Salzburg, with its postcard-perfect backdrop of the countryside, quaint city skyline and thrilling maze of hidden cobbled backstreets, is among the most romantic places to visit in Europe, let alone Austria.
Salzburg was one of many locations that caught our eye when carefully selected our ideal honeymoon destination last Christmas. We craved somewhere unique, memorable, romantic, and it wasn’t long before we had our hearts intertwined around Austria – and Salzburg in particular.
Breath-taking and sophisticated
There was just something about the dreamy oasis of turquoise domes and turrets peering over quaint rows of pastel townhouses dipped in clear waters that appealed to our travelling desires and yearning for a romantic setting …
Moreover, the exceptional split landscape that Salzburg delicately beholds shapes and defines its appeal. I adored the diversity of the little city, catapulting almost mythical scenery into my mind’s eye wherever I stood. From the staggering mountains smuggling the city overhead to the gentle lull of the river running through, Salzburg left me spellbound.
Rising hillsides and eternal forests waltzed off into the distance, the sugar cube village a mere scattering afore the emerald carpet of the endless fields. Breath-taking countryside collided with the sophistication of the city, meeting in the middle of the riverbank to create a watercolour of perfection.
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Winter sunsets
We opted to stay a little way out of the centre of Salzburg, where we could nestle in the palm of the miraculous countryside while still being close enough to fall captive under the city’s enchantment. From our heavenly spot above the city, we were treated to heart-stopping sunsets that complimented the mountain range and the sweeping cloak of the night in a divine ensemble.
Salzburg exhibited a winter sunset to rival all previous encounters. With a sky that was inky and imposing – an ever-changing slideshow of magnificence – violently splashed with a spillage of blood orange. A pulsating sun that declined sensationally behind the mountains, playing hide and seek with the city. We spent our nights in Salzburg on the balcony counting the stars – the pure country air, a flawless canvas enhancing the romantic disposition.
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Stunned to silence
We crossed the river during our first evening in Salzburg, meandering over the Makartsteg Bridge. We had no idea what to expect, naive to the beauty that was about to blossom in ways that can only be described within the pages of a fairy tale …
Makartsteg Bridge was stunningly illuminated with little lights woven around the mass of love locks. The effect was mesmerising. We leaned on the bridge and counted the colours on the water as they danced under the moonlight. A romantic hue engulfed the city with its sweeping flush, sending an array of twinkling lights skipping across the sky. Having crossed the river, we made our way down a montage of tiny cobbled streets strung with fairy lights and suddenly found ourselves washed up in Cathedral Square (‘Domplatz’).
A hive of vibrant merriment, the Christmas markets lured us in. A band played on the corner of the square, and locals and tourists entangled all around us, laughing, chatting, eating and drinking together. Over and above, the atmosphere was dazzling; the setting was one million miles away from anything but that moment, that first dose of the city’s magic. I was stunned into silence.
A choir of churches
The strike of noon in Salzburg: there is no better place to be than the Kapuzinerberg viewpoint. From this sublime, romantic spot overlooking the fortress and the tumbling town below it sipping on the azure waters, one is blessed by a choir of churches. Afternoon descends upon the city. An alluring birdsong with an impact so dramatic it will raise the hairs on one’s arm.
Blushing as it divulges its splendour, Salzburg is seemingly unaware of the spine-tingling allure it possesses. Often allowing its capital city and larger town counterparts to take the limelight, Salzburg’s shyness is appealing in its own right. However, Salzburg doesn’t show off; it simply flows with the likened ease of water gliding down the mountain.
Sharing the moment with Kapuzinerberg, it felt as if we were alone, just us and the city. We stood at the edge of the viewing platform, the city at our fingertips. Salzburg was every inch the romantic honeymoon destination we had envisioned.
For more info: Salzburg Tourism
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