By Paul Topping

Walking in Salzburg for the first time, Jessabel and I are led by Steffie, our close friend, who was brought up locally and is a specialist on her hometown. Initially, it’s a whistle-stop tour, which starts with parking the car inside a hill behind the city. Impressive. The fast-walking, fast-talking tour is a prelude to coming back to explore the city in more detail. Wherever you walk, you catch glimpses of the dominating medieval fortress on the hill.

We pass through St. Peter’s Cemetery, a must for me as a taphophile to return to. We rush by the cathedral. We are going there for a concert tonight. What an amazing building. The first structure was built by an Irish abbot back in 774, but the current version dates to the seventeenth century, built in marble with a mighty dome and an incredible collection of art treasures.

We head off to the fortress on the hill, but I insist that I am going to walk up. The funicular is for wimps. After ten minutes, I reach Nonnberg Abbey, dating back to the year 700, famous for featuring in The Sound of Music. We pop into the convent church as time is running fast. Twenty minutes later, with my heart pumping a bit, I look over the city and take in stunning views from the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Church spires aplenty. The fortress is said to be the finest example of a medieval castle in Europe. I could spend a day exploring it, but I haven’t the time on this visit.

As I am walking down to the square, I hear singing. I turn a bend to see about ten teenagers performing. I do not know the piece, but it is thrilling. I imagine the Von Trapp family and The Sound of Music. It is a true story made into a film in 1959. I expected Salzburg to promote the film more, but sadly, I feel it is beneath the city’s dignity, given its other incredible music history.

I drop into a square, one of three around the cathedral, and notice a large golden ball with a statue of a man standing on top of it. It looks totally out of place.

We visit a famous restaurant, Tomaselli, which has two locations. An outdoor café and the original building, dating back to 1700. They say my hero, Oscar Wilde, used to drink here. We have local sausages with horseradish, followed by cake. When I come to pay, I get two separate bills. One for the cake and one for the sausages. I want to pay the total by credit card.

“No, we only take cash for the cake.”

I ask for the manager. It is a Whinging Pome moment.

I have one grave to find in St. Peter’s Cemetery, that of Harry John Collins, a Major General in the US Army. As the senior officer entering Dachau concentration camp, he took extraordinary measures to help the needy. A compassionate man. Collins was also assigned to Salzburg as the war ended. He became an advisor in rebuilding the city and bringing positive energy to the community. He was well-liked, with children often following him on his tours. He married a local woman and lived in the city for some years, eventually requesting to be buried in the city he loved.

Steffie, Jessabel and I go to Stiftskeller, said to be the oldest functioning restaurant in Europe, dating back to 803, in St. Peter’s Square. An amazing experience.

This is a city that is great for walking, allowing you to see most of the sites. A second visit is likely, as I did not get to many palaces or Mozart’s birthplace.

So long, farewell. Auf Wiedersehen.