Salzburg: A Tourist Again
[rt_reading_time label="Reading Time:" postfix="minutes" postfix_singular="minute"]Ever since I started coming to Munich in early 2017, I always wanted to visit Salzburg. On my very first trip to here, I had rather opted for Innsbruck, mainly because I wanted to ski the Alps.
Earlier this year, during my European tour in February, under the influence of Condé Nast's Best Cities in Europe, I had also selected a different Austrian city and visited Vienna, even though Salzburg was also on the list. My reasoning: Salzburg's proximity to Munich (less than 2 hours by train). It was as if I knew I would have the opportunity to visit another time.I've been in Munich for 4 weeks. Mostly attending networking events, meeting new people, reconnecting with friends I have made here along the way, and job hunting. With my laptop incident, my hustle has been less productive than I anticipated and I found myself with a couple of free days.While there are plenty of activities, sights and tourist spots for me to still discover in Munich, the city is now starting to feel familiar: I find myself recognizing places I've already been as I approach from different directions, I can get to the popular spots and landmarks without Google Maps, someone has even recognized me at a U-Bahn stop... Neither local nor tourist. Yet, I recognize it's time for me to reconnect with the tourist in me. And let's be real, I want to see the Alps again. I decide: it's time for me to finally visit Salzburg.The only planning I have done for this overnight get-away is a budget hotel reservation. I've learned I don't need to stress out too much about making train reservations in Europe, especially on "local" routes like Munich to Salzburg. In fact, there are 24 trains a day available to chose from between the 2 cities. Prices are reasonable around 30€.At München Hauptbahnhof (with, this is the first time I type this word without having to look it its spelling up!), I head for a ticket machine and learn that most trains to Salzburg are delayed due to some vandalism. I later find out protesters disrupted the train route somewhere around Düsseldorf to express their feelings about Germany's refugees integration situation. I opt for a Flexpries ticket which allows me to get on any train.
Thirty minutes later, I board a second-class car and navigate to a pair of seats that looks open. "Excuse me, is this train really going to Salzburg?", I ask a nice-looking lady in the seat ahead. "Eventually, it will get there yes!". Lilian then teaches me how to tell if a seat is reserved or not and we chat about life the whole way to Rosenheim, her home city. She invites me to a coffee and I rejoice in this random act of human connection.Arriving in Salzburg, I realize the place isn't very big. I can walk from the train station to my hotel in 20 minutes. My overnight bag is light, the weather is sunny yet cool and I don't have an agenda, so I go for it. I almost immediately stumble upon Mirabell Gardens: romantic & practically perfectly manicured.
I keep going on my stroll and cross the Salzach on a pedestrian bridge adorned with locks of love as the sun starts to set on the edge of the Alps. Yep, real life.
Earlier this year, during my European tour in February, under the influence of Condé Nast's Best Cities in Europe, I had also selected a different Austrian city and visited Vienna, even though Salzburg was also on the list. My reasoning: Salzburg's proximity to Munich (less than 2 hours by train). It was as if I knew I would have the opportunity to visit another time.I've been in Munich for 4 weeks. Mostly attending networking events, meeting new people, reconnecting with friends I have made here along the way, and job hunting. With my laptop incident, my hustle has been less productive than I anticipated and I found myself with a couple of free days.While there are plenty of activities, sights and tourist spots for me to still discover in Munich, the city is now starting to feel familiar: I find myself recognizing places I've already been as I approach from different directions, I can get to the popular spots and landmarks without Google Maps, someone has even recognized me at a U-Bahn stop... Neither local nor tourist. Yet, I recognize it's time for me to reconnect with the tourist in me. And let's be real, I want to see the Alps again. I decide: it's time for me to finally visit Salzburg.The only planning I have done for this overnight get-away is a budget hotel reservation. I've learned I don't need to stress out too much about making train reservations in Europe, especially on "local" routes like Munich to Salzburg. In fact, there are 24 trains a day available to chose from between the 2 cities. Prices are reasonable around 30€.At München Hauptbahnhof (with, this is the first time I type this word without having to look it its spelling up!), I head for a ticket machine and learn that most trains to Salzburg are delayed due to some vandalism. I later find out protesters disrupted the train route somewhere around Düsseldorf to express their feelings about Germany's refugees integration situation. I opt for a Flexpries ticket which allows me to get on any train.Thirty minutes later, I board a second-class car and navigate to a pair of seats that looks open. "Excuse me, is this train really going to Salzburg?", I ask a nice-looking lady in the seat ahead. "Eventually, it will get there yes!". Lilian then teaches me how to tell if a seat is reserved or not and we chat about life the whole way to Rosenheim, her home city. She invites me to a coffee and I rejoice in this random act of human connection.Arriving in Salzburg, I realize the place isn't very big. I can walk from the train station to my hotel in 20 minutes. My overnight bag is light, the weather is sunny yet cool and I don't have an agenda, so I go for it. I almost immediately stumble upon Mirabell Gardens: romantic & practically perfectly manicured.I keep going on my stroll and cross the Salzach on a pedestrian bridge adorned with locks of love as the sun starts to set on the edge of the Alps. Yep, real life.
After courageously riding down in the Festungsbahn, I find one the most beautiful cemetery I have ever seen behind St. Peter's Abbey. I think about hundreds of years and thousands of lives and am grateful for mine.
Thank you Condé Nast: I am 10 out of 20, and counting...
Thank you Condé Nast: I am 10 out of 20, and counting...