Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg is a fairly small town in the north-east of Austria's "bulb". Getting to Salzburg is fairly simple: From Vienna you grab the Inter-City Express train out of Westbahnhof and two and a half hours later you step off in Salzburg. The tickets will set you back 43 euro each way. Despite only having 6% of the country's population, the Salzburg region contributes a disproportionate 25% of the GDP, mostly from tourism. The tourists - based on my wild ass guess - are of the type who has a lot of money fused with a desire to convert that money into luxury articles.
2006-12-27 12:24
This is the Salzburg Fort. You can walk up to it. You can even follow the signs to the funicular, end up on the now-abandoned midway platform where the funicular doesn't stop, walk up the last bit, realize that you're one euro short of the admission fee and that they don't take any cards and walk down promising yourself that the fortress will be among the first buildings to go once nuclear weapons become ubiquitous, but once you hit ground level again you'll probably just gorge youself silly on pastries. Then you take the funicular up.
The only time the fortress was beseiged was in 1525 when a group of miners and townspeople tried to oust Prince Archbishop Cardinal Matthäus Lang. The fort was surrendered without a fight during the Napoleonic Wars, by which time it had ceased to have any military significance.
2006-12-27 12:31
This is what most of the old town of Salzburg looks like.
2006-12-27 12:33
The main streets (as main as the go) are connected by passages through the buildings, leading to interior courts such as this one.
2006-12-27 12:42
Detail from the University Church.
2006-12-27 12:45
Another small passageway.
2006-12-27 13:33
Interior of the Salzburg Cathedral[a].
2006-12-27 13:35
Interior of the Salzburg Cathedral[b]'s dome.
2006-12-27 13:57
View of Salzburg - with the old town being closest - from the fort. The church at the bottom right is the Salzburg Cathedral.
2006-12-27 14:07
Masonry heater from the officers' quarters.
2006-12-27 14:11
Shell.
2006-12-27 14:18
The top of the hill has been used since way back in time. These are the remnants of an old oven (basically a through used for burning wood in), that was found by archaeologists on the peak of the mountain.
2006-12-27 14:18
This is the top of Fort Hill, laid bare.
2006-12-27 14:24
This is an ancient Romanesque (looks Roman, but they didn't build it) chapel. On the floor you can see pieces of fresco and decorations that were found in the archaeological dig.
2006-12-27 14:28
Cargo funicular leading up from the road.
2006-12-27 14:29
Fortress courtyard.
2006-12-27 14:32
View west along the northern wall.
2006-12-27 14:40
View toward the Untersberg.
2006-12-27 15:03
A very compact house squeezed in.
2006-12-27 16:08
A wishing well near the cathedral. Water comes from the hills and rushes down the hole.
2006-12-27 15:15
View south along the Salzach river.
2006-12-27 16:27
View north along the Salzach river
2006-12-27 17:15
The old market square.
2006-12-27 17:28
St.Peters Friedhof (graveyard), at the foot of Fort Hill.
2006-12-27 17:33
Illuminated grave.
2006-12-27 17:34
The cathedral, as seen from the graveyard.
2006-12-27 17:54
View north along the river after sunset.