SUNBATHING AND TURRETS

Isn't this wonderful?  Check out how many people chose to recline on the river bank in Salzburg this past weekend.  The weather was in the low 80's and the Austrian's took advantage of the good weather by visiting the Salzach river.  

We didn't sunbathe along the river, but we did take some time out from our wanderings to watch these guys play chess in the town square.  I had the distinct feeling that they were chess sharks out to see who they could hustle, but I can't prove it.

Then we decided to walk up the mountain in the background of this photo to the Alte Stadt (Old City).  There is a cable car that takes visitors up the mountain, but it was not open for the season yet.  You know what that means....we hoof it.

This is the view of Salzburg from about midway up the mountain to the Alte Stadt.

And this is the view from one of the windows in the fortress.  It is the opposite view of that of the city of Salzburg.

Just to give you an idea of how steep the climb was, here is one of the uphill stretches.  To get to the top, multiply this by a good 8 more uphill stretches.  I hate climbing, but it was worth the effort to see  the ancient fortress and town.

Here is a photo of the view from inside one of the towers looking out.  You can see the fortress wall on the right. ( My legs ache just looking at this one.)

 

One of the many windows in the fortress.  This one did not have a cannon mounted behind it.

This one did!

It appears that people still live within the fortress walls.  I hope they have a burro to carry their groceries up the mountain since cars are verboten.

Beautiful architecture, but I bet they didn't have electric lights along the building walls back in the 10th century. 

But I bet that they had these back then and I am so glad they did.  What a great refresher after climbing 800 feet straight uphill!

From the windows of the fortress, you can see the Alps in the background so close that you think you can reach out and touch the snow.  It is truly a sight to see and experience.  This photo doesn't do them justice.

This photo may give you a little better idea.  It was from a different side, but the size is clear when you compare it to the church spire in front of it while knowing that it is also on the top of a mountain in front of it.  Having been raised in Ohio on flat land, I am always in awe of the majesty of the Alps.  We will gladly return to Salzburg being that it is only a two hour drive from our home in Munich.