Christmas Season Tour of Music Holy Land: Follow in Mozart's Footsteps, A Dual-City Journey to Salzburg and Vienna

The journey today begins with a musical:

Sister Maria comes to a colonel's home to be a governess for seven motherless children. With her warm approach and touching music, she wins the children's hearts. As Maria and the colonel grow closer, a romance develops. Later, because the colonel refuses to serve the Nazis, the family escapes over the Alps and leaves Austria.

(The Sound of Music poster)

By now, I'm sure you've remembered: this musical is adapted from the Broadway show The Sound of Music, and the story's setting is one of today's destinations: Salzburg.

In many restaurants in Salzburg,

you can watch The Sound of Music performances.

There's an interactive surprise at the end of the article!

Fairytale Salzburg

Nestled in the legendary Alps, Salzburg is a charming mountain city. It sits on the Austrian-German border in northwestern Austria. The beautiful Salzach River flows quietly by. With its stunning scenery and rhythmic notes, the city appears like a dreamy maiden.

It was originally a settlement of the ancient Celts, later becoming a Roman trading center. In the 7th century, a man named Rupert came to Salzburg to preach, gradually establishing it as a bishopric, eventually elevated to an archbishopric.

View of Hohensalzburg Fortress from the foot of the hill

An archbishopric meant many archbishops resided here. From then on, numerous monasteries and churches rose up. With a mix of Baroque churches and pointed-roof buildings, Salzburg became a city with a fairytale atmosphere.

Standing on the observation deck of Hohensalzburg Fortress, you can take in the entire city. The distant Alps, the nearby Baroque architecture, and the fortress itself—one of the largest medieval castles in Europe—weave together into a dreamlike Salzburg.

After visiting the fortress museum, take a moment to enjoy an Austrian coffee at its café. Through the festive windows decorated for Christmas, you can admire the picturesque scenery from near to far.

I was lucky to experience Salzburg on a sunny day after a heavy snowfall. A white "frosting" covered the city, and against the blue sky, it seemed unreal in its beauty!

Salzburg Gave Birth to "God's Beloved"

As a bishop's city, Salzburg wasn't much different from other European cities until 1737 when a 17-year-old arrived. His parents wanted him to pursue a religious career, but his true dream was to be a musician. After graduation, thanks to his excellent violin skills, he joined a count's household ensemble, beginning his musical career. This musician was Mozart's father, Leopold.

Leopold settled in Salzburg and had seven children with his wife, but only a brother and sister survived: the child prodigy Mozart and his sister Anna. Mozart was born at Getreidegasse 9 in the old town, in a yellow Italian-style house.

In 1917, this "birth house" was turned into the most important Mozart memorial. The interior is restored to resemble the family's living quarters. It houses two violins Mozart used, including a child-sized one that seems to still hold the warmth of this self-taught musical genius.

When 7-year-old Anna played the piano, little Mozart would listen quietly nearby. After she finished, he could play almost two-thirds of the piece—truly astonishing! Mozart was less than three years old then.

(Portrait of Mozart)

Seeing Mozart's talent, Leopold decided to cultivate him. By age 4, Mozart could compose music; by 6, his performance skills surpassed many adult musicians. So Leopold took the siblings on a European tour.

Each year, thousands of Mozart fans and classical music lovers visit, exploring the instruments, paintings, family letters, and experiencing the environment where the child prodigy grew up. Mozart's middle name Amadeus means "beloved of God" in Latin, and indeed he was blessed with musical miracles.

Salzburg is Full of Art Everywhere

The Sparks of a Fairytale City and a Musician

Getreidegasse, where Mozart was born, is the liveliest street in Salzburg's old town. It has been a famous commercial street since ancient times.

On the facade of each building, the construction year is clearly marked. Very distinctive: every shop sign is made of intricately crafted iron. These signs feature symbols like wheels, hats, umbrellas, and shoes, vividly telling what the shop sells.

Today, Getreidegasse remains a bustling shopping street with brand stores, artisan shops, and cafés. Every side street leads to a different world. The whole street, decorated for Christmas, is filled with festive spirit.

Walking along Getreidegasse, you reach Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom). Located in the old town center, its grand facade and huge dome make it a prime example of early Baroque architecture north of the Alps.

This church also has strong ties to Mozart: he was baptized here after birth, and at 16 he served as court organist here. If you're interested in the organ, you can attend an organ concert in the cathedral.

The organ sound ranges from quiet to majestic, from soft murmur to vibrations that shake the entire cathedral—it's hard not to be moved.

During the Christmas season, Salzburg Cathedral is surrounded by Christmas markets. People sell all kinds of food and handmade crafts. Families gather for a warm cup of mulled wine, stuffing huge chocolate balls and rich cheese into their mouths—what a cozy scene.

