The Wachau Valley: This beautiful stretch of the Danube has inspired romantic legends for centuries. Every structure holds tales of love and heartbreak, particularly from the Middle Ages. One story tells of King Richard the Lionheart of England who was imprisoned in a castle here. His loyal minstrel wandered the land singing a specific song and was able to find his king when Richard responded by singing back to him from his prison.

Dürnstein Abbey: The history of Dürnstein Abbey starts in 1372 when Elsbeth of Kuenring had a chapel built in her castle. It was dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. In 1410 she invited the Augustinian-Canons from Wittingau in Bohemia to take over the pastoral care and thus started Dürnstein Abbey. During the following century the church, the cloister and the monastic building were constructed and enlarged.

300 years after its foundation Hieronymus Übelbacher was elected Provost. He was the mastermind behind the baroque transformation of Dürnstein Abbey. The abbey church, which is also the parish church since 1745, is consecrated to the Assumption of Virgin Mary. The bell tower of the abbey church dates back to 1733 is the most remarkable building of the complex and, due to its blue-white color, became the landmark of the Wachau Valley. Emperor Joseph II dissolved many abbeys including Dürnstein Abbey. On the January 7, 1788 it was incorporated into the Abbey of the Augustinian-Canons of Herzogenburg, to which it still belongs today.

Weingut Holzapfel: This winery was built 700 years ago by the Augustinian choir men who received permission from the Kuenringer in 1304. At that time, when the vineyards of the Wachau were still largely in the hands of the church and belonged to the surrounding monasteries, the Lesehof was the center for the pressing of the grapes and for the administration of the wine sales on site.

The Prandtauerhof received its name from the architect Jakob Prandtauer, who redesigned it in 1696 as a four-winged courtyard, thus also creating space for the Mediterranean-looking arcadedenhof and leading the reading courtyard into the Baroque period. He was also the builder of Melk Abbey.

It’s now family owned and has a restaurant and wine tasting room.

Melk Abbey: Abbot Berthold Dietmayr, and his architects Jakob Prandtauer and Joseph Munggenast, built the abbey from 1701 to 1736 atop the foundation of a medieval monastery.

The centerpiece of this complex is the library, its main hall boasting 16,000 volumes and graced with a ceiling fresco by Paul Troger. A spiral staircase leads to another set of 12 library rooms not open to the public but containing more than 100,000 volumes, some of which are extremely valuable. Italian writer Umberto Eco drew inspiration from this site for his novel “The Name of the Rose” in which a monastic library plays a key role.

The library is the second most important space in any Benedictine monastery, the first being, of course, the church. The most important Baroque masters were commissioned with the artworks: Antonio Beduzzi for interior design, Johann Michael Rottmayr and Paul Troger for the frescoes and altarpieces, Guiseppe Galli-Bibiena for the pulpit and high altar, and Lorenzo Mattielli and Peter Widerin for sculptures.

Salzburg: The core of Old Town Salzburg’s history started as a Celtic settlement which the Romans developed into the formal town of Luvaum (controlled from 15BC-488AD) complete with a large forum. Luvaum (pronounced U-Va-Voom) sat right at the intersection of two trades routes, and because of an abundance of nearby white gold (salt), the town was gradually renamed Salzburg (meaning Salt Fortress) during post-Roman redevelopment.

Throughout its almost 500 years of independent rule by Prince-Archbishops (1213–1803), medieval Salzburg grew quite wealthy and full of elegant Baroque architecture. The city grew especially powerful in the 1500s which led to a lot of Italianate redevelopment in Old Town. A vibrant local culture also sprung up in Salzburg, and as the home of the famous composer, it became known as the city of Mozart. Salzburg’s city center was lucky enough to retain its beauty by avoiding the 30 Years War and by suffering relatively minor damage during WW2.

Sternbräu: From 1411 onwards, the Sternbräu has been one of more than a dozen breweries in Salzburg’s old town. In 1907 the brewery was relocated to the Riedenburg district behind the Neutor. In 1911 the Sternbrauerei had the second highest beer production in Salzburg after Stiegl. In 1956 the last bottle of the then popular Sternbier was produced in the “Sternbrauerei” in Riedenburg and the brewery was closed. After 58 years, they have a new “Stern” beer after major renovations. Poured in its own Stern beer glasses, it has been the beer hit in the Sternbräu ever since.

