Mozart, Chocolate, and the Salzburger Dom Cathedral

3 Good Reasons to love Salzburg!

Salzburg is Austria’s fourth largest city and is well known for being the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but that’s not all this town has to offer. The city was the setting for the famous film and musical The Sound of Music, there is of course the skiing, the four universities and the world famous Salzburg Festival of Music and Drama. The whole of the stunning baroque Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.

It’s an easy place to explore on foot and while I only had a couple of days there this summer, I truly enjoyed my time there. There is a magic about Salzburg that I didn’t feel in any of the other places I visited while on this trip to Austria, Hungary, and Germany. It could have been the setting. The city is nestled in a valley of the Austrian Alps and I found myself quite taken with the views of the surrounding mountains from the moment I arrived. It could have been the laid back atmosphere of the Old Town, or the magnificent vistas from the top of Hohensalzburg Castle. Whatever the reason may have been for me, I’m sure that you’ll find dozens of your own good reasons to visit Salzburg,

 Delicious Mozartkugeln

Before going to photograph the Salzburger Dom Cathedral, I had to go to the Salzburg Tourism Bureau office in the Old Town to pick up my press kit. Since it was not there waiting for me I called Maria, my contact at the main office to see if I was in the right place. Maria was so nice that she offered not only to meet me to get me the press kit, but she was now going to take me out for coffee and dessert at the famous Cafe Fürst, home of the original delicious Mozartballs or Mozartkugeln. Not a bad deal at all.

I had just finished having lunch and met up with Maria at the cafe where she gave me a lot of insight into the town’s history and she even made arrangements for me to join a friend for dinner at the oldest restaurant in the world. The more time I spent in Salzburg, the more it grew on me. Maria and I finished our decadent coffee and dessert with one of the Mozartballs. These little dark or milk chocolates with a pistachio, marzipan and nougat core are a chocolate lover’s dream come true. Make sure that you try the original Mozartkugeln, there are a lot of varieties but the ones from Cafe Fürst are the one and only originals.

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”

–Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Anyone who has been reading my blog knows that I have an affinity for photographing Cathedrals. Each one that I visit is unique in its own way and has a special place in my memories. One of my  cathedral photos even made it to the cover of National Geographic this year! I guess that’s as good a reason as any to enjoy photographing them :D

The Cathedral in Salzburg is done in the Baroque style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music. The style started around 1600 in Rome and spread to most of Europe. There were many different incarnations of the Salzburg Cathedral over the years and the current one was built in a short 15 years during the 17th century. It was consecrated on September 24, 1628.

I could spend hours looking at all the magnificent artwork and intricate architectural detail that can be found in this church. Even though I’m more of a fan of the gothic style of architecture and design, the Salzburger Dom Cathedral had quite an effect on me. In fact all of Salzburg had a positive impact on me and I look forward to the next time I can visit this picture perfect place. I can just imagine how beautiful it must be in the winter, when the town and surrounding countryside are blanketed in a fresh dusting of pristine snow.

Hope to see you again soon Salzburg, thanks for inspiring me with your sights, sounds and tastes!

 

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