Central Europe & the Alps

August 2018 Read more

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Central Europe & the Alps Traveler
Saltzburg City Walk
September 11, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Late in the afternoon we walk through the many platz that make up the Old Town of Salzburg, another UNESCO World Heritage site. it's fairly quiet at this time with the hustle and bustle gone.
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Salzburg snapshots
September 11, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Bicycles are the most common form of transport.
Detail from the glockenspiel in the clocktower.
The smallest house in Salzburg has a width of only 1.42m, The tiny house was built to close a narrow alley between 1830 and 1860.
Detail above the door on the narrowest house in Salzburg.Read more
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Things Mozart in Salzburg
September 11, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Mozart was born in this yellow house on 27 January 1756. The main entrance plaza to the old town is guarded by Mozart's Statue - this is Mozartplatz.
They have been making Mozart chocolates for the last 150 years, here in Salzburg. The original recipe is packed in blue.Read more
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Dinner at Stiftskirche Restaurant
September 11, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
We are heading for dinner at St Peters Stiftskirche built in the 7th century.
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Salzburg Ater Dark
September 11, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
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Hohensalzburg Fortress
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The Fortress stands 506m above Salzburg. Begun in 1066, it gradually evolved over many centuries. It has come under siege once in its history but has never been taken. It dominates the skyline overlooking the old town.Read more
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Sound of Music Tour 1
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Began the tour with a trip out of town to Schloss Hellbrunn where parts of the movie were filmed - the avenue of trees where the kids climbed and the glass summerhouse where they danced. We whizz past the palace where they filmed the outside of the Van Trapp's house - the long yellow wall where the song "I have confidence" was filmed.
The guide tells us a mix of the movie scenes interspersed with the real story.Read more
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Sound of Music Tour 2
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
From town we see the mountain behind the city where they flew part of the opening scenery and far in the distance, the meadow where Julie Andrews could hear the church bells. It's miles away, so a lot of poetic licence was used with this one!Read more
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Nonnberg Abbey 1
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We climb up the steep, narrow lanes and steps to reach the abbey. It's quite a hike! The abbey gate of the movie appears much bigger in the film.
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Nonnberg Abbey 2
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Filming in this abbey included the cloisters and the high alter. It was not the site for the wedding scenes.
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Nonnberg Abbey 3
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We also see the crypt area of the movie where the family hid from the Nazis.
We walk down the road which that leads to the abbey which was featured in the movie. The buildings and the squares of Salzburg were featured in the movie with nazi flags hanging from.Read more
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Quirky Things Around Salzburg
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
The Stiegl-Keller is the oldest brewery in Salzburg. Beer has been brewed here continuously for more than 500 years.
Shopping alleys are a delight.
This car drives up the steep, narrow lane and tortuous turn to get into the parking space - amazing!
Fancy a horse-drawn carriage ride - plenty available; but the smell of horse urine continues after hours!
Lots of Christmas stores in Salzberg.Read more
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Walking in Saltzburg
September 12, 2018 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
The view to the mountains over the Salzburg skyline, taken from the walk up to Nonnberg Abbey
Peering into backyards from the steep laneways.
The Salzburg Glockenspiel Bell Tower plays three times daily.
The Salzburg Residenz palace on Residenzplatz was used in the movie, Sound of Music, and was festooned with Nazi flags.Read more
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Marienplatz
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
Marienplatz is a central square in the city centre of Munich. It has been the city's main square since 1158. It is a hub of activity.
Mary's Column is in the centre of the square.
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Neues Rathaus, Marienplatz
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
The New Town Hall is on Marienplatz. It hosts the city government including the city council, offices of the mayors and part of the administration. First built between 1867 and 1874, before being severely bombed in 1944. It was rebuilt after WW2. The famous glockenspiel is on the facade.
The internal courtyard has lots of gargoyles, dripping water after some rain overnight.Read more
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Glockenspiel at Neues Rathaus
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
The Rathaus Glockenspiel dates from 1908. Every day at 11am and 5pm ( as well as 12 noon in the summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century. It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V (who also founded the world famous Hofbräuhaus) to Renata of Lorraine. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white).

