Live from Viking Kadlin Eastern European Capitals Cruise and Post Extension to Transylvania April 28-May 17

[pontac]

Hi @Australia08

 

“Wines of Southern Romania.” was an optional tour, did you think it was value for money?

 

Did you buy any of the wines?

[Australia08]

1 hour ago, pontac said:

Hi @Australia08

 

“Wines of Southern Romania.” was an optional tour, did you think it was value for money?

 

Did you buy any of the wines?

We enjoyed this tour. I’d do it again. The wine wasn’t spectacular, but. One of the whites was quite good. We didn’t buy any but we had purchased wine on a couple of the previous wine tours so didn’t have room. As I mentioned, the wine/cheese pairing really was nonexistent, but we knew several of the couples at our table very well by this point of the cruise so we were just having a great relaxed time. After they poured our wines, they left remaining bottles at the table. This probably led to the party atmosphere. Also, after the official tasting and descriptions, they invited anyone interested to come to their bar to taste their “ice” wine and port. I tried the “ice” wine (so-so), but lots of people were enjoying both. I think one aspect of the tour I liked was the historical background of the wine restaurant itself. 

[2552phxcrzr]

Trying to organize our time on the day that we embark Kadlin.  Any thoughts on when we can  board the vessel?

[pontac]

14 hours ago, 2552phxcrzr said:

Any thoughts on when we can  board the vessel?

 

Any time. Your cabin may be ready earlier, but Viking promise 3pm. You can use public areas until your cabin is ready.

 

There is a buffet lunch served from 12-3pm (with complimentary drinks)  for early arrivals and late departers.

 

You can leave your cases on board and go sightseeing off boat, just check with reception for the time you should be back.

[2552phxcrzr]

1 hour ago, pontac said:

 

Any time. Your cabin may be ready earlier, but Viking promise 3pm. You can use public areas until your cabin is ready.

 

There is a buffet lunch served from 12-3pm (with complimentary drinks)  for early arrivals and late departers.

 

You can leave your cases on board and go sightseeing off boat, just check with reception for the time you should be back.

Thank you. That’s very helpful. Just being able to leave the bags with them will make it easier that day since check out from our AirBNB is 10a. Don’t need to necessarily have access to the cabin as we do plan to continue to explore Vienna that day.

[Australia08]

Sunday, May 12 - Disembarkation from Viking Kadlin, on to Bucharest

 

Our final view before leaving our room

 

This morning was time to depart and head to the JW Marriott. It was about a three hour bus ride including rest stop. The weather was nice and I must admit I dozed a bit on our way. We also hit a bit of traffic on the way into the city. 
 

We had a walking tour of the old town area that seemed to create some difficulties for a few guests. There were a few people who wanted the guide to slow down (personally, it seemed like a pretty slow pace to me). On the other hand there were a few people who kept insisting we hurry to the restaurant, our ultimate destination, because they wanted to use the restroom. It was a no win situation for the poor guide. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did see some interesting buildings along the way, but overall, the old town area of Bucharest seemed a bit more run down than earlier cities on our itinerary. 
 

We finally reached our lunch spot, Hanul lui Manuc, located in the oldest operating hotel in Bucharest.

 

 

While lunch was tasty, there were too many chairs crammed together at each table, making it less than comfortable. There was a folkloric dance group accompanied by traditional music. 
 

After lunch, the guide pointed out more historic buildings and churches as we walked back to the buses.

 

 

 

Manastirea Stavrooleos convent

 

 

Once on the buses, we still had about a half hour or so of panoramic bus touring before we reached the Marriott.  The only photo I took was of the Parliament as it was just too difficult to take photos of the other monuments, gardens, homes, and historic sites that were being pointed out from the moving bus.

 

 

I was fine with this added sightseeing, but many of the people on the bus just wanted to get to the hotel.  I know that Viking was trying to push our arrival to around 4:00 pm so all the rooms would be ready.

 

Our room at the Marriott was spacious and comfortable. We didn’t have much time to relax though because we had booked the optional “Sights and Flavors of Bucharest”. This was a progressive dining experience. We started off at the Hanvi’ Berarilor Casa Elena Lupescu brewery for samples (pints) of a dark and a light beer, accompanied by hearty appetizers.

 

 

 

Then we headed to another area of the city to the Hanvi’ Berarilor Casa Opera Soare, to enjoy our main course accompanied by Romanian wines. This restaurant appeared to be owned by the previous brewery we visited. 

