The hills are alive at Salzburg
November 3, 2002 | 12:00am
The beauty of traveling is you don’t really know what you’re looking for until you find it. What better discovery than to find oneself in the magnificent city of Salzburg, Austria where "the hills are alive with the sound of music."
Austria is truly a terrific holiday destination, whether in summer or winter, with the glorious landscape of the Alps, quaint chalets, and first-rate sports resorts. At Salzburg, music, art, and architecture complement one another to achieve baroque perfection. To get a clear idea of the city, try to recall the scenes of The Sound of Music.
The 1965 Oscar winning film The Sound of Music, despite the fact that it’s the most successful ad for Austrian tourism since it was shot entirely in Salzburg, was not that popular in Austria. The film, which is about the over-romanticized yet essentially true story of the Von Trapp family, was only shown for the first time in Austrian television in January 2001. However, for English-speaking tourists today, guided tours of the places associated with the film have become an essential part of the Salzburg experience.
Another famous figure associated with Salzburg is the musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who hails from the city. Here, the influence of Mozart is everywhere: There are Mozartplatz and Mozarteum Music Academy; his music dominates grand festivals and the more humble outpourings of street musicians alike; chocolate confections and liqueurs are even named after him.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is perhaps the best-known classical music virtuoso of all time. Mozart was only 35 when he died, yet he had composed some 626 pieces – 24 operas, 49 symphonies, over 40 concertos, 26 string quartets, seven string quintets and numerous sonatas for piano and violin. He took opera to new heights, achieving a fusion of Germanic and Italianate styles (his librettos were written in Italian and later in German).
Mozart was born in Salzburg (one of seven children) and started his career at a young age. His musician father, Leopold, taught him to play the harpsichord at age three. Two years later, Leopold gave his son a small violin, but without musical instruction. A few days later, the young Mozart asked a quartet if he could join in. The musician laughingly agreed, but were amazed when the prodigy played his part perfectly. Along with Wolfgang’s sister Nanneri (four years older and also exceptionally gifted) they toured Europe, giving recitals and receiving plaudits wherever they went. Wolfgang spent one-third of his short life on the road. At the age of six, Wolfgang performed for Empress Maria Theresa at Schonbrunn.
Although musically prolific, Mozart was a compulsive gambler and lost large sums of money playing billiards, ninepins and cards. He was also something of a ladies man – at age 24 he proclaimed, "If I had married everyone I jested with, I would have well over 200 wives." When he died of typhoid fever in December 1791, only a few attended his frugal funeral. His body was wrapped in a sack and doused with lime (in accordance with an imperial decree to prevent epidemics) before being buried in a ditch in St. Marxer Friednof (Cemetery of St. Mark) in Vienna.
Ask anyone in Salzburg about the best accommodations in town and you will hear Hotel Kobenzl,which is included as one of the smallest luxury hotels in the world. From our hotel room, my friend Reesa Guerrero and I marveled at the breathtaking view of Salzburg and surrounding Alps. Standing high on the Gaisberg, the Kobenzl is a true oasis of tranquility. The 20 bedrooms and 16 suites are all bright and spacious with a charming mix of old-fashioned and stylish furnishing. Most rooms have balconies and some have spa baths. The traditional Austrian hospitality and the pleasing Austrian charm are palpable in this hotel. This hotel makes you feel like you are indeed the most important person in the world. It is no wonder that Hotel Kobenzl has hosted the Crown Prince of Japan, former American Presidents, and, yes, famous movie, television, theater actors from America and Europe. Marian von Buseck, the lovely Baroness herself, personally welcomes her guests.
It is a marvelous oasis for those seeking to be away from the usual hustle and bustle of the city, and yet its prime location also makes traipsing through the city of Salzburg accessible. Take advantage of the spa in the massage rooms and wellness center, which is indeed state of the art. Their well-trained masseuse gives guests a relaxing massage, with soothing music to boot. Naturally this hotel uses the best massage oils, lotions, and cleansing creams for their very distinguished clientele.
Outside the hotel, take time to wander around the many plazas, courtyards, cafés, boutiques, fountains and churches in the baroque old town. Start by absorbing the bustle of Domplatz and the adjoining Kapitelplatz and Residenzplatz. The hub-bub from the market competes with the clip-clop of horses’ hooves and the rhythms of street musicians playing classical or folk. There are also portrait painters on the streets.
Another structure to check out is the vast Dom which has three bronze doors symbolizing faith, hope and charity. Constructed between 1614 and 1657, this was the first building north of the Alps to exhibit the Italian baroque style. Inside, one couldn’t help but admire the dark-edged stucco, the dome and the Romanesque font where Mozart was baptized.
