a big anti-Chinese government rally winding its way around downtown with a long possession of solemn protesters demanding Chinese leaders be brought before a court to be tried for human rights violations against Chinese and Tibetan citizens.

Festung Hohensalzburg Fortress

Salzburg Cathedral

Interior of the Salzburg Cathedral.

Above and below: damage and history of the Cathedral.

Salzburg cathedral dome

Beautiful horses drawing a carriage and driver in search of tourists.

History - http://www.lonelyplanet.com

Originally a Celtic settlement and later a Roman trading centre called Juvavum, the town developed in the early 8th century. In about 696 St Rupert established a bishopric there, which was subsequently elevated to an archbishopric with authority over the dioceses of Bavaria. Over time the archbishops became increasingly involved in temporal matters and in the 13th century were granted the titles of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. Wolf Dietrich von Raintenau (1587-1612) was one of the most influential archbishops and instigated the city's baroque reconstruction. However many prince-archbishops wielded their power with intolerance - in the late 15th century the Jews were expelled and in 1731-32 some 30,000 Protestants migrated to Prussia after a period of severe persecution.

Salzburg managed to stay out of the Thirty Years' War and remained neutral during the War of Austrian Succession a century later, but it was about this time that its power and prosperity began to diminish. Salzburg was secularized in 1802 and during the Napoleonic Wars was controlled by France and Bavaria. The 1814 annexation of Salzburg to Austria under the Habsburgs plunged the city into a recession. However the city's descent into poverty was a blessing in disguise as it ensured that the historic buildings in the city centre were repaired rather than replaced. In the late 19th century the new town was built on the right bank of the river.

The Republic of Austria was created on 12 November 1918, marking the end of the centuries-old Habsburg dynasty and the right of the monarchy to participate in government. There was a rise of fascism throughout the country after WWI and when German troops marched into Austria on 11 March 1938 they encountered little resistance. Austria was incorporated into the German Reich on 13 March 1938 and became part of Germany's war machine, the Austrian government becoming a puppet of the German Nazis while Austrians were conscripted into the German army. During WWII over 40 percent of Salzburg's buildings were destroyed or badly damaged. Austria was declared independent on 27 April 1945 and, after 10 years of allied occupation, the country declared its permanent neutrality on 15 May 1955. Austria joined the United Nations in the same year.

Historically the economic strength of the city was built on mining, both gold and salt, although salt (the so-called 'white gold') has been more important since Celtic times. Salz is German for salt and Salzburg literally means 'Fortress of Salt'.