Salzburg, Austria: Taking a Tour Through a Controversial Past

 

   

   In the above photo, you are looking at what is called "The Eagle's Nest". It is also known as "Hitler's Mountain Retreat". As the Right-Wing extremist rose to power, he had his men build him this beautiful, and luxurious retreat. It is said that he fell in love with the scenery and location. It is also where he and his mistress spent most of their time. The Eagle's Nest lies 1834 meters above sea level (or 6017 feet). You can hike it, but I strongly recommend booking a tour and getting the bus. Through a long tunnel, and up a gold plated elevator you go, to reach the famous, yet infamous retreat. This building that Adolf Hitler was so fond of is situated right on the border of Salzburg, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. You can book a tour on Viator.com for about 25 Euros I believe. It is a very educational, yet entertaining adventure. The tour guides have a great sense of humour and are very knowledgeable about the areas they are taking you to. The photo that you see above was taken from the very top of the mountain. They give you about 45 minutes to an hour to explore the entire area and "nest" inside and out. Inside, you will see original photographs of meetings held in the conference rooms, articles about The Nest, and original newspapers updating the public on the ongoing conflict, we now know as World War 2. Take a step inside of this contentious structure, visit the restaurant that now resides there, and take a peek in the gift shop. When you make your way through Bavaria again, you will stop and have time to do some shopping before the tour concludes.

   

That long, dark tunnel I was telling you about

Well I guess I can let him conquer the mountains with me.

You will find this relic inside one of the shops in Bavaria when you stop

Me, conquering the Bavarian Alps. 

Next, I take you to experience the Theatre of Marionette. We ended up seeing this Marionette play by accident. Let me tell you, it was one hell of a happy accident. The play we saw was "The Sound of Music". Growing up, I enjoyed the movie for the music and the storyline. I understood that there was impending conflict but didn't really grasp the weight of the storyline, and the impact of it....until now. Now I realize just how heavy the storyline was, but still managed to keep it light hearted, with Frauline Maria being so musical, and even capturing the heart of Captain Von Trapp. 

   The Captain and Maria lived peacefully in Austria until he was called upon by the Germans to serve in the war as a German. However, Captain Von Trapp was very set in not sacrificing his identity as an Austrian. He and Maria escape to Switzerland with their seven children to avoid serving in the German Army. I believe I gained a much better understanding of the movie through this play, than through the movie itself.

   For obvious reasons, we were not permitted to take photos during the play, so at the end, Mark and I got some of the theatre room. 

   Mark and I also had the pleasure of visiting the Mirabell Gardens and Mirabell Palace. While this historical building now houses Government Officials, the location gardens were also used to shoot the scene in "Sound of Music" where the children sing "Do Re Mi". I mentioned to Mark how neat it would be to plan a wedding here, but he promptly changed the subject. I still can't figure out why ;) 

   

A building right across the street from Mirabell Gardens

 
   I truly hope that you get the chance to step into the history of Salzburg, Austria like we did. It was an eye-opening endeavour that is definitely on our "to do again" list. 

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