Our morning started in a frenzy as we had to catch a bus a block from our hotel at precisely 8:21 a.m. in order to get downtown in time for the start of our Sound of Music-themed bicycle tour. With an alarm set an hour before, I quickly got ready and took the kids down to the breakfast room for a fast meal before we had to hit the road. Amanda joined us shortly after for her even more rushed breakfast while I packed the day bag.
All things considered, we were out of the hotel fairly efficiently, and I took Emmie ahead to look for the expected bus; I spotted it a couple of blocks out, sending Amanda and I into a hurry, with kids in arms, to beat the bus; we were successful, easily found seats on the uncrowded bus, and experienced a pleasant, 23-minute journey to the Mirabellplatz stop, where our bike tour was set to begin.
Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, the first stop on our tour. Scenes from “Do Re Mi” were filmed in these gardens.
After a couple of blocks of walking, we met a few people from the tour company and were able to get situated with bikes before the masses arrived. Noah was at first timid about riding on the back of our tandem bike, but some words from the guide (plus our sample ride) led to a quick reversal in feelings. The last time I recall riding a bike any remotely significant distance was around the city walls in Lucca more than ten years ago, so the 10-minute practice ride with Noah was beneficial for me also.
While Noah had his own set of pedals, Amanda’s bike featured Emmie in an attached baby seat. The seat was previously attached to a bike for a rider with longer legs, thus needed to be reattached to a different bike; Amanda had a little less time to prepare but still managed well for the tour.
Emmie was excited about the ducks along the side of our bike route at this point in the tour.
Heidi, Willi, Sophia, and Olivia joined us for the bike tour, part of our group of a dozen or so bikers led by tour guide Adele. We saw several sites from the movie, including the aforementioned Mirabell Gardens, the Nonnberg Abbey, the Von Trapp home used in exterior movie shots, and the gazebo used for Sixteen Going on Seventeen. Along with each stop history nuggets about Salzburg were mixed with movie filming trivia, some of which Amanda and I were familiar with after watching Diane Sawyer’s recent 20/20 special for the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music.
In front of the abbey from both the real and movie story. Maria Von Trapp was actually a nun here, for a year, in 1926.
Heidi, Willi, and Olivia listen to our tour guide Adele.
Sophia and Noah entertain themselves with rocks during one of our stops.
Leopoldskron Palace is in the background; while never used directly in the movie, its terrace was used in boat scenes and the backdrop for the gazebo used in Sixteen Going on Seventeen.
Emmie fell asleep, water bottle in hand, mid-tour.
At one point, Willi held the bike and watched Emmie so we could snap some photos.
The gazebo was relocated to a park in southern Salzburg and is closed to the public.
Clocking in at just over 4 hours, and featuring 13 kilometers of biking, by the end of the tour we were exhausted and ready to eat. Amanda and I were particularly hot, as we were the only tour participants not in shorts. (We packed for cooler weather, logical since we began the trip in Canada and Iceland, but not ideal for a sunny Salzburg morning with temps in the 80s.)
The recommended pizza restaurant we walked to was closed for the holiday, but we quickly decided upon a pizza and pasta meal at the L’Osteria, with the biggest benefit of the restaurant being outdoor seating adjacent to the familiar fountains from the previous day. The kids got a bit of a feel for the water before our meal, but we left the serious play for afterwards.
During the bike ride, Noah and I discussed European pizza. He was excited about the prospect of pizza for lunch and noted that the pizza here was far superior to that in the United States. He proceeded to consume nearly half of his gigantic Pizza Margherita.
Amanda was super-excited to eat pasta. She reports it was only okay but beat the alternative of pizza, and also was preceded by a Caesar salad which hit the spot.
I tried the tuna and onion pizza, apparently a local favorite. While it wasn’t bad, I would not consider it to be a personal favorite.
We spent a couple hours at the table, experiencing the usual laid-back European service. After everyone was finished with their main dishes, the kids were off to play in the adjacent fountain and stream on the pedestrian-friendly street. They got nearly as soaked as last night but the hot sun helped them dry off fairly quickly.
Sophia, with Emmie and her sagging pants in the background.
Around 4:00, we decided to make the short walk across the Salzach River to Salzburg’s most famous shopping street, Getreidegasse. While many of the stores were closed for the holiday, we had no problem picking up some touristy chocolates, grabbing a couple of bottles of water, and of course, a repeat stop for ice cream.
While eating the ice cream in a sort of tunnel off the street, we spotted a sign for “Bosna Grill.” Speculation quickly mounted as to the significance of the very small restaurant, ranging from being incredibly popular on TripAdvisor to featured by Anthony Bourdain. While I can’t see any connection to the latter it was well-reviewed on TripAdvisor and mentioned in Rick Steves’ list of places to “eat cheaply in the Old Town.”
“The Salzburg’s’ favorite spicy sausage is sold at the 60-year-old Balkan Grill, run by Fran Ebner.”
The cute establishment, which featured a single worker and single grill with small sausages along with a half-dozen or so toppings, had quite a long line of both tourists and locals. Noah was hungry even after his pizza binge at lunch, so he opted for a plain version (which we called a “hot dog”) while I was not hungry, but at least wanted a bite of the classic.
Note the Bosna Grill sign in the background.
Noah finished his entire dog, while in the upset of the day, Emmie was the main eater of the “original” Bosna which I ordered. After a picture and a bite, Emmie went on to consume more than half of the entree: onions, parsley, spices, and all.
Sophia with Emmie, Noah, and their “hot dogs.”
Olivia enters the fray while Noah is mid-bite.
We hung around Getreidegasse for a little longer before crossing back across the river; Heidi, Willi, and family fetched their car from the parking garage while I tracked down the right bus stop to return to our hotel. We waited less than 10 minutes before hopping on the bus back to our hotel. After a round of showers, Emmie was the first to go to sleep for the night. Noah and I refueled the car and picked out a few snacks; he was asleep next, followed by Amanda.
Tomorrow we have a rare chance to sleep in as our trip is beginning to wind down. We purposely scheduled our last days lightly, including Friday whose main attractions will be a stop at the Munich IKEA and grocery store shopping in Eichstätt, where we’ll spend the final three nights with Heidi, Willi, Sophia, and Olivia.
You seem to have your food planned, but if you want something extra there is a large turkish population in Munich and the doner kebab is some of the best i have ever had. And for a morning beergarden – go to Hofbraukeller and in the evening Hirschgarten. Not many tourists make it to these 2 without knowing to go. Try the white sausage (specific to Bavaria) and remember to take off the casing before you eat it.
Good stuff – will try to work in at least one of these suggestions! Thanks!