Austria

This is a open air museum located just outside Kramsach. This town is situated some 45 kilometers far from Innsbruck.

It is practically made of a good number of farmhouses and other buildings as a watermill, barns, storehouses, a school, a chapel. These are scattered over a eight hectare site. A very large park.

These buildings have been brought here from various places in Tyrol.

Some farmhouses are fully furnished as you can see from some of my pictures.

This is the interior of the chapel. I don' t know if there is more than a chapel at this park.

Here you see the chapel from afar.

You need to climb a bit to go inside some houses.

Inside the alpine hut.

There is a budget restaurant and a souvenirs shop near the entrance of the museum. Moreover here you can find some exposition rooms and the toilets.

I think one could stay inside this park almost the whole day.

Innsbruck is the capital of Tyrol. It is located in western Austria. Its name means "bridge over the Inn". The Inn is the river which runs through the city.

This city has a beautiful old core and several attractions to enjoy.

It is a pleasure walking under the porticoes of the old core of Innsbruck. You can find various kinds of shops, several cafes and some restaurant under these porticoes.

Herzog Friedrich Strasse; one of the main street in the old center is lined with porticoes.

The Golden Roof; in German; Goldenes Dachl is practically a three storey balcony with a roof made of 2657 gold plated tiles.

Archduke Friedrick IV ordered the construction of the palace where the balcony is located in the early fifteen century.

Maximilian I commissioned the Golden Roof in 1493. It was built to honour Maximilian' s second marriage to Bianca Sforza of Milan.

The Goldenes Dachl served as a royal box where he could sit and enjoy tournaments and other street performances in the square below.

The city tower (Stadtturm) was built between 1442 and 1450. It was completed with its roof fifty years later. Its lower storey once served as prison.

Until 1964 inside the tower there was a sentry day and night, to warn the inhabitants about fires and other dangers.

When you' re on the top of this tower you' ll enjoy a wonderful landscape over the city center. You' ll also see the houses on the river Inn. You have to climb 148 stairs to go to the top.

The Imperial Palace (Hofburg) was originally built by archduke Siegmund the Rich in Gothic style around 1460. It was remodelled in Baroque style by emperess Maria Theresa between 1754 and 1773.

Inside the palace 25 state apartments are opened to visitors. These are dating from 18th and the 19th centuries. There is also the a large banquet room with lots of portraits of the Habsburgs; the Giants' Hall.

Some years ago it was allowed to take pictures inside the palace. Today it is not permitted any more.

The Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum (the Tyrolean museum of popular art) is located in the Neues Stift (the new abbey). It adjoins the Hofkirche.

There you can see a rich collections of households, farming tools, furniture, typical dresses and some stube. These are living rooms covered with wood panels.

You can buy a combined ticket to visit the museum and the Hofchirche.

This church was built between 1553 and 1563 by Ferdinand I as a burial place for Maximilian I. Inside there is his cenotaph (but he is buried in Wiener Neustadt; at 50 km south of Vienna).

Walde Kerzenzieherzei and Lebzelterei is a small shop full of nice things. It is run by the same family for 235 years. You can find it opposite the cathedral

Here you can find candles of every kinds, soaps, shampoos, bath foams and cleaning products. There is even a good choice of decorations.

You will surely not miss the Baroque 16th century palace; the Helblinghaus. It is a Gothic mansion. The stucco decorations on its facade date back to the 1730. It was named after Sebastian Helbling who owned a cafe inside this building in 1833.

At Hofgasse n. 12 you can see an arch with a special acoustic; the Fluesterbogen.

If you stand at one end of it and whisper something, another person at the opposite end can understand clearly what you are saying.

Not far from the Helblinghaus you could look for the Ottoburg.

This tower like palace was documented since 1476. Today it houses a restaurant.

There is a park near the Hofburg; the imperial palace. The Hofgarten. This park was originally laid out as a hunting ground in the 16th century. Later it was declared a public garden.

