hi, i'm rick steves, back with moreof the best of europe. this time,we're in the land of mozart. it's salzburg. thanks for joining us. salzburg is forever smiling to the tunes of mozartand the sound of music. thanks to its charming old town, splendid baroque churches,
one of europe's largestmedieval fortresses, and so many greatplaces nearby, salzburg feels designed to keepits visitors happy. in salzburg we'll exploreits delightful old town, enjoy mozart in a palace, and relaxin a sun-dappled beer garden. then we'll settleinto a farmhouse b&b, survive a mountain luge run, and cruise to one of the jewels
of austria's lake district. sitting in the center of europeis austria. from our home base in salzburg,we side-trip into the salzkammergutlake district -- lake hallstatt, and the town by the same name. salzburg is steeped in history. in the year 700, its bavarianrulers gave control of salzburg to the local bishopin return for his promise
to defend and expandchristianity in the area. salzburg remained an independentstate for over a thousand years, until it surrenderedto napoleon. thanks toits formidable fortress and its knackfor remaining neutral, the city managed to avoidthe ravages of war until world war ii. while muchof the new part of town -- on the far side of the river --
was destroyedby world war ii bombs, the historic old town survived. the new town has the big businessand train station, but the old town,sitting between the salzach riverand a hill called monchsberg, holds nearly all the charmand most of the tourists. with aroundeight million visitors prowling its cobbled laneseach year,
salzburg can feelpretty touristy. you don't go to salzburgto avoid the tourists. you go to experience a townwhich, in spite of its crowds, is thoroughly enjoyable. most of the happy touristsprobably wouldn't be here if not for the manhonored by this statue. wolfgang mozart spent much of his first 25 yearsin salzburg -- one of the greatest baroquecities north of the alps.
for centuries, salzburg'sleaders were both important church authoritiesand political rulers. they were"prince-archbishops," combining both politicaland religious power. the energetic prince-archbishopwolf dietrich, who ruled around the year 1600, had the greatest impacton the town. wolf dietrichwas raised in rome, counted the powerful medicisin florence as his buddies,
and had grandiose italianambitions for salzburg. his goal -- to build"the rome of the north." this square,with its striking cathedral and italian-style palace, was the centerpieceof his baroque dream city. a seriesof interconnecting squares lead from herethrough the old town. this fountain could be straightout of italy. the triton matches bernini'sfamous triton fountain in rome.
lying on a busy trade route connecting northern europewith the south, salzburg was well aware of the exciting thingsgoing on in italy. things italian were respectedand in vogue. some northern artists evenitalianized their names in order to raise their rates. salzburg's cathedral,constructed in the early 1600s, was one of the first grandbaroque buildings
north of the alps. it's sunday morning. the 10:00 mass is famousfor its music, and today it's mozart. enter the cathedral, and you're immersed in purebaroque grandeur. ♪ dona nobis ♪ ♪ nobis pacem ♪ since it was builtin only about 15 years,
the church boasts particularlyharmonious art and architecture. in good baroque style,the art is symbolic, cohesive,and theatrical, creating a kind offestival procession that leadsto the resurrected christ triumphing high above the altar. ♪ nobis ♪ ♪ pacem ♪ music and the visual artcomplement each other.
the organ loft fills the churchwith glorious sounds as mozart, 250 years after his birth,is still powering worship with his musical genius. ♪ pacem ♪♪ wolfgang amadeus mozart, who was the cathedral organistfor two years, was born in this house in 1756. it was here that he composedmost of his boy-genius works.
for fans, it's almosta pilgrimage. but his later residence,the mozart wohnhaus, across the river,offers a better exhibition on his life and times. the place is filled with scores of scores, portraits, insights into his family life and how the young prodigy
was basically home-schooledhis hard-driving father. the mozart familywas successful enough to entertain salzburg'shigh society in this fine room. this family portrait showsmozart with his sister -- he was proud of his first-evercompositions for four hands -- his father, also a fine musicianand composer, and his mother, who diedtwo years earlier in paris. nannerl called this portrait the best ever doneof her brother.
mozart spent a good partof his childhood on the road, performing all over europe. but throughout his youth,he called salzburg home. when he was 25he was ready for the big city and moved to vienna. today, salzburg's pridein mozart shows itself best not in museumsbut in live concerts. salzburg is a world-classdestination for live musical performances.
each summer it hostsits famous salzburg festival. but salzburg is busyall year long, with over 2,000live performances in churchesand palaces like this. we're headinginto the mirabell palace to hear a string quartet playin a splendid baroque hall. mozart performed for the prince-archbishopright here. and this evening
the twins quartet from moscow play mozart's eine kleine nachtmusik. the surrounding mirabellgardens, laid out in 1730, are a favorite with localsand tourists alike. enjoying the garden, cathedral,castle view, it's easy to imagine howthe prince archbishop must havereveled in such a vista that reminded himof all his secular as well as religious power.
