MOZART INVITES!

If you think that the Austrian city of Salzburg became popular thanks to the composer and virtuoso musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, you are absolutely right. Salzburg is where Mozart, or Wolfferlù as the locals affectionately call him, was born and raised. This is his city. Austrians pay homage to the genius by organising regular museum exhibitions, commemoration events, as well as countless concerts, festivals, tours and souvenirs.

For example, one of the most popular museums in Salzburg and in Austria in general is the Mozart Birth Museum on the downtown street of Getreidegasse. This is where numerous authentic exhibits, portraits, and a restored middle-class apartment of the composer invite you on a journey back to the 18th century. In the musician's living house in the heart of the city, on Makartplatz, you can see a hammer clavier, violin, music sheets and Mozart's cradle, and watch a multimedia show.

There are very interesting guided tours along Mozart's life path that will take you around almost all of central Salzburg. You will see the Mozart Square, his monument, buildings and cafés associated with his name, and much more. In addition, numerous concerts and festivals, such as Mozart Week, still cherish the musical legacy of the acknowledged genius in his hometown. You can even enjoy a dinner (€150-200) with the Mozart Dinner Concert at the oldest established restaurant in Central Europe, the Stiftskeller St. Peter monastery cellar.

The local Mozartkugeln chocolates is recognisable all around the world. But only in Salzburg can you try and buy ones in blue candy wrappers. The brand has been produced since 1890 only in Salzburg and is perhaps the best souvenir you can take home with you.

But Salzburg is not just famous for Mozart. The city's name comes from two words: "Salz" for salt and "Burg" for fortress. Salt mining has always been a good source of income for Salzburg. The historic part of the city features architecture from almost all eras and styles: from the Middle Ages to Romanticism, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism. And the central historical part of Salzburg has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

When strolling around the sights, make sure to have a cup of coffee and strudel (€12-15). Local coffee shops have their own special culture. There are restaurants that have no menu at all and serve a standard set for a fixed fee: strudel, coffee, water and sausages. Another local delicacy is the Salzburger Nockerln, a light dessert made of eggs and sugar, similar to an airy soufflé. The Nockerln (€15) served as three small towers symbolizes the mountains that surround Salzburg. It is served with raspberry or lingonberry sauce.

For a bird's eye view of Salzburg, you can ascend to one of the city's main attractions, the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Here, from a height of 120 metres, you have a breathtaking view of Salzburg's old town on one side, and the Alps on the other. For a mere €11, you will find yourself in the largest, best-preserved fortress (16th century) in Central Europe. In addition to taking the coolest photos, you need to visit several small museums and exhibits (some for an extra fee). I suggest you walk up to the castle on the picturesque path, past the local authentic houses and gardens, and take the funicular down (included in the admission fee).

Another popular tourist destination is the baroque-styled park of the Mirabell Palace (Schloss Mirabell). The name Mirabell means 'admirable, beautiful' and was built by the city's Archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his beloved Salome Alt. Mirabell became a popular destination after the success of the 1965 Hollywood film The Sound of Music, which won five Oscars Awards.

In general, there are quite a few interesting sights in the small town of Salzburg. These include Bürgerspitalkirche St. Blasius (St. Blasius Church), the Puppet Theatre, Kapuzinerberg Mountain, the Makartsteg footbridge, Salzburg's smallest house, the Fürst Confectionery, the barometer (a 19th century weather pole), the Franciscan Church, Residenzplatz Square, the Dom zu Salzburg cathedral, St Peter's Abbey, St Peter's Cemetery and Catacombs, the Nonnberg Abbey, and many more. To see them all, make sure you have at least 3-4 days to stay in Salzburg.

At the House of Azerbaijan

If you come to Salzburg, know that you have a home here, both literally and figuratively. Three years ago, the 15th House of Azerbaijan outside the country was opened in Salzburg too. Such houses are opened with the active assistance of our compatriots living abroad and with the support of the State Committee for Work with Azerbaijani Diaspora. Azerbaijan's coordination councils and houses abroad have been quite successful in promoting national realities around the world. At the same time, they act as a space for consolidation of community members and support for all Azerbaijanis.

The Salzburg House is run by Farid Azizov, chairman of the Society of Azerbaijanis of Austria (one of the three active diaspora organisations in Austria). He has been living here since 2017 and is a five-time world karate kempo champion. He won two gold medals when he was already playing for Austria. He won his last gold medal in December 2022 at the 26th World Karate-Kempo Championship in Budapest. He always welcomes compatriots to Salzburg, finds time to meet them and invites them to visit the House of Azerbaijan. 

Farid shared with us some of his interesting observations about life in the country. According to him, before the house opened, Azerbaijanis used to gather in various places, and even in the local mosque, renting premises to celebrate holidays, memorials and historical dates, and holding rallies. Three years have passed since the house was opened, and now everyone in Salzburg knows the centre. It is enough to tell a taxi driver the address of the centre, and he will ask you if you are going to the House of Azerbaijan.

There are currently around 500 Azerbaijanis living in Salzburg. They now have a place to seek for a solution to their problems or to speak out. The doors of the House of Azerbaijan are open every day. It can also be reached by telephone, which is available 7/24, too. On weekends, almost everything in Salzburg is closed, even the shops. But the Azerbaijanis living here gather in the house to socialise. There is also an Azerbaijani school at weekends, where children are taught their mother tongue, literature and history, learn national dances and have drawing lessons.