There are various plants, a palms house, a small lake and a children playground there. At one of the entrances of the park there is a cafe-restaurant.

One of my favourite restaurant in the old town is surely Stiftskeller. It has six dining rooms and also an outdoor area where you can sit if the weather is fine.

The palace where this restaurant was built was a convent for noble girls long ago.

At Stiftskeller hey have a menu with mostly typical Austrian dishes.

The first time I visited this restaurant I had spaetzle (small dumplings) with cheese and fried onions. Another time I had pasta (noodles) with minced meat. Everything I ate there was good.

Maria Theresien Strasse is one of the main streets in the city. It is partly pedestrianized. It is bordered with 17th and 18th centuries houses, lots of shops, cafes and restaurants.

In the middle of this street stands the Saint Anne' s column (Annasaule). It was erected in 1706 to commemorate the withdrawal of the Bavarian troops on Saint Anne' s Day in 1703.

At its southern end of this street there a thriumphal gateway (Triumphpforte) stands. It was built in 1765 on the occasion of the wedding of archduke Leopold of Tuscany; son of empress Maria Theresia with princess Maria Ludovica of Spain, but also to commemorate the death of emperor Franz I; Maria Theresia' s husband.

This large covered market is situated on the banks of the Inn river.

It houses various stalls. Here you can find the butcher, the fishmonger and a farmers market with fresh fruits and vegetables. There is also a supermarket and several cafes inside this market.

This market is open from monday to friday; from 7 a. m. to 6.30 p. m. On saturday it is open from 7 a. m to 1 a. m.

I think the area along the river Inn is one of the quitest places in the city.

I booked a twin room at Bistrò bed and breakfast and I had a large triple room with bathroom en suite.

There are not communal rooms at this bed and breakfast. It is housed in a small building. It is far from the old center of Insbruck, but it is easily reachable by bus from the train station.

Breakfast was buffet style. Every morning there were jam, yoghurt, several kinds of bread; ham and cheese. There was also a bowl full of fresh fruit. Hot drinks as coffee and milk were served at our table.

There few eateries near this hotel. I usually had dinner at hotel Alpin Park' s restaurant. This hotel is a few meters from Bistro' s bed and breakfast.

It is a restaurant of a four stars hotel, but it is not an expensive place to have a meal. There are various typical Austrian dishes on the menu at this restaurant, but also some Italian ones. I always had a good dinner there.

Cafe conditorei Walter is not the oldest confectionery in the city, but I' ve read it has been opened since the late 50's. It is a popular place as I could see from the many customers who went there to buy pieces of cakes to take home, have one there or have a drink.

This cafe-confectionery has two rooms. One is the confectionery itself and the other the cafe.

At Walter' s you can find many kinds of cakes, pastries and other kinds of sweet treats. There also serve sandwiches.

Every time I went there I had an ice cream with whipped cream. These were very good. My mother tried some cakes. She said the Sacher torte (chocolate cake with apricot jam) was really good.

The Wilten basilica; also called basilica of our Lady under the four pillars is a yellow church with two towers that was built between 1751 and 1755 in Rococo style.

A first church had been erected in the 13th century on that site. This has been a site of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages.

Unfortunately I only could admire the interior of the church thought a gate. When I went there it was the closing time.

Castle Ambras is a reinassance castle built by archduke Ferdinand II in the 16th century on the remains of a 10 century fortress. It is located some miles from the city center. You can go there by bus.

In 1855 it was remodeled to serve as a summer residence for archduke Karl Ludwig. It is divided into lower and upper castle.

The castle has a very large room called Spanish Hall; a paintings gallery, a collections of armours and weapons and a room with many exotic things.

There is a restaurant in one of the buildings of this castle. I suppose it is in the stables. It is not expensive.

If you are going to visit several attractions in the city I suggest you to buy an Innsbruck card.