the hohensalzburg fortress towers 400 feetabove the salzach river. one of europe's mightiestcastles, it dominates salzburg's skyline. access is quick and easy fromthe old town by funicular. its cannons evokeboth threats of centuries past and the powerof salzburg's rulers. the courtyardwas the main square of this hilltop communityof a thousand --
which could be self-sufficientwhen necessary. the well dippedinto a rain-fed cistern. the square was ringedby blacksmiths, bakers, and craftsmen. imagine how expensive thismassive fortress was to build, and it was never reallyused in battle. that was the idea. the guys who paid for it wouldsay it was a good investment -- so foreboding,nobody attacked salzburg
for a thousand years. its ramparts provide the bestviews of the city. surveying the town, you can imagine salzburgthrough the ages. from the castle, take a stroll across the forestedmonchsberg hill for a breezy respitefrom the city and more commanding views. set your sights on the spireof the augustinian church,
and you'll findwhat seems like half of salzburg feasting and drinking. those augustiniansmust have been the most popular monks in town for their rollickingbeer garden. austria specializesin a knack for conviviality. and in salzburg, there's no better placeto experience that than here at the augustiner braustubl.
on balmy summer evenings,this brewery has the ambianceof a renoir painting, as all generations gather underthe chestnut trees as they have for centuries to enjoy cheap food, good beer, and that special local coziness, called gemutlichkeit. it's self-service.
peruse the food stalls. no shortage of meats, kraut, and salads. and the steckerlfisch -- now that'smy kind of fish stick! getting a beer is fun in itself. buy your token, choose a mug. two choices -- big and huge. give it a rinse --
and fill 'er up. as is often the case in rowdyeuropean eateries like this, you share tables and make new friends. old salzburg's busyand colorful main drag was and still is getreide gasse. amidst all the touristsand chain outlets, its classy shops and traditional wrought-ironsigns
give it a touch of elegance. pondering the old-time signs -- which were advertisingback in the days when most shopperscouldn't read -- you can almost imaginestrolling here, looking for a sturdy pairof boots, a stylish dirndl, or evena little schnapps. the sporer family has beendistilling schnapps and selling it from thisfriendly hole-in-the-wall
for just over a hundred years. it's good to see how, in the midstof all this tourism, purely local hangoutsstill survive. the regulars here know that there are enoughflavors of schnapps to keep them coming backagain and again. obstler is apple and -- apple and pear.
okay. and it's very typical for this area. so this is apple and pear? apple and pear, yes. good. zum wohl! prosit! [ laughing ]
ooh, that's good. you don't throw it down.you sip it, is that right? you sip it, yes. and what is schnapps? schnapps isdistilled fruits. so there's many differentkinds of schnapps? yes, there are many fruits in austria,and we distill almost everything.
and whenis the normal time when you woulddrink schnapps in austria? after dinner,as a digestive, or you drink it beside a beerin the evening, or -- but this is after breakfast,and you're still quite busy. [ laughter ] we're always busy,because we are very old, traditional shopin the getreide gasse. steves: and way backwhen wolfgang
was still practicing his scales, salzburg's busyopen-air produce market gave farmers the chanceto sell directly to locals. today, the people of salzburgare happy to pay a premium for the reliably freshand top-quality produce. austria, with its germanicpassion for quality, is enthusiastic aboutorganically grown fruits and vegetables.
public marketplacescome with fountains. and salzburg's are part of this city's ingeniousmedieval water system. in the 13th century, salzburg was plumbedwith a clever canal system which has brought waterinto salzburg from nearby hills ever since. the stream,divided into smaller canals, was channeled through town.
the constantly flowing waterflushed out the streets, provided fire protection,and powered factories. it was the harnessing of wind and water powerwith mills like this that helped kick the economyinto gear and lift europe out ofwhat many called the dark ages. these canals powered about a hundred water millsin salzburg, which were busily crankingas late as the 19th century.
tucked away in the heartof the old town and abutting the rock wallof monchsberg is st. peter's cemetery. the graves are a collection of well cared for mini-gardens. it seems each plot is lovinglytended by relatives. that's because in austria, grave sites are rented,not owned. rent bills are sent outabout every 10 years.
if no one cares enoughto make the payment, you're gone. iron crosses were cheaperthan carved tombstones. rich guys' finerenaissance-style tombs decorate the chapel walls. wealthy as those guys were, when they ran outof caring relatives, they were dug up, shipped out, and their fancy tombstonesended up on the wall.
salzburg's wealthwas based on salt. its name basically means,"salt fortress." its river is calledthe salzach -- not because it's salty, but because of the preciouscargo it once carried. salt, so preciousas a preservative in pre-refrigerator days, was a huge partof this region's economy, all the way backto prehistoric times.
there were major salt minesjust upstream. salt could be shipped from heredown to the danube and beyond. the banksof the salzach river -- ideal for strollingand biking -- were once medieval tow paths. cargo boatswould float downstream and be dragged back upstreamby horse. today, these riverside pathsare much enjoyed, providing easy accessto the surrounding countryside.
if you'd liketo commune with nature in a uniquely austrian way, salzburg is the idealjumping-off point for spectacular countrysideto the south. it's austria'ssalzkammergut lake district, where "the hills are alive" and you're surroundedby the scenic wonder that has enthrallednature lovers from emperor franz josefto julie andrews.