 

 

Sorry I only took one photo of the main after I had started eating.

 

 

Last, we headed to Uranus, another gastronomic brewery location owned by Hanvi’ Berarilor, where we enjoyed Romanian palinka and  a dessert platter of crepes, papanasi (the traditional Romanian cheese donuts), and Romanian style apple strudel. 

 

 

 

Palinka (not shown is the cherry brandy that I really loved)

 

We really had a good time on this tour. None of the courses were rushed and all of the food and drinks were delicious!

 

By 10:30 pm, we were headed back to the hotel.  I was looking forward to a nice  soak in the deep tub using the lovely bath salts that the Marriott provided.

 

 

Edited June 7 by Australia08

[twototravel]

Hope this excursion is offered on our cruise next year. Sounds like fun.

[Australia08]

Monday, May 13 - Bucharest

 

We were sad that our Insight into the Palace of Parliament tour had been canceled due to a last minute official event.  I had always wanted to go inside this “over the top” building, second only in size to the Pentagon.  It has more than 3000 rooms and was representative of the obsessive Nicolas Ceausescu, the failed dictator.  I have to admit that we were happy to have a day where we could relax a bit.  We have most often booked ocean cruises with quite a few sea days to break up touring.  That just doesn’t happen on a river cruise where there are activities and tours every day.  Therefore, today was our day to relax.  We started by sleeping in a bit, having a late breakfast, then, finally, taking a leisurely walk around the large Parliament building that we wouldn’t be able to enter.

 

 

 

We were amazed by the building’s size, but it was obvious that it was of rather shoddy construction.  Of course, it was only half finished when Ceausescu was executed, so I’m sure the people of Romania weren’t too keen to be sinking more money into a vanity project by a leader they realized had squandered much of the country’s money.

 

We had decided that our goal for the day was to head over to Revolution Square by a meandering route through the Old Town.  Along the way, we encountered some type of labor parade.  We watched the marching workers for a full twenty minutes before we found a convenient spot to cross their path.

 

 

Once we got to the Revolution Square area, we first admired the statue of King Carol I on horseback, just across the street from the Royal Palace. King Carol was from Germany.  The Romanians, having no royal family, selected this German prince to lead them once they became a modern state in the 1860s. He seemed to really take to this new position, becoming a real cheerleader of Romanian culture.

 

 

We only had to cross the street to find ourselves in Revolution Square.  There, we first walked through the memorial park, which contains a tall monument honoring the more than 1000 Romanians who died during the 1989 revolution.  

 

 

 

The park is right in front of the former Communist Party Headquarters, where Ceausescu had his office and spoke to the people from a second floor balcony.  

 

 

An historic photo of the citizens gathering in Revolution Square in December of 1989

 

Ceausescu’s helicopter rescue from the Communist Headquarters Building when the crowd turned against him

 

Ceausescu was not able to hide for long.  He and his wife were arrested, given a brief trial, shot on Christmas Day 1989, and their bodies exhibited on national tv.  While there is no doubt that Ceausescu was a repressive dictator, this revolution that took less than a week and resulted so quickly in the former leader’s execution seems a bit unsettling.

 

After, leaving Revolution Square, we took a slightly different route back to the Marriott, walking through the Parculi Gradina Cismigiu, a lovely 19th century park.  

 

 

We also stopped by a grocery store along the way to pick up some cheese and crackers to go with some wine we had purchased earlier on the trip.  We had been eating so much lately that we had no desire to go out for dinner.

 

 

[pontac]

Thanks for the latest update.

 

Nice wine glasses, BTW. Were they in your hotel room?

[Australia08]

3 hours ago, pontac said:

Thanks for the latest update.

 

Nice wine glasses, BTW. Were they in your hotel room?

 

The wine glasses weren’t in the room, but my husband called down and asked for a couple of wine glasses and that’s what the Marriott sent up.  It’s always so nice to drink wine out of a nice glass!

[franski]

The Parliament is an impressive building...  I am glad we were able to see it on our first visit there.  It was closed (no one was sure why) when we were there last.  