A palace called Schloss Mirabell in Mirabellgarten was built by the worldly prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress, Salome Alt, in 1606. Salome bore the archbishop at least 10 children (sources disagree on the exact number – poor Wolf was presumably too distracted by spiritual matters to keep count himself). In 1727, Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt gave the building a more baroque appearance. Incidentally, its attractive gardens were featured in The Sound of Music. In fact, the gardens of the palace are the major attraction in this place since no indoor tour is allowed.
Salzburg continues to attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Not at all surprising since the city quenches the thirst of tourists for soul-enriching experience. Now the question is, how do you solve the problem of many Marias who want to come back to Salzburg and enjoy over and over its pristine scenery, intricate architecture, and classical music?
For comments, e-mail me at Miladay@pacific.Net.Ph. How to get to Salzburg: Lufthansa Airlines flies daily to Vienna via Frankfurt.(tel. 810-4596;810-5033) From Vienna, take the train to Salzburg. Hotel Kobenzl is located 20 kms. from Salzburg International Airport and 10 minutes from the center of Salzburg (43(0)662-64-15-10 fax 43-(0)662-64-22-38).
Austria is truly a terrific holiday destination, whether in summer or winter, with the glorious landscape of the Alps, quaint chalets, and first-rate sports resorts. At Salzburg, music, art, and architecture complement one another to achieve baroque perfection. To get a clear idea of the city, try to recall the scenes of The Sound of Music.
The 1965 Oscar winning film The Sound of Music, despite the fact that it’s the most successful ad for Austrian tourism since it was shot entirely in Salzburg, was not that popular in Austria. The film, which is about the over-romanticized yet essentially true story of the Von Trapp family, was only shown for the first time in Austrian television in January 2001. However, for English-speaking tourists today, guided tours of the places associated with the film have become an essential part of the Salzburg experience.
Another famous figure associated with Salzburg is the musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), who hails from the city. Here, the influence of Mozart is everywhere: There are Mozartplatz and Mozarteum Music Academy; his music dominates grand festivals and the more humble outpourings of street musicians alike; chocolate confections and liqueurs are even named after him.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is perhaps the best-known classical music virtuoso of all time. Mozart was only 35 when he died, yet he had composed some 626 pieces – 24 operas, 49 symphonies, over 40 concertos, 26 string quartets, seven string quintets and numerous sonatas for piano and violin. He took opera to new heights, achieving a fusion of Germanic and Italianate styles (his librettos were written in Italian and later in German).
Mozart was born in Salzburg (one of seven children) and started his career at a young age. His musician father, Leopold, taught him to play the harpsichord at age three. Two years later, Leopold gave his son a small violin, but without musical instruction. A few days later, the young Mozart asked a quartet if he could join in. The musician laughingly agreed, but were amazed when the prodigy played his part perfectly. Along with Wolfgang’s sister Nanneri (four years older and also exceptionally gifted) they toured Europe, giving recitals and receiving plaudits wherever they went. Wolfgang spent one-third of his short life on the road. At the age of six, Wolfgang performed for Empress Maria Theresa at Schonbrunn.
Although musically prolific, Mozart was a compulsive gambler and lost large sums of money playing billiards, ninepins and cards. He was also something of a ladies man – at age 24 he proclaimed, "If I had married everyone I jested with, I would have well over 200 wives." When he died of typhoid fever in December 1791, only a few attended his frugal funeral. His body was wrapped in a sack and doused with lime (in accordance with an imperial decree to prevent epidemics) before being buried in a ditch in St. Marxer Friednof (Cemetery of St. Mark) in Vienna.
It is a marvelous oasis for those seeking to be away from the usual hustle and bustle of the city, and yet its prime location also makes traipsing through the city of Salzburg accessible. Take advantage of the spa in the massage rooms and wellness center, which is indeed state of the art. Their well-trained masseuse gives guests a relaxing massage, with soothing music to boot. Naturally this hotel uses the best massage oils, lotions, and cleansing creams for their very distinguished clientele.
Another structure to check out is the vast Dom which has three bronze doors symbolizing faith, hope and charity. Constructed between 1614 and 1657, this was the first building north of the Alps to exhibit the Italian baroque style. Inside, one couldn’t help but admire the dark-edged stucco, the dome and the Romanesque font where Mozart was baptized.
A palace called Schloss Mirabell in Mirabellgarten was built by the worldly prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress, Salome Alt, in 1606. Salome bore the archbishop at least 10 children (sources disagree on the exact number – poor Wolf was presumably too distracted by spiritual matters to keep count himself). In 1727, Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt gave the building a more baroque appearance. Incidentally, its attractive gardens were featured in The Sound of Music. In fact, the gardens of the palace are the major attraction in this place since no indoor tour is allowed.
Salzburg continues to attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Not at all surprising since the city quenches the thirst of tourists for soul-enriching experience. Now the question is, how do you solve the problem of many Marias who want to come back to Salzburg and enjoy over and over its pristine scenery, intricate architecture, and classical music?
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