Salzburg: Mozart or Julie Andrews?
“Do(n) is treated as a man, Re(s) jungle animal…”. The chiripitiflautical translation of the original song remains etched in our heads and we guarantee that, after a visit to Salzburg, it will take a long time to take off. Among its sobriety, the result of many centuries of archiepiscopal government, Salzburg hides a playful and unprejudiced side that we want to teach you to discover and enjoy.
One thing is clear: their most illustrious neighbor is Mozart (who, on the other hand, here felt exploited working under the orders of the Prince-Archbishop and as soon as he was able to flee to greater destinations they never saw his hair-wig again) and they know how to honor him . **His name is everywhere, chocolates with his face are sold** –they are not particularly delicious, although they are a neat souvenir- and you can visit his two houses: his birthplace, with several relics of the universal God of Music and another more spacious in which the genius composed some of his first scores. There are concerts and performances of his works throughout the year, but the high point of Mozartism is Mozart Week, which is celebrated in January coinciding with the anniversary of his birth. Everything has a limit: singing "Rock me Amadeus" may be out of place.
At another extreme music lover we find the film that mixes Nazis, nuns and Austrian nationalism: "Smiles and tears". It belongs to the subgenre of films in which dresses are made with curtains (of which “Gone with the Wind” is the greatest exponent) and is one of the most universally loved and still performed musicals around the world today. A tour of the filming locations takes us to what are also the main points of interest in the area:
The Festung Hohensalzburg , at the top, can be seen from all over the city and is the background of many scenes in the film. It is the fortress of the prince-archbishops who dominated the region until the 19th century. You can spend a whole day on its well-preserved walls looking at medieval paraphernalia, chastity belts included.
By Getreidegasse , the city's most recognizable street thanks to its wrought-iron shop signs, Julie Andrews jogged to the tune of “Do, re, mi.” The entire old town of Salzburg is a World Heritage Site and walking through it is essential, even if it is not by horse-drawn carriage as Sister Maria did with the Von Trapp children.
Getreidegasse: do-re-mi
The perfect place to imitate the protagonists without suffering disapproving looks is the Mirabell Gardens . Around their Pegasus fountain they reached the peak do-re-miesco. The adjoining palace is well worth a visit. We must not forget that "Smiles and Tears" is based on the true story of a novice, Maria, who came out of Nonnberg Abbey. After meeting Captain Von Trapp, Maria took a path that took her to another church, Mondsee, but this time as her girlfriend.
Liesl, the oldest of the Von Trapps, sings “I’m sixteen going on seventeen” in chorus with her blond postman in the gazebo of the charming Hellbrunn castle, four kilometers from Salzburg. All this, of course, before the young man persecutes her and her entire family with not exactly loving intentions. Moral? Be careful who you fall in love with because she might become a Nazi.
The lakeside love scene between Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer couldn't be filmed in a more fitting location than the **Rococo Palace of Leopoldskron**. Sitting on its balustrade or having a sachertorte on the terrace overlooking the alpine peaks is Pure Austria.
And if one wants to get away from the clichés, Salzburg can also be enjoyed from do to yes (and again to do) visiting its excellent museum of contemporary art, magnificent restaurants, numerous breweries and surrounding landscapes that seriously oppose being the most Spectacular in Europe.