 

Interesting your comments on Ceausescu...  On our last visit - during our pre-tour extension to Transylvania - the topic of his rule came up more than once.  Our guide admitted that it was a rule fraught with controversy - but she said she (and many others she knew) had a bit of a soft spot for him.  She felt that he kept them (ie: the country) out of extreme debt and so should be recognized and remembered for that.  An interesting view...  However,  when we toured his home - and saw how he & his wife lived in the lap of luxury while the country struggled - I doubt I would be so forgiving.  

 

A wonderful country.  We could see how things had improved from our first visit.  In talking with people along the way, I could see how proud they are of where they live and how they have recovered from the Ceausescu days.

 

Fran

[Australia08]

Tuesday, May 14 - Bucharest to Brasov

 

Today was the first day of the Transylvania extension.  We left about 9:00 am.  My complaint was that the bus was packed. I believe there were 44 of us.  I really think that Viking should have used two buses, but that would have required another guide.  It was a problem for the guide on several occasions when we toured buildings.  We were all strung out going through the rooms, so when she was describing something in one room with maybe 10 tour members, the rest of us would finally reach that room and not really see what she had been talking about (besides the fact that she was already describing something else in another room).  This was not her fault - there’s just no way that she could handle that many people effectively.  In those tight quarters, even 22 would be a challenge, but 44 was crazy!

 

It took us some time to leave Bucharest traffic, but once we were on the open road, the landscape began to get interesting.

 

 

 

We had a brief rest stop, then headed into a higher elevation.

 

 

When we reached Peleş Castle, the bus had to let us off on the road outside the castle estate grounds.  We had to walk the short distance to the castle.  The area was wooded and quite beautiful.

 

 

 

Peles was built by King Carol I in the 1880s.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s report, he was from Germany and wanted to build a German-style castle (think Neuschwanstein).  Unfortunately, the facade was under restoration so one has to image what it looks like without all the scaffolding.  We went into the inner courtyard while our guide got our tickets. 

 

 

 

Once we entered the castle, we started to separate because we had to go through rooms in smaller groups since there were lots of other tourists, too.  The rooms were dominated by dark woodwork, gilt-framed paintings, beautiful chandeliers, and lots of expensive knick-knacks.  We visited just some of the many rooms.

 

Entrance to the Hall of Honor

 

Ceiling of the Hall of Honor

 

Small alcove

 

King Carol’s Study

 

In King Carol’s Study

 

Another corner of King Carol’s Study

 

Room for Audiences

 

Music Room

 

Dining Room

 

Moorish Room

 

Part of the garden after exiting the castle

 

The corner of the castle from where we exited

 

After our castle tour, we reboarded the bus and headed back into Sinaia, the nearby town.  There we were given time for lunch on our own.  While I think everyone enjoyed this hour break, Mike and I really liked the brewery restaurant we dined in, one of several restaurants that our guide suggested.  Most of the tour members headed into the closest restaurant.  Only one other couple joined us at the Ursus Restaurant, a little further up the street.

 

 

Mike and I both had soup - I had the chicken with sour cream and herbs, Mike had the bean with smoked ribs.  Both were delicious!  

 

 

 

 

 

Since we were served quite quickly, we decided to split an order of the papanasi (the fried donuts with jam and sour cream) to see how it compared to the papanasi we had two nights ago.  When two huge plates of papanasi were served, we assumed the waitress had misunderstood.  No, that was one order that they had split for our convenience.  

 

 

After our great lunch, i dozed on the bus as we headed on to Brasov.

 

When we reached Brasov, we headed to the Radisson Blu to check in.  While not as nice as the Marriott, with smaller rooms, our room did have a great view of the Brasov sign.  

 

 

And the Radisson Blu is in a great location right off the pedestrian walkway and square, with lots of restaurants. After settling in, our guide took anyone who wanted to go on a walk around the downtown area.

 

 

 

 

Once the brief walking tour was over, everyone split up.  Many of us decided to go to the Black Church.  It is the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul.  It got its name when it was burned during a fire in 1689.  The inside really demonstrates the importance of the guilds when it was built. Many of the original pews are decorated with the seals of various guilds.  There are also many Turkish carpets filling the nave.  These were donated by European traders and pilgrims who passed through Brasov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After touring the Black Church, we took a leisurely walk back to the hotel, enjoying the fact that the weather was so nice.

 

 

 

We headed up to the sky bar area of the Radisson Blu to enjoy the view.

 

View of Brasov from the sky bar

 

Tomorrow would be a full day of touring Transylvania so we had a light dinner and turned in early.

