Vignettes from Austria
Writing a travelogue, if you are travelling “dedicatedly” is easy. Reasons are you are cent
percent focused on the travel and the mental recordings of the travel are automatic. However, when you are making a quick escape with work in your mind, the mental recordings get difficult. In such a case, whatever gets recorded, is rendered through the camera and that forms the backbone of the travelogue - which is the case here.
I had travelled to Munich in the summer of 2019 and during the course of the workshop we got a few weekends in between. On two of these weekends I ventured out to two beautiful Austrian cities: Salzburg and Vienna - both places are very near to Munich and were covered by train. This is an account of that travel. Unfortunately I didn't get much time to study about these places - though I referred to the late Sam Kapasi's travelogue a few hours before getting on the train to Wien. I covered Salzburg on foot and most parts of Vienna were covered through the well connected metro.
Weekend One: Salzburg
I had planned to visit Salzburg for a day. Since time was a constraint, I choose to visit the main sights which were in proximity. I had a cup of coffee and sandwiches in the train. The Rail Jet train from Munich Hbf was supremely comfortable. A clouded sky accompanied me on the journey from Munich to Salzburg, but the route through the undulating Alps landscape with meadows was soothing to the eyes. It took me a little more than 2 hours to reach Salzburg and it was rainy. The first thing that I did was to purchase an umbrella because the forecast predicted rain for the entire day.
As I discovered, Salzburg was the city where Mozart was born and spent years of his life here. The Salzach river cuts through the city and there are numerous of those "love lock" bridges that connect one part of the city to the other. The road to the Hohensalzburg Fort rises behind the Residenzplatz. The photos that follow are taken as I climbed to the fort. It provides a birds eye view of Salzburg city. And also of the hills that extend much beyond the city. The rains hadn't stopped and I had to use my umbrella and camera together - quite an arduous exercise .
Salzburg is host to some unique beer gardens and while coming down from the fort I went to Steiglkeller Biergarten. The rains had stopped by then and the waiters were mopping the wet benches. So, took a seat on the outside and watched the view of the city and the distant mountains. The long walks had made me hungry and thirsty – so after having a drink of water and beverages ordered for roasted chicken with sour potatoes. Sour potatoes is a local speciality – though I didn’t like it very much.
While coming down from the restaurant, I went to the Salzburg Cathedral – an architecturally impressive structure then through the Kapitelplatz – Getreidigass: Salzburg main shopping street - Dom Quartier - Mozart’s Birth place and Mirabell Gardens.
Met many Indians who we on tour of Salzburg. Interacted with a few local folks. Purchased some souvenirs and then took an train at 6 in the evening from Salzburg. I was back to Munich by 8.30 PM.
A Weekend In Wien
The Salzburg trip was nice, but it was only a day trip. The next weekend I was on a train to Vienna. Vienna takes around 4 hrs from Munich. And whereas the Salzburg trip was dominated by rain, this weekend was relatively dry. As I found out, the OBB Railjet trains are much better as compared to the Meridien ones (in which I returned from Salzburg). Ordered for a breakfast of Ham sandwich and coffee. Munched onto the sandwiches as I looked into the swaying sceneries on the outside. The trains had WiFi too – but then I was looking at the scenery and let my camera cut loose. Speeds touch in excess of 200 kmph and the coffee in your cup wont slip even a bit.
I got down at Vienna Hbf and located my hotel which was around half a kilometer away from the station. Even though I had reached much earlier than the scheduled check-in time, the hotel said “Your rooms are ready”.
Freshened up and from the nearest available metro, 50 meters from the hotel, got a 24 hour pass. The Vienna metro, stations and processes are slightly “old fashioned” when compared to Munich – but the routes are directions are much simpler.
To tour Vienna in detail you need at least 3 days – but with only 24 hours in my hand I had shortlisted some of the following places which were near and achievable to cover:
Day One
St Stephansplatz & Cathedral: Vienna’s city center
The Spanish Horse Riding School
Wiener Prater
Naschmarkt
Karlskirche
Day Two
Schonbrunn palace.
Hofburg Palace
After visiting the first two places went to Café Europe at St Stephansplatz. Had a lunch of Grilled Salmon. Then visited Wiener Prater: basically an amusement park, the Naschmarkt – unique market – but then it had closed down by the time I had reached and the church Karlskirche.
When I returned to the hotel, it was almost 7 in the evening. And after multiple metro rides and long walks I was exhausted. Had a hot water bath and then some coffee.At night I went to a restaurant nearby and had Grilled Chicken in a cheese sauce and tiramisu. Superbly cooked.
