Tom`s travels: Linz & Salzburg (20/09/2018)

After leaving Český Krumlov by bus, I crossed the border into Austria and reached the city of Linz, the third largest in the country, a bit later. Unfortunately, after arriving in the Austrian town, I discovered that the stop was located well off from the city's center so I had to walk quite a bit to reach the old town. The first monument I came across was the Stadtpfarrkirche, originally built during the 13th century and rebuilt in its present Baroque form during the 18th century. The interior was decorated with typical wooden gilded altars that can be found all over Austria. Not far ahead, I then visited another church, the Cathedral of St Ignatius, known as the Old Cathedral. Built between 1669 and 1683 in the Baroque style it featured highly decorated interior full of intricate motifs and details. I really enjoyed the features inside and believed it to be a great example of Austrian Baroque. After exiting the Cathedral I then reached the Hauptplatz or city's main square. At its southern end is a fountain dedicated to Neptune, while at the center stands the beautiful and imposing Plague column, or Holy Trinity column, erected in 1714 by the population in gratitude for surviving the waves of plague which had hit the city in the previous years. At its top stands the gilded figure of the holy trinity, hence its other name. From the square, I then reached a large bridge which provided a crossing over the Danube river. I walked halfway to then get a nice perspective of the old town and the city's castle. That is where I was then headed, so after walking back at the foot of the bridge, I then walked uphill through some old streets and reached the top of the hill where the castle is located. Dating to much earlier times, the present structure is from the 17th century and hosts the Upper Austrian Provincial Museum. The south wing, which was destroyed by fire at the turn of the 19th century, was rebuilt in a modern glass and steel frame structure features a miniature of the city and a terrace overlooking the old town. After paying the entry ticket, I went through the large complex and its varied exhibitions. The timeframe went from the Neolithic age up to the present and included all kinds of objects from the region. I particularly enjoyed the section with the typical stubes, or farmhouse kitchens, with beautiful wooden furniture from the area. Then through the rooms dedicated to medieval objects and paintings, I reached the part featuring modern objects including electronic appliances, cars and so forth from the region. After the visit to the museum, I went back through the old town and walked past by some nice Baroque and Neoclassical buildings, then crossing through the Alter Markt and stopping by to take a picture of the Mozarthaus a 16th-century house where the famous composer Mozart wrote a symphony and a sonata in just three days. Not far ahead I reached the Minoritenkirche a nice Baroque church with wooden and marble altars. Right next to it was the Landhaus, or the regional government building, hosted inside the monastery's former convent which featured a nice arched courtyard with a fountain at its center. I walked then further and reached a pretty lively street which featured two churches that I proceeded to visit. The Ursuline church of St Michael and the nearby Karmelitenkirche, both featuring nice baroque interiors. After a bit more walking I then reached the impressive Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, known as the New Cathedral as the older ones stand close to the main square. The largest, but not the tallest, in the country it was built at the end of the 19th century and over into the 20th century for the city's growing population. As I walked in I admire its Neogothic structure and the beautiful stained glass windows some of which detailed the history of Linz. As I exited the church, I then directed myself to the train station where I had the chance to try the new Flixtrain, a service offered by the Flixbus company which offers train rides in specific rail lines. The ticket was a few euros cheaper than the national system so I decided to pick that option. After boarding, I admired the beautiful valley views from the window and reached the city of Salzburg in about one and a half hours. As I headed towards the old town, which is inscribed in the Unesco list, I first reached the Mirabell Palace, a 17th-century Baroque palace with a beautiful garden surrounding it. Being it a public park, the entrance was free and as I strolled through I could already see the many bell towers of the city center jutting out from amongst the rooftops and the impressive sight of the Hohensalzburg Fortress on top of a hill overlooking the city. Right outside the gardens I then passed by the Baroque church of the Holy Trinity which was unfortunately closed. After a little while, I then reached a bridge which granted a crossing over the Salzach river and taking me right into the core of the city center. I then passed by the old town hall and reached the large Residenzplatz, the old town's main square. Called so because of the Residenz Palace which served as the main seat of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg for centuries. At the center of the square is a beautiful fountain from 1661, designed by the Italian Tommaso di Garona, featuring a statue of Triton. The square though was filled up with people and stalls as the festival, known as Rupertikirtag, a kind of small Oktoberfest, was taking place. Food stalls, amusement rides, and beer tents were set up and the streets and squares of the old town were sprawling with visitors. Right next to the square, I then entered the Cathedral, the largest and main church, originally built in the 8th century it was rebuilt several times until taking its present form during the 17th century. Intending to be built on a design by Vicenzo Scamozzi, construction was delayed and the next architect, also Italian, Santino Solari altered it greatly particularly in its facade. The interior, typical of the Baroque style featured nice decorations and paintings, and the baptismal font where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized in 1756. Nearby I then entered the premises of the Abbey of St Peter, built in 696, thus making it the oldest monastery in the German-speaking area. It was refurbished several times and took its present from around the 18th century. As I entered the church, I admired the Rococò interior from the later part of the 1700s with nice decorations and altars. Some Romanesque features from the monastery's early beginnings are present here and there including the southern portal. Through it, I then entered the Petersfriedhof, the cemetery which evolved from the church's beginnings right behind the main apse. Tombs had been set here until recent times so an array of style and inscriptions dotted the small courtyard. At the southern part, right below the Festungsberg, a chapel had been built by the architect Solari and holds the entrance to the ancient catacombs which had been built inside the mountain rock. As it was already late the entry was closed so that meant turning around and heading back out of the church. I walked through some streets until I encountered another church, the Franciscan church. Originally dating to the city's beginning it was then restructured during the 15th century in a Gothic style and subsequently in a Baroque one during the 18th century. As I stepped inside I noticed the Baroque refurbishment consisting mainly on the exterior structure and the altars and paintings. The main nave was instead split in two with the rear part consisting of an impressive large Gothic vault filled with arches and columns making it look like a group of trees. After exiting the building I walked further and entered yet another church, the Kollegienkirche. Built at the beginning of the 18th century in the Baroque style it was constructed to serve as the university's church. It featured an immense and whitewashed interior which provided a very light and airy atmosphere. I then decided to head further and start climbing a set of stairs which brought me along an uphill path. I was walking up Festungsberg and reached the entrance to the Hohensalburg Fortress. Erected by the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg around the 11th century, it served to defend this principality from a favorable high position. It was expanded and refurbished throughout the centuries particularly in the 15th and 16th century when it took its present form. As it was after closing time, I was not allowed to walk further up and reach the actual fortress but I nonetheless enjoyed it there, right outside the first set of walls admiring the impressive fortifications right above me and the view from a terrace overlooking the old town. I stayed for a while there scrutinizing the rooftops and bell towers dotting the city and enjoying the sun setting to the west. After a bit, I then decided to head back down and walk around the food stalls of the main square looking for something to eat. I ended up taking a typical dish consisting of sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, and bread and ate it at one of the many tables set up around the area. The city by night was a delight as it was by day, and that prompted me to walk through the town, cross the Salzach river once more and walk up Kapuzinerberg, a small hill facing the old town where the Capuchin monastery is located. As I reached an observation point I sat on a bench there and enjoyed the nightscape of the city center with the main monuments glistening under the city lights. I stayed there for a long while and then decided it was time for me to head to the train station. Once there I bought some food to snack on and then hopped on my night train which took me to Vicenza in about 6 hours reaching the destination in the early morning.