Europe 2019 - Day 50 (Part 3)

25 June 2019, Tuesday

Nearby was St Peter’s Abbey, originally constructed over old Christian remains in 696 by St Rupert and has stood in some form ever since. This Benedictine Monastery is the oldest in the German-speaking era and also holds the oldest library in Austria. The architecture has changed over the years to suit the various fashions of the eras, and now has a combination of Romanesque and Renaissance styles. The Abbey also has catacombs (hewn out of the rocks of Monchsberg and of early Christian origin) and a cemetery.

I also saw a water mill in this area. Here, the St Peter’s branch of the ‘Almkanal’ exits the fortress hill after a 400 metre long tunnel that was built between 1136 and 1143. In 1922, the mill-wheels were replaced by a turbine, which was in use until the shutting down of the Monastery Mill in 1966. A new installed mill-wheel is operating here since 2007. The mill-wheel produces electricity via a gear transmission and a generator. This electricity is in turn used to power the mill, which grinds the flour for the sourdough bread, which is a dark rye bread baked in a traditional log-fried oven.

From here you could see the Hohensalzburg fortress (on top of the Festungsberg Hill) in the distance. This is Central Europe’s largest, completely preserved fortress dating from the 11th century. It has been a major power base for the rulers of Salzburg since the 1000’s. Since its inception, the castle has undergone many transformations, additions and expansions including a Funicular Cable Car leading from the bottom of the hill. It is the oldest funicular in Austria, built in 1892. We didn’t go up to the fortress as we were a bit pressed for time.

Passing by the Salzburg University, we stumbled onto a street with many curious, unique and interesting signs outside the shop. It is a shopping street that offered a myriad of stuff - fine jewellery, fashion, antiques, traditional costumes, eateries and cafes. The most interesting for me was MaDonald’s, to see the modern, ubiquitous ‘M’ design in an antique-looking design was kinda cool. 

Walking a bit further we arrived at Karajanplatz,  with a “Horse Pond” (a statue of a man with a horse) which dates back to the 17th century. It was here that parade horses from the prince-archbishops’ stables used to be washed off and groomed.

Next, to St Blasius Church. Archbishop Frederick III proposed that a civic hospital be built in Salzburg in 1327. The hospital was to offer shelter for the sick and ailing. The townspeople provided the food for the patients, causing it to be called the "civic hospital". The church, built in 1330, was closely affiliated with the hospital. The Church was consecrated to St. Blaise, known as a benefactor and patron saint of throat ailments.