 

Edited June 10 by Australia08

[Australia08]

Wednesday, May 15 - Transylvania

 

Today was our optional Transylvania Highlights tour.  It seems like most people wanted to take this optional tour, but there were only about 30 spots available online to book in advance.  Later, near the end of the river cruise, there were more spots available, but many who hadn’t booked in advance had other plans so we lucked out with only about 30 tour members on the bus (not as crowded as with the whole group on the Transylvania Extension the day before).  

 

Our first stop was the the fortified Saxon church at Prejmer.  This was just a short ride from Brasov.  This fortified church had been built by the Saxon peasants and craftsmen, emigrants who had been granted land in this area (the church begun in 1218, the fortifications in 1300).  Not only did we see the fortified walls surrounding the church, we got to see the half-timbered building inside that housed the townspeople when they needed to flee to the protection of fortified church during periods of invasion.  There was a room reserved for each family of the town - you can still see the numbers on the doors that were linked to each family.

 

Prejmer Fortified Church

 

Original outer door

 

Original portcullis to protect the inner church and family rooms

 

Portcullis close up

 

The church and family lodging rooms

 

Numbered doors associated with specific families

 

The church - side

 

The church - front

 

The Gothic arches

 

After leaving Prejmer, we had about an hour drive to our next fortified Saxon church at Viscri.  The Transylvanian landscape was beautiful.

 

 

 

 

Once we arrived in Viscri, we left the bus and had about a 20 minute walk to the church.  Part of the walk is uphill, so one or two tour members chose not to walk, instead staying in the village.  By the way, the first house of note pointed out to us was the home of King Charles.  He visited quite regularly prior to becoming king, and has visited at least once since becoming king.  Our tour guide said the locals leave him alone and he likes to hike and be in nature.

 

The home of King Charles in Viscri

 

Another village house in Viscri

 

Village atmosphere - so calm, so peaceful

 

A stork in its nest on top of a chimney in Viscri

 

More of the atmosphere of village life in Viscri

 

By the time we arrived at the fortified church, we could see that it was quite different from the fortified church at Prejmer.  This church is one of the oldest built around 1100 CE.  

 

Walking up the hill toward the fortified church

 

Some of the outer walls

 

Inside the walls

 

Inside the Saxon church

 

Painted wood along the pews

 

A view of the original stonework

 

An arched doorway leading into the bell tower

 

The other side of the area between the outer walls and the church

 

The walk down from the fortified church toward the village

 

After leaving Viscri, it was on to lunch in Sighisoara.  While Sighisoara is considered the best preserved of the seven original Saxon towns, I personally felt that it was too commercial.  The bus dropped us off at the bottom of the hill on which the old town is perched.  It was about a 10 minutes steep climb up the hill (no problem, but for those who might find it challenging, there was a van ride for a slight fee).  

 

 

 

 

Our lunch was in a room in the building where Vlad Dracul was allegedly born.  OK meal, but again, we were crammed in the room.  When those served first were done, they assumed all of us were done (we were served last).  We weren’t. They should have had more servers.  

 

 

 

 

After lunch, it was starting to sprinkle, so our guide sent us to the clock tower.  There is a museum inside which was included in the tour.  You need to be able to walk up narrow, uneven steps, some are spiral.  The artifacts inside are so-so, but the views from the top are worth the climb.  I especially liked being able to see the clock figurines from the inside looking out.  After our visit to the clock tower, we met again to take a brief walking tour of the town and walk to the statue of Vlad Tepes and then to the overlook.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our walking tour, it was time to head back to the bus for our one and a half to two hour drive back to Brasov.

Once back in Brasov, we headed out to dinner on own while other tour members headed to an optional Transylvanian dinner.  I’m glad we chose a quiet wine bar and had the opportunity to quietly enjoy our last evening in Brasov.

 

 

 

Edited June 11 by Australia08

[Canal archive]

Three cheers, wow superb photographs what memories thank you so much for sharing.

[ural guy]

Australia08-  Wow, great pictures, thanks for posting.  Brasov is wonderful, we visited back in 2018 on our own.  We had a driver take us on an almost identical tour of the same Saxon villages. Unfortunately in November rain, so your pics really stand out. Fascinating history in that region.

 

You can stay at one of King Charles properties:

https://zalan.transylvaniancastle.com/

 

There are a few restored traditional houses you can also stay in, all supporting efforts to keep these building skills alive and bring interest to the region.  King Charles did a great job bringing attention to the unique ecosystems that still exist there.