The next morning I went out again – first for breakfast at a lovely place and next visited Schonbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace. It took a long, long time. My train to Munich was around 4 in the afternoon. And as I took the train, a fleeting visit to a nice city came to an end.
I had travelled to Munich in the summer of 2019 and during the course of the workshop we got a few weekends in between. On two of these weekends I ventured out to two beautiful Austrian cities: Salzburg and Vienna - both places are very near to Munich and were covered by train. This is an account of that travel. Unfortunately I didn't get much time to study about these places - though I referred to the late Sam Kapasi's travelogue a few hours before getting on the train to Wien. I covered Salzburg on foot and most parts of Vienna were covered through the well connected metro.
Weekend One: Salzburg
I had planned to visit Salzburg for a day. Since time was a constraint, I choose to visit the main sights which were in proximity. I had a cup of coffee and sandwiches in the train. The Rail Jet train from Munich Hbf was supremely comfortable. A clouded sky accompanied me on the journey from Munich to Salzburg, but the route through the undulating Alps landscape with meadows was soothing to the eyes. It took me a little more than 2 hours to reach Salzburg and it was rainy. The first thing that I did was to purchase an umbrella because the forecast predicted rain for the entire day.
As I discovered, Salzburg was the city where Mozart was born and spent years of his life here. The Salzach river cuts through the city and there are numerous of those "love lock" bridges that connect one part of the city to the other. The road to the Hohensalzburg Fort rises behind the Residenzplatz. The photos that follow are taken as I climbed to the fort. It provides a birds eye view of Salzburg city. And also of the hills that extend much beyond the city. The rains hadn't stopped and I had to use my umbrella and camera together - quite an arduous exercise .
Salzburg is host to some unique beer gardens and while coming down from the fort I went to Steiglkeller Biergarten. The rains had stopped by then and the waiters were mopping the wet benches. So, took a seat on the outside and watched the view of the city and the distant mountains. The long walks had made me hungry and thirsty – so after having a drink of water and beverages ordered for roasted chicken with sour potatoes. Sour potatoes is a local speciality – though I didn’t like it very much.
While coming down from the restaurant, I went to the Salzburg Cathedral – an architecturally impressive structure then through the Kapitelplatz – Getreidigass: Salzburg main shopping street - Dom Quartier - Mozart’s Birth place and Mirabell Gardens.
Met many Indians who we on tour of Salzburg. Interacted with a few local folks. Purchased some souvenirs and then took an train at 6 in the evening from Salzburg. I was back to Munich by 8.30 PM.
A Weekend In Wien
The Salzburg trip was nice, but it was only a day trip. The next weekend I was on a train to Vienna. Vienna takes around 4 hrs from Munich. And whereas the Salzburg trip was dominated by rain, this weekend was relatively dry. As I found out, the OBB Railjet trains are much better as compared to the Meridien ones (in which I returned from Salzburg). Ordered for a breakfast of Ham sandwich and coffee. Munched onto the sandwiches as I looked into the swaying sceneries on the outside. The trains had WiFi too – but then I was looking at the scenery and let my camera cut loose. Speeds touch in excess of 200 kmph and the coffee in your cup wont slip even a bit.
I got down at Vienna Hbf and located my hotel which was around half a kilometer away from the station. Even though I had reached much earlier than the scheduled check-in time, the hotel said “Your rooms are ready”.
Freshened up and from the nearest available metro, 50 meters from the hotel, got a 24 hour pass. The Vienna metro, stations and processes are slightly “old fashioned” when compared to Munich – but the routes are directions are much simpler.
To tour Vienna in detail you need at least 3 days – but with only 24 hours in my hand I had shortlisted some of the following places which were near and achievable to cover:
Day One
St Stephansplatz & Cathedral: Vienna’s city center
The Spanish Horse Riding School
Wiener Prater
Naschmarkt
Karlskirche
Day Two
Schonbrunn palace.
Hofburg Palace
After visiting the first two places went to Café Europe at St Stephansplatz. Had a lunch of Grilled Salmon. Then visited Wiener Prater: basically an amusement park, the Naschmarkt – unique market – but then it had closed down by the time I had reached and the church Karlskirche.
When I returned to the hotel, it was almost 7 in the evening. And after multiple metro rides and long walks I was exhausted. Had a hot water bath and then some coffee.At night I went to a restaurant nearby and had Grilled Chicken in a cheese sauce and tiramisu. Superbly cooked.
The next morning I went out again – first for breakfast at a lovely place and next visited Schonbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace. It took a long, long time. My train to Munich was around 4 in the afternoon. And as I took the train, a fleeting visit to a nice city came to an end.