Friday, 11 July 2014

The Lake District around Salzburg, the Salzkammergut.

Salzburg is located minutes by train from the German Border and surrounded by mountains, forests and lakes, the area is know as the Salzkammergut.  Truly idillic for a vacation, there is always something to do. The region around Salzburg is known for Alpine style skiing but is also geared towards hiking, walking, swimming or sailing. The beautiful fresh water lakes are pristine.

It is also a region of Salt Mines, ''Salz'' and this has made the region economically wealthy.
http://www.salzkammergut.at/en

On our day excursion from Salzburg we visited St-Wolfgang, St-Gilgen, Strobl, Fuschl am See, Mondsee, all small picturesque villages. The lakes are very quiet areas with small sail boats, beaches and on the bigger lakes a paddle wheel steam boat used as a bus system to bring people from one village to the other. There is also the Imperial Spa of Bad Ischl made famous by its clients who would travel in the summer from Vienna, members of the Imperial Court and the Kaiser Franz Josef and Empress Elizabeth came each year, in typical Austrian style it has retained that atmosphere. You can see the room where the Emperor wrote the famous ''To my citizens'' letter announcing the start of the First World War in August 1914.

Bad Ischl Imperial Villa


The Church in St-Wolfgang is ancient and has beautiful Altar piece and stained glass windows. St-Gilgen is the village of the mother of W.A. Mozart. The church of Mondsee is featured in the marriage scene of the infamous movie The Sound of Music.

I would have loved to spend more time walking around the area and maybe even staying for a few days. It is a nature lover area for quiet recreation.

St-Gilgen 


 Mond See (Moon Lake)



Village of St-Wolfgang 



Interior of the Church of St-Wolfgang main Altar piece by Michael Pacher, 1479.
Representing the Coronation of the Virgin Mary and the Life of Christ and scenes of the life of St Wolfgang.
Carved, painted and gilded Pine Wood.  






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3 comments:

  1. Debra She Who Seeks11 July 2014 at 19:24

    So Mozart's mother named him for St Wolfgang, did she? I wonder who St Wolfgang was -- I'll have to google him. Hey, do you or Will speak enough Latin to tell me what is the meaning of Mozart's middle name, Amadeus? Does it mean "love God" or "beloved of God"? Or something else completely? I've never been able to find that out, even on the internet!

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    1. Laurent11 July 2014 at 20:45

      St-Wolfgang is usually portrayed with an axe in his right hand, a la Lizzie Borden. Apparently he had made a bet with Satan and through his axe and said he would built a church where if fell.
      As for Amadeus it was a popular name at the time Love of God from the Latin. His parents were devout Catholics and belonged to the St-Sebastian Parish in Salzburg where they are buried.

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  2. Ur-spo14 July 2014 at 00:43

    It all looks so schoen.

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