Mirabell Palace Gardens: The entire end of the song ‘Do Re Mi’ in the Sound of Music movie was filmed at the Mirabell Palace Gardens. The grounds open early every day so they’re the perfect place to start the day. The Mirabell Palace was completed in 1606 (rebuilt 1693) as the home for Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau’s mistress and the gorgeous gardens were built out later from 1715-30. In addition to its Sound of Music fame, the Mirabell Palace is also where Mozart would play private concerts as a child.

As you enter the Mirabell Palace Gardens from the South, we’ll recognize the two impressive pair of Greek fencing statutes from The Sound of Music movie as the Von Trapp children had mimicked their playful poses. The stone figures, which were inspired by the ancient Borghese Gladiator Statue from Ephesus (displayed in the Louvre), each leap forward with a fist triumphantly in the air.

While wandering further into the Mirabell Gardens, you’ll also see the central spouting fountain from the ‘Do Re Mi‘ scenes of the Sound of Music movie. From here you can turn around and check out the views the gardens provide of High Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) which towers over Salzburg.

Hallstatt: The Hallstatt-Dachstein alpine landscape, part of the Salzkammergut, and thus of the Eastern Alps, is pretty dramatic with huge mountains rising abruptly from narrow valleys. Its prosperity since mediaeval times has been based on salt mining, focused on the town of Hallstatt, a name meaning salt settlement that testifies to its primary function.

Systematic salt production was being carried out in the region as early as the Middle Bronze Age, (the late 2nd millennium BC), when natural brine was captured in vessels and evaporated. Underground mining for salt began at the end of the late Bronze Age and resumed in the 8th century BC when archaeological evidence shows a flourishing, stratified and highly organized Iron Age society with wide trade links across Europe and now known as the Hallstatt Culture. Salt mining continued in Roman times and was then revived in the 14th century. The large amounts of timber needed for the mines and for evaporating the salt where extracted from the extensive upland forests, which since the 16th century were controlled and managed directly by the Austrian Crown. The Town of Hallstatt was re-built in late Baroque style after a fire in 1750 destroyed the timber buildings.

The beauty of the alpine landscape, with its higher pastures used for the summer grazing of sheep and cattle since prehistoric times as part of the process of transhumance, which still today gives the valley communities rights of access to specific grazing areas, was ‘discovered’ in the early 19th century by writers, such as Adalbert Stifler, novelist, and the dramatic poet Franz Grillparzer, and most of the leading paintings of the Biedermeier school. They were in turn followed by tourists and this led to the development of hotels and brine baths for visitors.

Kollegienkirche: In my opinion the exterior of this church is beautiful but the interior is minimalist and can be missed.

Bishop Paris von Lodron planned a university church on the location of the former Frauengarten, instead of using the Aula (main auditorium) for church services of the university. While two successors were not able to realise the plan, Johann Ernst von Thun succeeded as part of his plan to develop Salzburg in Baroque style. They began the build in 1694. In 1707, it was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated on 8 December, a national holiday in Austria.

During the occupation by Napoleon, the church was used as storage and after the university was dissolved, it served as a garrison church. In 1922, it began to be used as a venue for classical music and cultural events. The church was returned to its original status as a university church in 1964.

The church is a listed monument and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Alter Markt: The city gained grain market rights in 996AD (when Austria was formed), but it wasn’t until after Salzburg was granted political sovereignty from Bavaria in 1297AD that the Old Market Square really took shape. While it may seem tucked away today, the long Old Market (Alter Markt) served as Medieval Salzburg’s main marketplace. The location of the square was a vital gateway going back to Roman times as it directly lined up with the only bridge crossing the river into town from 15AD until 1859AD. The square’s Saint Florian Fountain which goes back to 1488 and has a statue of the Saint which was added in the 1700s.

The weekly fresh produce market moved to University Square in 1857, but the Old Market (Alter Markt) is still great to visit as there are tons of shops and stands selling souvenirs. Some buildings of note around the square are Salzburg’s smallest house, and the old Royal pharmacy called the Hofapotheke. The former Royal pharmacy dates back to 1591, has a beautiful Rococo facade which as added in 1777.

