Salzburg a nearly perfect city for festivals

Certainly more than Bayreuth and even more than Verona, Salzburg is the nearly perfect festival city. And it fiercely lives up to its motto as the city “that keeps its looks.” Located between two huge mountains, the Monchsberg and the Capuzinerberg, Salzburg, in a valley of singular beauty, is bisected by the fast-flowing River Salzach. To pause on one of its bridges designed only for pedestrians and contemplate the skyline on the western bank is one of the supreme joys of an expedition to Europe.

Far above the city, dramatically illuminated at night, is the Hohenstauffen fortress, containing armor and a host of military artifacts from the Middle Ages. From its ramparts one has a superb view not only of the city itself but also of the Alpine scenery and the lush countryside. Fortunately, a funicular hoists the visitor from ground level to the entrance to the castle.

Nearby is one of the chief sites of “The Sound of Music,” filmed in Salzburg many years ago: the Nonnberg Abbey, where Maria von Trapp was a novitiate. Its lovely Gothic chapel is one of 25 churches that are sprinkled about the city. The largest, of course, is the cathedral, executed in the flamboyant baroque style. Partially destroyed during World War II bombings, it has been restored to its former splendor. Since 1921, the year that the Salzburg Festival was founded, its facade has served as the backdrop for the immensely popular version of the medieval morality play “Jedermann.” In the contiguous square, one of the loveliest in Europe, is a fountain coursing over the solid piece of marble.

Not far away is the lushly baroque church of St. Peter’s. And another church not to be missed is the Franciscan church whose basic 13th-century style has been modified by baroque additions. From its tower, built in 1866, one can procure a marvelous view of the city and its environs.

Yet another church not to be missed is St. Sebastian’s on the eastern bank of the Salzach. Built between 1505 and 1512 and restored in 1812, it has buried in its graveyard Constanze, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s widow, whose second husband was a Dane called Nisson. His epitaph simply states: “Here lies the husband of Mozart’s widow.” What a delicious putdown!

This year, owing to the 200th anniversary of the death of Mozart, born in Salzburg in 1756, the city had assumed a special aura. The birthplace, whose interior is accessible only after the visitor pays a hefty fee of $5, is full of relics of the composer and his family as well as artifacts of productions of his operas. Across the Salzach on a square dominated by the Church of the Holy Trinity, is an apartment where the Mozarts later lived.

To reach Salzburg from Boston or New York, fly to Munich and then take one of the frequent trains direct to the city. The ride, incidentally, is through some of the most breathtaking scenery on the globe.