City Portrait: Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg is one of our favorite destinations to share with fellow riders. Once there, it will come as no surprise to you that this baroque city gave birth to one of the most prolific composers of all time—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Today, the Mozart family’s home serves as a museum showcasing the lives of its former inhabitants. Now commonly known as Mozarts Wohnhaus, it was once a gathering space for friends, family, and musicians. It's located in the famous Getreidegasse (see photo), a long but narrow alley with many shops and cafés.

Burg Hohensalzburg, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, is also a famous home and dominant feature in Salzburg’s skyline. The stone castle, which overlooks the town, is not to be missed. History buffs will find the Kehlsteinhaus—and the road leading up to it—to be a compelling stop as well. Also known as the Eagle’s Nest, it was Adolf Hitler’s mountain retreat. In a weird turn of events, this fiftieth birthday present to Hitler is now a restaurant with a 360-degree view of the Alps.

The name Salzburg means “Salt Castle,” and was derived from the barges that carried salt up and down the Salzach river, an important part of the region’s economy up until the 19th century. The shipping ended when the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway was built, but the historic importance of the river can still be felt while following its sweeping curves or stopping in the Old Town to look out on its rolling waters.

The Sound of Music is of course inextricably linked to Salzburg. Though the story of Maria von Trapp and the Trapp family deviates from that depicted in the 1965 film, visiting original film locations is still exciting. The world-famous Mirabellgarten, or Mirabell Gardens, were redesigned under archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun in 1690. Lush and ornamental, the gardens are dotted by mythology-themed statues, and were the setting of Maria and the children’s famous “Do-Re-Mi” dancing scene in the movie.

It’s not just the stops and sights of Salzburg that will stun you, though. After arriving in Munich, some of our tours follow the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, or German Alpine Road, to Austria—a majestic stretch through the Alps that welcomes you with open arms to Salzburg.

Click here for the full 2017 Blue Rim Tour 2017 schedule. Come ride with us!