But in contrast to this warmth, after his successful European tour, Mozart returned to Salzburg and entered a low point in his life. At that time, the Mozart family had moved to a more spacious house: the Tanzmeisterhaus, located across the Salzach River in the new town, near the Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Holy Trinity Church).

This is Mozart's second residence in Salzburg. The Tanzmeisterhaus has many rooms on the second floor, including a large rectangular hall spacious enough for several pianos or even a small symphony orchestra. Mozart's family and friends often held concerts here. To this day, it remains an important venue for "Mozart Concerts" in Salzburg.

At that time, Mozart was renowned not only in neighboring countries and England but also recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. However, back in Salzburg, he could only work as a church organist, which could hardly satisfy his musical aspirations. So Vienna, the music capital, became his next destination.

A must-try in Salzburg:

Delicious Mozartkugel (Mozart chocolate balls)

Vienna Made the Musician's Dreams Come True

Vienna, located in central Austria, straddles the Danube River. As Austria's capital, it was the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, the Archduchy of Austria, the Austrian Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire before World War I. It is also known as the "World's Music Capital."

Speaking of Vienna's musical heritage, we must mention Empress Maria Theresa, known as the "Mother-in-law of Europe." In 1740, she inherited the crowns of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia. She reformed politics, economy, and military, expanding Austria's territory. She also generously sponsored the arts, especially music, often holding concerts at Schönbrunn Palace to encourage musical development.

In this environment, Vienna gave birth to famous musicians like Haydn, Johann Strauss II, and Beethoven. Of course, Mozart, the protagonist of our story, is one of them.

When Mozart was still a child prodigy, he had already gained royal recognition in Vienna. He performed successfully at Schönbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace is the second largest palace in Europe after Versailles. For centuries, it was the imperial summer residence and hunting lodge.

Of the 1,441 rooms in Schönbrunn Palace, only 45 are open to the public. The elegant and grand rooms showcase the splendor of the Habsburg dynasty. The imperial family loved Eastern treasures, so the palace holds one of the largest collections of Chinese porcelain outside China.

During the Christmas season, the square in front of Schönbrunn Palace is transformed. Tourists, after exploring the palace, can wander through the Schönbrunn Christmas market, sip hot chocolate to relieve fatigue, or admire the palace's exterior at night.

When Mozart returned to Vienna again, he successfully transformed from a musician subservient to the church and nobility into a freelance musician, and from a child prodigy performer into a composer. During these years in Vienna, he completed several major works: Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, etc. This was also related to his happy marriage with Constanze.

Before Mozart, music was entertainment for the aristocracy and an appendage of the church. But Mozart came just as music was descending from its pedestal to the common people and ordinary society, providing him with great opportunities. His cheerful melodies quickly won people's approval and acclaim. It can be said that this city contributed to the most brilliant period of his life.

Experience Authentic Classical Art in the Music City

If you want to experience an authentic Mozart concert, Vienna is the best choice. Vienna has over 600 concert halls, large and small, with nostalgic classical performances every night.

(Vienna Concert Hall)

In those historic concert halls, crystal chandeliers cast flickering light, and the red or blue walls are adorned with ornate Baroque decorations.

Attend in formal attire. Enjoy a glass of champagne at the pre-concert reception, letting your mind transform into aristocratic elegance.

When the music begins, the lead violinist's masterful playing takes me back 200 years to Mozart's era.

Speaking of Vienna's musical status, we must mention the Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper). The first time I came, the opera house was performing La Traviata. People outside could watch and listen through a live broadcast on a big screen. When the singer reached an emotional peak, the beautiful, resonant voice brought tears to my eyes.

Many people sat in the square, necks craned, absorbing the artistic atmosphere. Compared to the opera houses in Paris and Sydney, the Vienna State Opera is more antique and feels closer to the people. Its inaugural performance in 1869 was Mozart's opera Don Giovanni.

Another famous venue, the "Golden Hall" (Musikverein), is the permanent home of the Vienna Philharmonic. Herbert von Karajan, who was from Salzburg, once conducted the Vienna Philharmonic.

Every January 1st, the world-famous Vienna New Year's Concert takes place in the Golden Hall. The hall's golden decorations and unparalleled acoustics are broadcast to audiences worldwide. Booking tickets for the New Year's Concert requires planning a year in advance.

Besides fixed performances, musical artists can be found everywhere in Austria, from cities to villages, from cafés to bars.

While strolling in parks, you often encounter statues of musicians. The classic melodies they created accompany everyone, like sunlight, hidden in every corner of the city.

Statue of Johann Strauss II