This card gives you (a one time) free admission to all main sights of Innsbruck. You can also travel by the city buses and trams for free (also to Igls, Rum, Hall in Tirol, Nattes and Mutters); even by the Sightseer; the tourist bus.

You can buy it at the information office in the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). There are cards valid for 24, 48 and for 72 hours.

The Sightseer is a small, red tourist bus that stops near the main sights in Innsbruck. You can use it free of charge if you buy an Innsbruck card.

Once you bought your ticket you can hop on and off this bus as many times as you like. On the sightseer there is a pair of headphones per persons to listen to some information in various languages about the places you see passing by.

Tickets are sold on the bus.

Unfortunately in the winter the Sightseers don' t operate ferquently!

Salzburg is a city in central Austria near the German border. It is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791). This city is linked with the Sound of Music; a movie shot in various locations in Salzburg and its sourrondings.

I visited Salzburg around two years ago. I visited the main sights in the city, but I am sure there are many other things to see there.

In this post I will write about some things not to miss in the city.

The Getreidegasse is a long pedestrian street in the old town. It is bordered by lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. At number 9 on this street Mozart was born in 1756. He lived here until he was seventeen.

The iron wrought signs hanging on the walls of the buildings is a peculiarity on this street. The reason for these signs is that long ago people wasn' t able to read, so they could see from them what they were selling at the shops there.

There is a Mc Cafe at the Getreidegasse. It is part of Mc Donald' s. It is a coffee shop where you can have a cup of coffee or cappuccino or a cake at a moderate price.

Here you can also have a good choice of cakes to chose from. At Mc Cafe they also have a kind of package offer. The times I was there it was a large cup of cappuccino and a piece of cake with cream with a topping of strawberries or peaches.

I liked the strawberries cake with cream (i. e. Erdbeer Butter Milk Schnitte). also had a taste of a chocolate cake (my mother chose it) . It was not a piece of Sacher cake, but it was really good.

There are several arcades on the Getreidegasse. Walking through them you will discover some beautiful courtyards with cafes and shops.

A nice courtyard.

Another courtyard.

Christmas in Salzburg is a shop where you can find a lots of Christmas and Easter decorations all year.

Here there are decorations for other events and festivities as well; as Halloween for instance.

Here they sell mostly hand painted emptied eggs. These are really nicely decorated and they are sold at various prices. I think the cheapest ones should cost around four or five euros.

This shop is quite large. It is made of two rooms if my memory serves me well. It is forbidden to take pictures inside this shop. I don' t know why.

The Alter Markt is a large square not far from Getreidegasse. Here you see a big fountain; the Saint Florian' s fountain.

Several old buildings surround this square. One of them is the smallest house in Salzburg (see picture). It was built between 1830 and 1860. On the same side of this house there is the popular Cafè Tomaselli.

On the other side of the square a tall pale green palace houses a old pharmacy. It was founded in 1591.

There are some beautiful shops at Alter Markt as well.

Kapitelplatz (chapter square) is a large square situated near the cathedral and below the castle.

One of its main features is a huge sculpture of a golden ball with a man on the top called Sphaera. Near this sculpture there is a large chess board where you can play. On this square there is a fountain built in 1732 on the site of an old horse pond.

Usually there are some stalls at Kapitelplats. At one of these you can buy pretzels of various flavours.

The cathedral. Saint Rupert founded the church in 774 on the ruins of a Roman construction. In 767 the bishop Virgil built another church on this site. He might have used the foundations by saint Rupert to construct it. In 842 the church burned down after being struck by a lightning.

They started to rebuild the cathedral after three years. Between 1000 and 1147 the church was extended and modified . In 1167 it was on fire again. It was rebuilt 10 years later. 400 years later another fire destroyed large sections of the cathedral.

In the seventeenth century it was completely rebuilt in the Baroque style. The dome was damaged during World War II but was restored in 1959.

The only museum I visited in Salzburg was the toy museum. is housed in a old alms house; the Buergerspital; built between 1556 and 1570.