 

https://www.experiencetransylvania.ro/guesthouse/viscri-161/

 

Hope your long flight home was uneventful.  

[NWT Cruiser]

 

I love all the pics and info on this site.  My hubby and I just booked the same "Capitals of Eastern Europe" Romania to Austria on the Kadlin (17 days), however, we don't sail until July 2025.  Itinerary looks fabulous.  We've done many cruises but this will be our first with Viking.

 

Cheers,

Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Edited June 12 by NWT Cruiser

[Mitina]

On 6/10/2024 at 5:26 PM, Australia08 said:

Today was the first day of the Transylvania extension.

Like you, we're doing the Transylvania extension for our trip this fall.  Probably been asked before, but for all the different countries involved on this itinerary, how did you handle the currency situation?  Would Euros be sufficient or did you have an assortment of currencies?

[RobInMN]

I did a similar tour with a Brasov & Bucharest extension with a different company. We only used Euros to tip the local guides. Even if the country itself didn't use Euros, the guides and bus drivers accepted it. We really don't purchase much of anything, and when we did, we used a CC that did not have any foreign currency fees if that was an option. There were a few places in Euro countries where we used Euros (like a street food vendor). We did not purchase anything with cash in the non-Euro countries. There were some tours where there was a restroom break with paid facilities, and our Cruise Manager (who was also with us on the extension) or our tour guide supplied the necessary coinage.

 

[Australia08]

Thursday, May 16 - Brasov to Bucharest

 

Today was the last day of the extension so after breakfast at the hotel, we were back on the full bus again.  Our destination was Bran Castle, more commonly referred to as Dracula’s Castle although there is little to no connection to Vlad the Impaler.  But tell that to all the souvenir sellers.  The castle does date from the 14th century, however, so if you like medieval, this is a fun visit.  In the 20th century, the Romanian royal family used it as a country retreat.  There are lots of narrow, uneven stairways, but it is worth the climb.  Once again, we had problems with the guide describing things four rooms ahead of us, but by this time, we didn’t care.  We just stopped to read things ourselves and tuned her out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we finished touring the castle, we were given free time until 1:30 pm to explore the grounds, the small town (basically filled with tourist traps and tacky souvenir shops), and have lunch on our own.  The guide suggested that the Queen’s Tea Room on the grounds was a good place to eat, or we could go into town.  Mike and I thought the Queen’s Tea Room looked inviting and went there, even though it was too early for lunch.  We had a coffee, then went back out to explore the grounds.  Be the time it was lunchtime, we headed back to the tea room.  It had been packed when we were having coffee, but now there were few people there for lunch.  We were surprised that no one else from our tour was there.  They missed out because the lunch was great.  Mike had a risotto that he liked, but I think I won with my seeded chicken schnitzel.  It was the best schnitzel I had the entire trip!

 

A view of part of the grounds with the Queen’s Tea Room in the background

 

Mike’s risotto

 

My chicken schnitzel

 

Bran Castle view

 

Bran Castle selfie

 

One last look at the Queen’s Tea Room as we left the grounds

 

The town where Bran Castle is located

 

By 1:20, we were the last ones back to the bus.  I think the rest of the tour members were tired, only grabbed something fast, if anything, for lunch, and just wanted to get back to Bucharest.  

 

It was about 3 1/2 hours back to Bucharest because we hit a lot of traffic as we entered the city.  When we got to the hotel, we checked into our new room,  had an early dinner on our own, and prepared to leave Bucharest the following day.

Edited Friday at 07:23 PM by Australia08

[Australia08]

Friday, May 17 - Bucharest to Salzburg (via Vienna)

 

This morning, we had a late breakfast since our transfer to the airport was not until 10:30 am.  We had arranged our own air, but Viking will provide a free transfer if you book their pre or post excursion even without their air.  That was very convenient for us.

 

The transfer was by van for the two couples who needed transfers at that time. The airport check-in was fine, but the business lounge at the airport was awful.  Food in cardboard containers, mostly fried.  So many people crowded in that there was no room to sit. We were not impressed.  We weren’t impressed with Austrian Airlines (booked through Lufthansa) either.  While we are used to European business class with three seats across and the middle seat blocked, the service on this flight was extremely poor.  The seats felt like they were ready to fall apart.  Service was lacking and definitely not friendly.