The House of Azerbaijan even hosts engagement ceremonies and henna rituals. There are also special days dedicating to watching films, serving dishes from the national cuisine, holding exhibitions, joint events and mini-concerts. All guests can use the library with books in Azerbaijani, German and English.

The house has many interesting ideas. For example, negotiations are now underway with the University of Salzburg to open an Azerbaijani chair. There are many patriots and talented people among our compatriots in Austria who will be involved in teaching at the chair.

The house is also working on a three-volume publication in German on the 44 day war in Garabagh, the fallen soldiers, officers, and civilians, as well as the revival of Garabagh. The volumes will be distributed in schools and libraries in Salzburg and given to the guests of the House of Azerbaijan.

It is also planned to hold a joint concert by Azerbaijani and Austrian artists in October at the most famous hall of the city, the Mozarteum. Renowned performers and artists from Azerbaijan are expected to take part. A small concert, which aroused genuine interest in Azerbaijani culture and music, was held here last year, followed by requests to organise similar events in the future.

The House of Azerbaijan also has projects to develop the tourism industry in order to stimulate ties between the two countries and promote Azerbaijan in this market. For example, the representatives of Austrian tourism companies are preparing to visit Azerbaijan. The purpose of the visit is to encourage Austrians to join tour to Azerbaijan. Austrians love to travel, so why not Azerbaijan?!

The Incredible and salty Hallstatt

"If you haven't been to Hallstatt, you haven't seen Austria," say the Austrians about a small town of just over 800 people in Upper Austria on the shores of Lake Halstätter. In recent years, pictures of the town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have gone viral around the world, particularly across Europe, including Azerbaijan. As a result, the majority of tourists coming to Austria want to visit Hallstatt and see the beauty of the popular area depicted on posters, postcards, photo wallpaper, souvenirs and, most importantly, in social networks. The massive inflow of visitors spurred tourism in the area, but not everyone is happy with the good news. Locals complain that throngs of tourists with cameras and drones are swarming around the small town every day, littering everywhere and disrupting the smooth life of the town.

Now let's see how you can get to Hallstatt from Salzburg. The easiest way is by car, which can be hired or on an individual transfer (€150 for 4 passengers). It is also possible to take a day trip to Hallstatt, but the price can range from €250 to €450 per person, which is quite expensive.

Oddly enough, there is still no direct route to Hallstatt by public transport. It is, however, possible to take one, but with stops. The first option is to hop on a train to Hallstatt Bahnhof (from €24) at the Salzburg railway station, then change at Attnang-Puchheim Bahnhof station. You will arrive at Hallstatt Bahnhof in 2 hours and 20 minutes. But it is on the opposite side of Lake Halstätter. Right next to the station there is a pier from where the ferry Stefanie runs - for 2,50 euros it will take you to the other side of the lake, to your destination.

The second option is to take bus number 150 from Salzburg to Bad Ischl. From Bad Ischl Bahnhof, you can take a train towards Hallstatt and then take the ferry again. The overall cost will be 15-20 euros, which is quite modest by local standards.

Hallstatt can also be reached by train from Vienna. In this case, you will have to change trains. The travel time will be 3,5 hours and the trip will cost you at least 55 euros. Individual transfers by car (3.5 hours) from Vienna will cost from €400 for 4 people.

Hallstatt was already famous for industrial-scale salt mining in the fifth century CE, which ensured the entire region's financial well-being and prosperity. Today, the salt mines are one of the town's main attractions and once again generate income for the local population. Firstly there are countless souvenirs made from salt, and secondly there are excursions to the salt mines (Salzwelten Hallstatt). These tours are conducted in English and German and every tourist can experience being a salt miner. A package ticket for a visit to the mines and the cable car costs €40.

You can also visit the Hallstatt Sky Walk for a 360m panoramic view of the city. You can also take a cable car (20 euros) or walk up to the observation deck (2 hours).

Despite a small size of the town, Salzburg also has a central market square, Markt Platz. This place with several cafés and restaurants attracts plenty of tourists. Also nearby is the local Welterbemuseum Hallstatt showing the history of the town and the activities of salt mines. Some tourists rent national Tyrolean costumes (22 Euros per hour) from shops and have their photos taken while walking around in them. Those who wish can take a small cruise on the lake (minimum €10) or rent a catamaran. But that's only possible during the warm season. During the summer some tourists, even though the water is cool, swim in the lake. If you're not in a hurry, there's the 5 Fingers viewing platform not far from Hallstatt, which is considered the most picturesque spot in Austria.

Given the small size of the hamlet town, the choice of hotels here is small, and prices for a simple double room start at 140 euros. Therefore, those who want to stay to enjoy the local beauty choose hotels close to Hallstatt. For example, in Obertraun or Gosau, where prices are much lower.

As for the cost of souvenirs, food and drinks, they are certainly not cheap. But they are about the same as in Austria, maybe a bit higher. Magnets cost 5 euros, small items of salt - from €4-5, mugs - €8-15, bags - €17,90, national children's dress - €38, etc. Average cost of a hot meal in a café-restaurant will cost €20-25. So, a trout with potatoes will cost at least €20, beef with side dishes from €25, chicken with side dishes from €15-20, pizza per person from €10, döner-shawarma from €7-8, hot dog from €5-6 Euros. The price of tea and coffee at local cafes averages €4-6, cold drinks from €3-4.

But all this, of course, is trifles if you've managed to get to such blessed corners of the world. Don't forget that "seeing once is better than hearing twice" and "if you haven't been to Hallstatt, you haven't seen to Austria!"