You may also want to check out the Café Konditorei Fürst where confectioner Paul Furst created the now world-famous Mozart Chocolate Balls known as Mozartkugel in 1890. They’re marzipan and pistachio covered in chocolate.

Just off the Northwest corner of the Old Market is the slightly hidden Old Town Hall (Alter Rathaus). Built in the 1300s as a Citizen’s Hall, the city bought the building to use as the Town Hall in 1407 and added the bell/clock tower. The tower served as the lookout for the night watchman in Medieval times, and its clock also has a timeless moon dial. In 1618, the marble statue of Justinian was added above the door to represent the justice of the court inside. The Old Town Hall was given a Rocco-style facade in 1772, and the government offices later moved to Mirabell Palace in 1947.

You’ll just be passing through the square but you can return if you would like after your visit to the fortress.

The Salzburg Cathedral (Dom) is by far the biggest church in Old Town, faces 3 town squares at once, and is where Mozart was baptized. The original Christian parish on the grounds was completed by Saint Virgil (Bishop from 767-84) and was about half the size of the current Cathedral. This first parish was consecrated on September 24th, 774 when the remains of Saint Rupert were moved here and an annual festival still marks the day. Saint Rupert was the Bishop of Worms who came here in 696 to establish a new center to spread Christianity in the region. Rupert spent the next 20 years building churches and a convent in what remained from the then sparsely occupied Roman town of Juvavum which once filled all of today’s Old Town. While Saint Rupert’s work is considered the founding of modern town, the name Salzburg wasn’t used until after Bishop Virgil (from Ireland) took over the church building work of his predecessors and was in honor of the ancient fort that was on the site of Nonnberg Abbey.

Bishop Virgil’s parish was subject many fires and expansions over the centuries and grew into a large complex including a choir, clergy house, a crypt, and cemetery. After a 10 year rebuild from a fire in 1167, the Virgil Dom become the strongest Romanesque Cathedral North of the Alps. Another huge fire in 1598 led to church’s 8th re-build and the magnificent Baroque style Salzburg Cathedral we see today. Some say the architect may have even been involved in the fire as an excuse to clear more room for his other ideas. Although he was anti-Protestant, Bishop Raitenau was expelled by Bavarian forces and imprisoned for life after refusing to join the Reformation’s Catholic League. The next Bishop was both a relative and nemesis of Raitenau, but also stayed out of the Catholic League and laid the cornerstone for the Cathedral in 1614 (opened 1628). It’s a “miracle” that the new Salzburg Cathedral was built at all as most of Austria got swept up in Europe’s Catholic versus Protestant 30 Years’ War during the construction. While other cities were in the middle of this turmoil, Salzburg was able to rely on its rich salt production to have enough money to remain independent from the War. Because of their independence, Salzburg was able to build this massive Church while most other cities had to scale back on their building projects.

Before entering the Salzburg Cathedral you’ll see Virgin Mary (Madonna) Statue in Dom Square in front of the doors. The two angels on the front of the Church are interacting with her by holding a crown and as we walk closer their relation to the Mary Statue gives the appearance that they are actually placing the crown on her head. Moving closer to the Cathedral’s entrance we’ll notice a large scene with the Statues of Four Saints (1600s) and three towering bronze gates (1900s). The 4 statues are of Saint Rupert holding a salt barrel, Saint Virgil with a church, Saint Peter with keys, and Saint Paul holding a sword. Statues of apostles as well as Moses and Elijah are further up the facade. The three gates are made to represent the Three Virtues (Göttliche Tugenden) and go from left to right: The Gate of Faith (Tor des Glaubens) the Gate of Love (Tor der Liebe), and the Gate of Hope (Tor der Hoffnung).

Inside the entrance look for the bronze baptismal font (1311) with lion statues (1200) where Mozart was baptized. The most impressive part of the interior is the huge 233 foot tall dome which is painted into two eight piece sections depicting scenes from the Old Testament to go with murals of Passion of the Christ along the nave. During WWII a bomb crashed right through the dome, but luckily didn’t explode. Also there is the working organ from 1703 that Mozart played during two years as the Church’s organist and an old tomb filled crypt with exposed pieces of the old Romanesques foundations from both 774 and 1167. The modern 4,000-pipe organs are impressive, but the 7 huge tower bells (2 from the 1600s) can be heard throughout town. The group of bells is considered the finest sounding in Austria and among them, the Salvator Bell, is the second largest in Austria weighing 14 tons. A 5 EUR donation is appreciated for entry.

