Salzburg at Leisure
Shopaholics in Salzburg
Today we are completely free until dinner to do as we wished. Some of our group went to the Mozart birth house, others went to visit the music academy, aptly named The Mozarteum, but the majority of our group was anxious to get our souvenir and gift shopping concluded. While not a comprehensive list of my favorite spots to spend your Euros, here are some of the local merchants who benefited from our free time:
Fürst Chocolates - While most Americans will know the Mozart balls in the bright red and gold wrapper, the original Mozartkugel have been made by hand by this family confectioner since 1884. The center is a hazelnut, pistachio nougat, covered with fudge and hand dipped in milk chocolate. There are small shops all around Salzburg and one large coffee shop where we took a stop from our shopping for a beverage and to purchase treats to take home.
Salzburg Salz - Is a small specialty shop in Old Town that carries an incredible selection of "white gold" or salt, which gave this little village it's name and wealth. You can buy a wide variety of table and cooking salts and a number of different fragrances of bath salts. In addition to a number of vials as gifts for friends and co-workers, I bought a slab of Himalayan salt for cooking on our grill.
Steiff - This charming children's shop carries a variety of adorable clothes for smaller people, but they are especially known for their stuffed animals. One of my fellow travelers bought a teddy bear, they had lots of bunnies and chicks for Easter, and I only got out of there free because the didn't have any Dachshunds in stock. There was even a stuffed spider on the ceiling of the shop.
Augarten Wein Porcelain - While I have never spent a cent in this shop, it is always on my list of places to window shop. They have been making high quality porcelain in Vienna since 1718. They have a beautiful Mozart series with the score of one of his pieces on the rim of the cups and platters. The gardens at the factory in Vienna were apparently one of his favorite places to visit.
We looked at many beautiful woolen scarves and sweater, purchased a few folk recordings and enjoyed more than one coffee. We searched for a small jewelry shop we had visited two years ago looking for a sterling silver Edelweis necklace, but without success. Perhaps another time!
Fürst Chocolates - While most Americans will know the Mozart balls in the bright red and gold wrapper, the original Mozartkugel have been made by hand by this family confectioner since 1884. The center is a hazelnut, pistachio nougat, covered with fudge and hand dipped in milk chocolate. There are small shops all around Salzburg and one large coffee shop where we took a stop from our shopping for a beverage and to purchase treats to take home.
Salzburg Salz - Is a small specialty shop in Old Town that carries an incredible selection of "white gold" or salt, which gave this little village it's name and wealth. You can buy a wide variety of table and cooking salts and a number of different fragrances of bath salts. In addition to a number of vials as gifts for friends and co-workers, I bought a slab of Himalayan salt for cooking on our grill.
Steiff - This charming children's shop carries a variety of adorable clothes for smaller people, but they are especially known for their stuffed animals. One of my fellow travelers bought a teddy bear, they had lots of bunnies and chicks for Easter, and I only got out of there free because the didn't have any Dachshunds in stock. There was even a stuffed spider on the ceiling of the shop.
Augarten Wein Porcelain - While I have never spent a cent in this shop, it is always on my list of places to window shop. They have been making high quality porcelain in Vienna since 1718. They have a beautiful Mozart series with the score of one of his pieces on the rim of the cups and platters. The gardens at the factory in Vienna were apparently one of his favorite places to visit.
We looked at many beautiful woolen scarves and sweater, purchased a few folk recordings and enjoyed more than one coffee. We searched for a small jewelry shop we had visited two years ago looking for a sterling silver Edelweis necklace, but without success. Perhaps another time!
Dinner at the Fortress
As this was the last official day of our tour, we came together as a group one last time for a beautiful meal at the Hohensalzburg Fortress that sits above the city. Construction was begun on this location by decree of Archbishop Gebhard in 1077 and was expanded several times over the centuries. It is accessed by way of a funicular that climbs the outer edge of the cliff. The Panorama Restaurant provides the amazing views of the city you would expect from this height, in addition to delicious food. We enjoyed three wonderful courses that included an herb soup that everyone raved over. It was a lovely way to end the official visit to spend dinner together. Tomorrow many of us will head home, others will linger for one more day in Munich. All of us will be dreaming of our next opportunity to see this beautiful place!
Thank you for taking this virutal journey with us!
Thank you for taking this virutal journey with us!
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