This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: Schäfflertanz (the coopers' dance). 1517 was a year of plague in Munich. The coopers are said to have danced through the streets to "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions." The coopers remained loyal and their dance came to symbolize perseverance and loyalty to authority through difficult times.

It lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes depending on which tune it plays that day, At the very end of the show, a very small golden rooster at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps quietly three times, marking the end of the spectacle.

There are huge crowds on hand to watch the show and we get stiff necks from looking up.Read more
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Old Rathaus, Marienplatz
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
The building, documented for the first time in 1310, had its Grand Hall (Großer Saal) constructed in 1392-1394. The former Talburg Gate (Talburgtor) of the first city wall serves as its spire. It marks the border of the oldest part of the town.Read more
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St Michael's Church
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
St. Michael's is a Jesuit church and is the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps.The church was consecrated in 1597, after fourteen years of construction.Having suffered severe damage during the Second World War, the church was restored in 1946–48. Finally, between 1980 and 1983, the stucco-work was restored. The crypt contains among others the tombs of these members of the Wittelsbach dynasty. The crypt contains the tombs of many members of the Wittelsbach dynasty including several Kings of Bavaria and their families. The church is free to enter but there is a fee for the crypt.Read more
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Burgersaalkirche
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Burgersaalkirche is the church dedicated to the memory of Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became the Pope, led the diocese from this church. It's crypt-like atmosphere is hushed and a small museum is at the rear of the church.Read more
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Karlsplatz
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The most important buildings dominating the square are on the east side of the Karlstor, a gothic gate of the demolished medieval fortifications together with the rondell buildings on both sides of the gate. During the summer, a large fountain operates in front of the Karlstor and in winter an open-air ice rink is installed there. We have lunch not far from here at a traditional German Beer Hall.Read more
Traveler HI john! :)
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Peterskirche
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
St Peter's Church is the oldest church in the city. There have been monks on the site since the 8th century. The current church was built in stages and was completed in the early 17th century when the spire was added.They located a cannon ball from a previous battle and have implanted it back into the wall. Once again, there are frescoes and lots of gold. There are many Gothic masterpieces on the walls.Read more
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Munich U-Bahn
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Today we successfully navigated the U-Bahn, the Munich Underground. We have a group ticket for 3 days which cost €29.60 for up to 5 people. Great value.
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Munich Shopping
September 14, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Fascinated by the amount of merchandising surrounding Oktoberfest which is impending.
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Rindermarkt
September 15, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We booked a free city walking tour (3.5 hours) with Sandemans. The meeting place was Mary's Column in Marienplatz. Our guide talked us through the history of Munich and the places around the Old Town. In WW2 more than 90% of Munich was bombed. Only the few towers remained and they were used as landmarks for the bombing raids. Post WW2, the buildings were rebuilt in the old style, but using concrete with the detail painted in.
The guide points out detail on the glockenspiel we saw yesterday as well as the symbol of the city, the Child of Munich, sitting high on the spire of the Neues Rathaus.
We stop at Peterskirche, the oldest church in Munich that we had also visited before. Only the red brick part at the back of the church was left standing, the rest was rebuilt. They located a cannon ball from a previous battle and have implanted it back into the wall.
The Lion's Tower at Cattle Market (Löwenturm Rindermarkt) is from the Medieval period & remains standing at the location of Rindermarkt in the Old Town. The seven-storey brick structure is 25 metres tall and was part of the city fortifications back to the 12th century. It is made from the original red bricks and was not bombed in WW2.Read more
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The Viktualienmarkt
September 15, 2018 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Over the years, the market has evolved from a farmers' market to a popular market for fresh food and delicatessen products. It offers exotic ingredients that are not available anywhere else in the area, and is renowned for its diversity and size: 140 stalls and shops offering flowers and plants, fruits and vegetables, venison and fowl, eggs, butter, honey, fish, meat, sausages, herbs, spices, delicatessens, wine and tea are assembled on an area covering 22,000 square metres.
The Maypole in the centre carries figurines displaying the trades and crafts of this part of Munich. They are signposts. The figurines are changed from time to time.Read more
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