The FestungsBahn:: The FestungsBahn is Austria’s oldest funicular railway still in operation and it has been taking visitors up the Festungsberg since 1892.

Fortress Hohensalzburg: Archaeological excavations have shown that a Roman fort existed at the highest point of the site. Construction of the current fortress began in 1077 under Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein. The original design was a basic bailey with a wooden wall. In the Holy Roman Empire, the archbishops of Salzburg were already powerful political figures and they expanded the fortress to protect their interests. Helfenstein’s conflict with Emperor Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy influenced the expansion of the fortress, with the Archbishop taking the side of Pope Gregory VII and the German anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden. The fortress was gradually expanded during the following centuries. The ring walls and towers were built in 1462 under Prince-Archbishop Burkhard II von Weißpriach.

Prince-Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach further expanded the fortress during his term from 1495 until 1519. His coadjutor Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg, who was later to succeed Leonhard, in 1515 wrote a description of the Reisszug, a very early and primitive funicular railway that provided freight access to the upper courtyard of the fortress. The very same funicular as the one you will be taking to the fortress. The current external bastions, begun in the 16th century and completed in the 17th, were added as a precaution because of fears of Turkish invasion.

The only time that the fortress actually came under siege was during the German Peasants’ War in 1525, when a group of miners, farmers and townspeople tried to oust Prince-Archbishop Matthäus Lang, but failed to take the fortress. In 1617 the deposed Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau died in the fortress prison. During the Thirty Years’ War, Archbishop Count Paris of Lodron strengthened the town’s defenses, including Hohensalzburg. He added various parts to the fortress, such as the gunpowder stores and additional gatehouses. The fortress was surrendered without a fight to French troops under General Jean Victor Marie Moreau during the Napoleonic War of the Second Coalition in 1800 and the last Prince-Archbishop Count Hieronymus von Colloredo fled to Vienna. In the 19th century, it was used as barracks, storage depot and dungeon before being abandoned as a military outpost in 1861.

During the early 20th century it was used as a prison, holding Italian prisoners of war during World War I and Nazi activists before Germany’s annexation of Austria in March 1938. German ceramicist, sculptor and painter Arno Lehmann lived and created in Hohensalzburg Fortress from 1949 until his death in 1973.

Festung Hohenwerfen: Your guide will provide information about the fortress and can answer any questions you may have.

Kaisertal Valley: (formerly Sparchental) is a striking mountain valley between the mountain chains of the Zahmer and Wilder Kaiser in Austria's Kaisergebirgerange in the Tyrol. In the ravine (Sparchenklamm) on the valley floor flows the stream of the Kaiserbach (Sparchenbach), which discharges north of Kufsteininto the Inn (river).

This valley is a nature park and was one of the last regions in Austria to have paved roads. It’s gorgeous!

Innsbruck and The Golden Roof: Innsbruck actually dates all the way back to the Stone Age! There were settlements in the areas for centuries, and in the 4th century, the Romans used the area as a military base. The town started growing around 1180 when the Counts of Andechs acquired the area. The river and route through the Alps was vital for transport across the region, so Innsbruck was built up and became more populated. It became the capital of Tyrol in 1429, and Emperor Maximilian I lived in Innsbruck in the 1490s.

The most famous landmark in the old town, the golden balcony, was completed in 1500 to commemorate the marriage of the Emperor Maximilian I and Bianca Maria Sforza—a union that brought the Duchy of Milan into the Holy Roman Empire. The royal newlyweds would watch tournaments and festivals in the square below from this perch.

Things soured, though, when Bianca failed to produce an heir. When she died, the emperor didn’t attend her funeral or even commission a gravestone. What a charmer he must have been.

The roof, for its part, still glistens in the sunlight though it’s not covered with actual gold. From the start, fire-gilded copper tiles have been responsible for the glow. Below the balcony, a fresco depicts Maximilian standing between Bianca and his beloved first wife, who died young after a fall from a horse.