During my year stint living and loving Salzburg, Austria, this was the church I decided to attend…read moreeach Sunday for worship. Fashion and everyday dress in Europe is more formal than in the U.S. and in Salzburg, it's even more so. Being a sporadic church-goer throughout the year, it had to have been the grandeur of this place that motivated me to get up early each Sunday morning, dress my best and catch the StadtBus to church. An itinerary I miss until this day. There has been a church on this site since the 8th century, which was rebuilt in the Romanesque era. A Gothic choir replaced the Romanesque choir in 1408-50; a slender Gothic tower was added in 1468-98. The building served as a parish church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, until 1635. In 1670 the top of the church's tower had to be removed because the archbishop objected to it being higher than that of the cathedral. In 1866 it was restored in a Neo-Gothic style. The church interior received a Baroque makeover in the 18th century. The Franziskanerkirche is an especially fascinating church to visit due to its unique mixture of architectural styles: The Romanesque nave is still visible inside the church, and a 12th-century marble lion from that period is set into the pulpit steps. The tall, well-lit Gothic choir (1408-50) is supported by slender purplish columns, which reach up to an elaborate rib vault. The choir shelters nine chapels, each decorated in an elaborate Baroque style by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in the 18th century. The easternmost chapel, behind the high altar, contains a winged marble altar of 1561 from the old cathedral. The high altar, also by Erlach, is an ornate creation of red marble and gold. The Madonna statue in the center predates the rest - it is a Late Gothic sculpture by Michael Pacher of Tyrol. Christmas Eve. It was midnight mass that was the most powerful. The church was pitch black except for the light of thousands of candles lit everywhere throughout; casting shadows that appeared to dance across the ornate and towering ceiling. The combination of the resounding pipe organ and choir was intoxicating, as if my spirit was awoken and rising out of my chest. A profound moment and connection I will never forget. O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. Merry Christmas! May the Spirit of the season bring you much love and hope throughout the new year! Peace be yours!

Franziskanerkirche is very ornate church in Salzburg with one of the most visible steeples in the…read moreold town part of the city. Massive columns support a very high arched ceiling. Angelic carvings are everywhere. There are beautiful paintings and masterpiece reliefs too. The sheer scale of European churches is mind boggling. Franziskanerkirche delivers! It's a nice 15-20 minute walk through....

Beautiful cemetery festooned with grass and flowers, where families continue to bury their loved…read moreones and visit with flowers. Loved thinking about how the last scene in The Sound of Music, while filmed on a Hollywood set, was modeled after this cemetery. 5 stars!!!

St. Peter's Abbey has a beautiful cemetery with views of Hohensalzburg in the background. Mozart's…read moresister's and Haydn's brother's graves are here. The church and cemetery are both free to enter.

For 9 Euros per person, it was well worth attending their daily organ concert. While the Salzburg…read moreCard included admission to tour the cathedral, they don't provide any discounts for the concerts unfortunately. However, the concert admission also allowed you to tour the inside of the cathedral (see the intricate plasterwork which really made it stand out in my mind, beautiful art and huge altars) afterwards as well as the crypt below. The organ concert consisted of 2 organists who eventually played all 5 of the organs and an MC, who gave some history about the organ, church, etc. during the interlude while the organists walked from one organ to another. Since it was a large cathedral the final walk took more than a few minutes for the organists. If you sit close to the center of the cathedral then it does allow one to see most of the organists playing. The smaller organs in the front had slightly different sounds but the star of the concert was the huge organ in the back. No matter where you sit, the acoustics of the cathedral just elevated the music. Well worth the extra admission to catch the performance if time permits. One note, when we toured the Dom Quartier museum (glass windows and doors overlooked the inside of the cathedral) we discovered it was possible to hear, a little muted, the organ when they were practicing for a special event.

Salzburg Cathederal and Old Town:…read more I went on a day trip from Vienna to Melk, Hallstatt, and Salzburg. We only had 90 minutes in Salzburg -- not nearly enough time, but more than enough to know we need to go back! This review is for Salzburg Cathedral and the old town in general. I love visiting churches, and this one is truly beautiful. The old town is exceptionally well preserved, and with the castle/fortress perched on the hill above, the views and overall setting are stunning.

No trip to Berchtesgaden is complete without a boat ride through the Konigssee in Berchtesgaden…read moreNational Park. The Boat rides leave from the tip of the Konigsee, and can be taken to One or Two spots for a different affordable price. Its a beautiful ride through the lake in the mountains. The entire tour is in German so if you don't speak the language you won't really know what's going on, but no need to as the ride is a reward in itself. Be sure to get to the Docking stations early so that you have time to head out to St. Bartholomew etc. and Hike around. There is also a hofbrau haus directly next to the church to have a nice meal while you wait to return to Berchtesgaden. It's a must do while in this beautiful area of Germany. Take the ride, and listen to the amazing echo's of the trumpets off the mountain side. Highly recommended, and well worth the price.