Salzburg, Austria – what a fantastic town! You have a medieval fortress up on the hill, a picturesque river flowing by, hills to wander around, and the Alps in the background! What more could you ask for?

It’s nice to visit a smaller town and just wander around. The old town here is very beautiful, and is right next to the medieval Hohensalzburg Castle. It’s positioned on a high hill that towers over the town. The archbishop of Salzburg used to rule here until it became a part of Austria in 1805.

While meandering through the town, you can check out a large array of sights, including: churches, convents, monasteries, a palace, towers, etc. The Kapuzinerberg is a hill right next to Salzburg, where a Capuchin monastery is built. It’s a great area to hike and contemplate. You can even grab a beer once you reach the top at the restaurant. Well earned I say!

I couldn’t help but notice a bunch of political posters around the town. In December Austria will be having a presidential election. The two main contenders are: 1) a fairly moderate/liberal candidate who has affiliations with the Green Party, and 2) a “far right-wing” candidate who has taken a firm stand for Austrian independence and against immigration. Reminds me of another recent election. I wonder what direction Europe will take in the next few years… should be interesting.

I only have one more stop in Europe. Off to Frankfurt, and then west to Mexico!

Cheers, Shawn

P.S. You may wonder about the title – Salt Fortress. Back in the day salt was very important for food preservation, and the area around Salzburg had plenty of natural salt reserves. Given that the town has quite an impressive fortress, they named the town Salz (salt) burg (fortress). A good bit of trivia, eh?