this is"sound of music" country. idyllic and majestic,but not rugged, it's a gentle land of lakes,forested mountains, and storybook villages rich in hiking and bikingopportunities. the countrysidearound salzburg has plenty of farmhouse b&bs. good ones, like this onenear the town of werfen, give you a chance
to experience the richnessof austria's rural life. [ horse whinnies ] the weissacher family rents a couple of simpleyet comfy rooms to supplement their farm income. they're popularwith big-city families who want the opportunityto stay on a farm, to learn to ride, and just get away
from the intensityof urban life. one fun wayto get a dose of nature with a jolt of speed is on a sommerrodelbahn. throughout the region, ski runs earn their keepin the summer as luge courses. enjoy the lake country view as you're draggedup the mountain.
then get set to fly. it's simple -- push to go,pull to brake -- a treat for kids of all ages. we're heading two hourssoutheast of salzburg to my favoritesalzkammergut town on my favoritesalzkammergut lake. the tiny train station isacross lake hallstatt from the postcard-pretty town by the same name -- hallstatt.
stefanie, a boat, meetseach arriving train and glides scenically across the lake into town. lovable hallstatt isa tiny town bullied onto a ledge between a mountainand a swan-ruled lake. apart from the waterfallwhich rips through its middle, hallstatt is an oasis of peace.
with the scarcityof level land, tall homes had their front door on the street-level top floor and their water entrance several floors below. the town, which originatedas a salt mining center, is one of europe's oldest, going back centuriesbefore christ. there was a hallstattbefore there was a rome.
in fact, because ofthe salt-mining importance here an entire age --the hallstatt era, from about 800 b.c.to 400 b.c. -- is namedfor this once-important spot. if you dugunder these buildings, you'd find roman and pre-romanceltic pavement stones from the ancientand prehistoric salt depot. this cute little village wasonce the salt-mining namesake of a culture that spreadfrom france to the black sea.
back then, salt was so preciousbecause it preserved meat, and hallstatt was,as its name means, the "place of salt." a steep funicularruns up the mountain to hallstatt's salt mine. it's one of manythroughout the region that offer tours. at the mine,visitors slip into overalls, meet their guide,
and hike into the mountain. while this particular tunneldates only from 1719, hallstatt's mine claims to bethe oldest in the world. in the tour, you'll learnthe story of salt. archaeologists claim that,since 7,000 b.c., people have come hereto get salt. a brine spring sprung here,attracting bronze-age people. later, miners dug tunnelsto extract the salty rock, they dissolved it into a brine,
which flowedthrough miles of pipes, the oldest hewn out of logs,to hallstatt and nearby towns,where the brine was, and still is, cooked untilonly the salt remained. a highlight is ridingminer-style from one floor down to the next, praying for no splinters. through the centuries,
hallstatt was busywith the salt trade. since it had no road access, people came and went by boat. you'll still seethe traditional fuhr boats, designed to carry heavy loadsin shallow water. herr alfred lenz makesthe town's traditional boats from a 200-year-olddesign. the oar lock is still madeof the gut of a bull. alfred claimsan hour on the lake
is worth a day of vacation. and alfred is not the only onewith that idea. the lake is a playground for visitors in rental boats, which come with two speeds -- slow and stop. even though hallstatt'sactual sights are subtle, wandering through townis a treat. pop into the fishery --
two men have a licenseto harvest the lake of its plankton-fedreineke fish, much prizedby local restaurants. the town's decorative woodwork, a tradition whichdates back centuries, reflects the wealthsalt brought. while fires have beena recurrent problem, many houses go way back. this one dates from 1597.
the catholic churchoverlooks the town from above. its 500-year-old altarsand frescos feature hallstatt'stwo favorite saints -- st. barbara, patron of miners, and st. catherine,patron of foresters. lots of wood was needed to fortifythe many miles of tunnels and boil the brineto distill out that salt. space in hallstatt'swell-tended graveyard
was so limitedthat bones had only about 12 peacefulburied years here before making wayfor the freshly dead. many of the dug-up bonesand skulls ended up in the bone chapel. each of the several hundredpainted skulls has been lovingly named,dated, and decorated. the skulls resting on biblesare those of the town's priests. [ brass band plays ]
while the bone chapelis fascinating, there's more lifedown on the town square. for generations, the traditionalsalt miners' band has entertained their town. donate to the band, and a maiden gives youa shot of schnapps. restaurant braugasthof, lakeside and undera grand chestnut tree,
is just the place to try someof lake hallstatt's prized fish. they're cooked upfresh and simple and served with a niceaustrian dry white wine. and while you awaityour strudel, you can feed the swans. swans patrol the lakelike they own it. they're reminders of the 1800s, when the first romantic-agepoets and painters discovered this region.
back then,vienna's habsburg royalty made it their annualholiday retreat, and today, it remainsas delightful as ever. i hope you've enjoyed exploringthis part of austria, with the high cultureand history of salzburg, and the natural splendor of the salzkammergutlake district. thanks for joining us.i'm rick steves. until next time,keep on traveling.
auf weidersehn.
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