Here you can see a good number of old toys; dolls, miniature trains and cars; table games, puppets and more.

There is even a couple of rooms, maybe more, where kids can play with toys they find there. Adults can have a cup of tea for free in a room while their kids are playing.

Sometimes events are organized at this museum. I visited it around Halloween and a kind of Halloween party was going on.

Every tuesday and wednesday a puppet show is held at this museum.

I visited Saint Peter' s abbey and the cemetery. Saint Rupert (again!) founded this church and its monastery around 700. The church and the buildings were destroyed by a fire in 1127. The church was rebuilt from 1130 to 1143. It was modified through the years.

The church you see today was built from about 1130 onwards. The interior was refurbished in the Rococo style from 1760 to 1782.

Near the church you see the Peterfriedhof. This is the oldest cemetery in Salzburg. Its origins probably date back to around 700 It was possibly built on the site of an earlier burial place.

Into the Festunberg; the mountain that overlooks the cemetery there are some catacombs. I didn' t visited any.

Some famous people who lived in the city are buried at the Peterfriedhof. Here you can find the graves of Santino Solari; Michael Haydn; composer and younger brother of Joseph Haydn. Anna Maria Mozart was also buried here. She was the elder sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Mirabell gardens were laid out from 1687. They were altered in 1730 and changed again in the 19th century. These are made of various areas with several attractions as the Zwerglgarten (i. e.dwarfs garden). This garden is made of a series of stone dwarfs statues. They are 17, but long ago they may have been 28. They were modelled on real life persons. Besides these statues the gardens house an orangery and various statues.

The Mirabell Palace was originallly named Altenau. It was built for prince archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Ratenau and for his mistress Salomè Alt in 1606.

The palace was renamed Mirabel by von Raitenau' s successor Markus Sittikus von Hohenems.

Prince archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach had the palace remodelled extensively from 1721 to 1727. In 1818 the palace was heavily damaged by a fire.

Today Mirabell Palace houses the office of Salzburg' s mayor and the municipal offices.

One of the main sights of Salzburg is the Hohensalzburg fortress.

It is possible there was a Roman fortress on the site of this citadel. Yes, Hohensalzburg fortress is a kind of little village on a hill. The first buildings on its site were built by prince archbishop Eberhard in 1077. The fortress was enlarged between 1495 and 1519.

This fortress houses some museums. One of them is a museum of marionettes. I liked it very much and I spent a lot of time there. There is also a museum with a collection of weapons and a museum with various things.

Another highlight of this fortress are the state apartments dated to 1500. Inside this citadel there is also a small church and a couple of chapels.

Inside the fortress area there are a couple of restaurants and a souvenirs shop.

The fortress also serves as a venue for evening concerts.

Inside the state apartments.

Elaborated door into the state apartments

View from the fortress.

It was a pity the day I visited the fortress was not fine, but the views from there are stunning even if it is not sunny.

I spent five nights at hotel Haunspergerhof. It is a nice three stars hotel situated in Haunspergstraße at n. 30. It takes around fifteen minutes from the train station to get there.

The twin room they gave me was simply furnished and large enough for two people. It had the bathroom with tube en suite; a television, but it didn' t have a fridge.

The breakfast was buffet style. It consisted of various kinds of bread, jam, butter and a kind of pastry. There were also cold cuts, cheeses and eggs. Moreover there was yoghurts and some fruit. Hot beverages, as coffee and hot milk and hot water for tea were in thermos flasks.

This hotel has a communal room which is part of the reception area. Wi fi was free of charge there.

Il Padrino is the closest restaurant to hotel Hanspergerhof, so it was convenient for me to have dinner there. This restaurant has two dining rooms and an outside area.

At Il Padrino they have a menu with many of Italian dishes. They serve pasta dishes and various kinds of pizza. I had some kind of pizzas here and I liked them much.

It is advisable to book your seat at this restaurants. It seems lots of local people likes this place very much.

I hope to return to Salzburg quite soon.