Salzburg, Austria at New Years
The next stop of our holiday adventure brings us to the Austrian village of Salzburg! We conquered this trek in a rental car because we knew there were too many places to see along the way via train efficiently with Wrigley, our Schnauzer. Following a snowy drive through the Czech Republic and into Austria was remarkably scenic and we were able to pop into some villages along the way such as Český Krumlov, which I will touch on in the coming weeks!
All of the recommendations for Salzburg proved to be spot on! While this city is known as the birthplace of Wolfgang Mozart and the setting of the infamous film, The Sound of Music, it is so much more. Experiencing this city at the turn of the New Year was so wonderfully memorable that I must come back in the summer as I’m sure it offers a very different personality yet is equally as enjoyable!
Navigating into Salzburg was surprisingly simple. We arrived at our hotel, the Imlauer Hotel Pitter, after dark and the city welcomed us with a beautiful snowy night.
We chose Imlauer Hotel Pitter based on the online reviews, a few blog recommendations, and because their holiday pricing was more advantageous than through Airbnb. We, of course, have our travel companion, Wrigley, with us and they are very pet-friendly yet was still nearly spotless.
Upon getting Wrigley and our luggage settled into the room we ventured off on foot through Salzburg's Altstadt (old city)! Walking past Schloss Mirabell and swinging through Mirabellgarten on the way to dinner thrust us into the Salzburg winter happy vibes! All of my research, and love for traditional Austrian and German fare, led me to Gasthof Alter Fuchs. After a day of driving, exploring, and then settling into the new location, it was the perfect selection for dinner. I had a traditional winter menu of venison, potato, and pear with berries. Chanel also went traditional and had a cheesy spaetzle dish! Pair all of this with a couple winter beers, and we were right at home!
The next few days were relaxing and beautiful. Salzburg's casual and classic vibe makes it quite easy to relax and unwind. We had been a bit go-go-go in Prague as I had so many things to see and photograph. Salzburg was smaller and more manageable! Day two started off with hot cappuccinos and breakfast at Café Wuerfelzucker before walking through Mirabell Garten, Mozart's house, through some remaining Christmas markets with a long afternoon stop in Darwin's Bar for wine. We then walked to Maier’s for dinner, a truly excellent restaurant with limited space and some of the most wonderful people on staff! They were known for their steaks, and I’m a sucker for a great ribeye.
Day three started off slow with a cup of coffee and another stroll through Altstadt. There are too many cute little shops to count, and you can spend your entire morning just wandering about while window shopping! Due to the fantastic experience, we had on the first night at Gastoff Alter Fuchs we opted to drop in for a lunch where we had some more of that tasty spaetzle and shared a plate of wursts and kraut. Following the delicious meal, we ventured to the other side of Salzburg and up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress on foot! Our lunch made us feel well equipped for the walk and the cold!
Simply put, this fortress is impressive and quite large. It overlooks the entire village and is exceptionally well preserved. Since we didn't make plans ahead of time we were unable to skip the 40-minute line so opted to just walk around the areas that did not require a ticket and we felt perfectly fine with this! On the walk back to the hotel we stopped at Cathedral Dom. It’s absolutely beautiful, and it has one of the most fascinating crypts of any I have seen! It’s a must see when in Salzburg!
I made reservations months ahead of time at Paradoxon for their Silvester (New Years) celebration. I selected this restaurant out based on their excellent reviews and our love for warm yet modern restaurants. Paradoxon is a Michelin Guide rated restaurant and deservingly so. We often feel that Michelin recommended restaurants can sometimes become overly minimalistic and artistic, leaving you with the feeling that something was missing, especially given the typical cost. This is not the case at Paradoxon, and their Silvester experience was unexpected, and we will remember it forever.
I don't want to give anything away because just as movie trailers can often spoil the plot, this could be the case with this dinner. In fact, it felt like more of an event than a 'dinner.' Our experience would not have been the same if I had a preview for the evening; however, I will tell you that it starts at 7:00pm and while I had anticipated a typical 3hr dinner and going back for fireworks from a bridge in the middle of the city, our evening didn't end until 1:30am. That's right, it exceeded 6hours, but it was so fun that it felt like far less. This was the first New Years where we learned other culture's traditions and celebrated the New Year differently. There are little 'activities' per se that are sprinkled in through the evening that you are bound to enjoy, introverts and extroverts alike. It's important to note that it did include a break with a champagne-accompanied walk up to the fortress walls to view fireworks at midnight. Chanel still says it was one of the most magical views she has ever seen! The meal and the event were exceptionally well orchestrated. The dinner was 105 Euro per person (165 Euro with Wine Pairing).
As a photographer who was planning to shoot the firework celebration and sitting there without my camera, I honestly panicked a bit. I have zero regrets but I would advise you to bring your camera with you should you want to capture such shots. Salzburg's firework display is the most beautiful I have seen thus far and has inspired us to chase some more of these fantastic events in future years. From the Hohensalzburg Fortress walls, you can see far past the village, and I was astonished at the firework display as they were seemingly coming from every part of the town and beyond. It was a beautiful spread versus the usual concentration of fireworks.
Salzburg proved to be a charming, historical, and relaxing holiday. As mentioned before I would love to visit in the summer to see how its personality alters with warmth and additional activities!
Quick links
WHERE TO STAY
WHERE TO EAT
What To Do & see
Mirabell Garten
Mozartz Birthplace
Marketsteg
Museumplatz
Cathedral Dom
Hohensalzburg Fortress