After all of the wonderful advice/suggestions I received on this forum I wanted to share my own WONDERFUL Salzburg experience with you all!!
I spent two fabulous days strolling around the city, soaking in the sights. As a solo female traveller I NEVER felt unsafe/uneasy even at night -- so thank you all for your reassurances!! The hotel recommendation (Weisse Taube) I received on this site was spot on. Clean, comfortable rooms/facilities, reasonable rates, friendly/helpful staff and EXCELLENT location. I purchased the Salzburg 48 hour card at the front desk upon arrival -- made excellent use of it too.
Day 1: I hit the Fortress first, taking the funicular to the top. The views were spectacular. You see pictures of places but until you are there seeing the sights for yourself . . . breathtaking. I took the guided audio tour of the interior, wandered around a bit more and then headed back down. In all, I probably spent three or four hours poking around the fortress/grounds. Next off to explore the old town -- I stashed my map away and just let myself get lost in the city, peeking into the many cathedrals/churches and stopping to take more than one picture of a beautiful fountain/building/square. I walked around St. Peter%26#39;s cemetery and slowly made my way towards the river. It was a GORGEOUS day -- the weather could not have been better (sunny and around 21 C) and I had prepared myself to battle the elements!! There were soo many people sitting along the riverbanks, outside the cafes . . .
I walked along the river, stopping for a drink and a break on one of the many benches before crossing over to Mirabell Gardens. I was in heaven -- having just arrived from Edmonton (where the weekend before we were hit hard with a %26quot;winter%26quot; storm) I was loving the sight of GREEN grass, leaves on trees, flowers blooming, birds chirping -- let alone amazing architecture, beautiful mountain scenery . . . WOW!!
Day 2: I was at the Residenz by 10AM to take the audio tour, which I thought worth while. I then made my way to the riverbank and boarded the boat to Hellbrunn. I believe the trip took about 30 min -- can%26#39;t quite remember. I had originally hoped to bike along Hellbrunner allee; however, it was raining off and on that morning, so I opted for the boat ride!! The tour of the grounds/trick fountains were a highlight of my visit to Salzburg -- just beautiful (a reoccurring theme!!) and much fun as our guide took great pleasure in soaking our group!! Also, thankfully the weather ended up turning for the better and I was able to spend a good portion of my second day exploring the premises of Schloss Hellbrunn. I decided to walk back to the city along Hellbrunner allee as I really wanted to see the Sound of Music Mansion. Whether your a SMS fan or not, I would definitely recommend either walking/biking this route -- so peaceful and I really enjoyed the scenery (mountain backdrop and interesting houses along the way). When I reached the city I walked up to Nonnberg Abbey -- great views here too!! I spent some more time wandering through the old town, passing Mozart%26#39;s Geburtshaus before heading over to Kapuzinerberg -- more fabulous views!!
By the end of these two days my legs felt like jell-o from all of the uphill climbing -- and I consider myself to be in decent physical conditioning too!! Word to the wise: BRING COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES!! I don%26#39;t know how some of those girls survive the cobblestones/hills in their heels!!
I was very happy with what I was able to see during my short visit. Had time allowed, I would have liked to tour the Festival venue, take the Monchsberg lift/wander around that area, take in a concert and DEFINITELY see some of the surrounding countryside -- another time, a second visit!! I did learn that I enjoy a slower pace of sightseeing -- I definitely like to stroll!! I would NEVER have been satisfied spending only a day in this breathtakingly beautiful city -- it would have felt too rushed for me.
Well, I think I%26#39;ve rambled on long enough!! In closing, I just wanted to thank everyone who helped in the planning of my first trip to Salzburg (particularly Liz R) -- for all advice, suggestions, reassurances . . . THANK YOU!! And of course, to all who are thinking of visiting this AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL city -- GO!! You won%26#39;t regret it!! :)
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Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip! I think Salzburg is a great destination for the single female traveller, since it is so civilized, with the added bonus of being pocket-sized for walking about! I%26#39;ve never done the boat journey all the way to Hellbrunn but that sounds like great fun. I might try the Hellbrunner Allee walk next time - except it takes quite a while on the bus so I don%26#39;t know if these old-lady legs are up to the hike!
Do take the walk over the Monschberg in your next trip - it is beautiful and if you liked the views from the fortress, there%26#39;s even more to enjoy on both sides of the Monschberg. It%26#39;s a peaceful green haven when the city gets thronged with tourists in the summer months. If you exit the fortress on foot rather than down the funicular, you can walk out onto the Monschberg about half-way down after passing the ticket desk in the fortress gates, rather than going all the way down into town. It can also be accessed (with much less effort!) from the Monschberg lift up to the modern art museum).
For another view of the city you can also climb the Kapuzinerberg on the other side of the river (steps and path up from the Linzergasse) which I fully intend to do one of these days when feeling exceptionally energetic ;)
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Like Roley I%26#39;m delighted you enjoyed your visit so much and it%26#39;s very helpful indeed for you to post your trip report as it%26#39;s a further reassurance to other solo travellers.
I%26#39;m also thrilled that you decided to take a stroll on the Hellbrunner Allee. We did the walk one Christmas after attending the Christmas market at Hellbrunn. Having no traffic (other than bikes and horse drawn carriages) it was so peaceful and we took loads of photos along the way. That beautiful moated house is a sight not many tourists see!!
I agree about comfy shoes. I have long since discarded fashion for comfort when walking in Salzburg.
Thanks again for a great report.
Liz.
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Did you only fly over the Atlantic Ocean to see Salzburg?
Come back as soon as possible to visit Vienna!
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Salzburg was just the first stop on my trip; however, the only one I did solo -- I did make my way to Vienna eventually!! Loved it there too!!
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Ha ha -- I just noticed that I had posted %26quot;SMS fan%26quot; -- meant SOM fan!! Whoops!! :)
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