 

We had originally booked our flight to Vienna to spend some more time, then travel further on our own until May 30.  We had an unexpected family event arise that would take place on May 24 in the US which required us to change our original plans so I kept the Vienna tickets and added on train tickets to Salzburg, heading back towards our flight back to the US in Munich on May 21.  Our flight got us to Salzburg on time, but our train from the airport station to Salzburg was canceled.  We were able to figure out a work around, taking a commuter train into Vienna, then transferring to a direct train heading to Salzburg, but it involved a lot of dashing and changing from the commuter station to the main station.  After all the running, we got to the main station and found out that the train was delayed by an hour.

 

All worked out in the end and we got to Salzburg about an hour late.  We had a relatively short walk to our hotel, the Imlauer Hotel Pitter and settled in.  I had booked a regular double room, rather than their deluxe or suite rooms since the prices in Salzburg seemed so high.  The hotel was fine (we really loved their restaurant!), but our room was too small for our preferences.  We weren’t in it that much, but I think I’ll pay the extra on rooms in the future.  

 

We had snacked at the OBB Travel Lounge while we waited for our delayed train, so we weren’t very hungry but wanted a little something.  Besides, it had been about 20 years since we’d last visited Salzburg and wanted to walk for a bit.  We grabbed our umbrellas because it looked like it might rain.

 

Wow, Salzburg that evening was beautiful!

 

 

And it did begin to drizzle a bit.  We, however, were on our quest for something light to eat, so we strolled the streets of the Old Town, enjoying the fact that the rain was keeping the streets quiet and atmospheric. All the other tourists were staying in their hotels. We finally saw a beer house (Zipfer Bierhaus) that had a light menu.  That seemed right up our alley.  It was great.  It was filled with all locals.  A few of the tables were filled with musicians (they dropped their instruments near the front door when they came in).  It was the perfect atmosphere to relax after our busy travel day.

 

The star of the bierhaus

 

Salzburg-style potato soup with bacon and marjoram

 

What they referred to as their beer snack - pepper salami with chili peppers, mustard, grated horseradish, and pretzel

 

 

 

[ljandgb]

So nice to see pictures of Romania.  We added the extension because my husband REALLY wanted to see the Vlad castle, and I fell in love with the country.  Thank you for the detailed trip report.

 

Regarding the Black Church in Brasov - our guide told us the turkish carpets were a less ostentatious sign of wealth.  When the congregation switched from Catholic to Protestant, the gold and gilt was frowned upon, so families and guilds traded it for carpets instead to hang around their boxes.  Still is expensive, but doesn't stand out so much, unless you know what you're looking for.

[Australia08]

3 minutes ago, ljandgb said:

So nice to see pictures of Romania.  We added the extension because my husband REALLY wanted to see the Vlad castle, and I fell in love with the country.  Thank you for the detailed trip report.

 

Regarding the Black Church in Brasov - our guide told us the turkish carpets were a less ostentatious sign of wealth.  When the congregation switched from Catholic to Protestant, the gold and gilt was frowned upon, so families and guilds traded it for carpets instead to hang around their boxes.  Still is expensive, but doesn't stand out so much, unless you know what you're looking for.

Thanks for the info on the Black Church. 

[Australia08]

Saturday, May 18 - Salzburg

 

Today, we were giving ourselves a rest day since we had a longer tour day tomorrow to Berchtesgaden.

 

We started the morning with a great buffet breakfast at our hotel.  It was probably the best hotel breakfast we had during this trip.  Many types of interesting cheeses, sausages, smoked fish, breads, hot items, made to order omelets that were great, and pour your own champagne (with plenty of juices if you wanted a mimosa variation).  On top of that the view was great since breakfast was in the Sky Bar on the top floor of the hotel. You could also choose to eat outdoors on the balcony, but it was a bit cool this morning so we opted for inside.

 

The view from our inside table - sorry I forgot to take a photo of the buffet area

 

After out late breakfast, we planned to just walk in the Old Town.  As I mentioned earlier, we had visited Salzburg previously and had done all the usual tour stops.  Today was just to enjoy the views and get some exercise after our huge breakfast.  By the way, it was another beautiful day weatherwise!

 

This is the hotel on Goldgasse where my son and I had stayed in 2003 - it was a family-run Rick Steves hotel (then reasonable), now it has changed hands and is much more upscale and expensive

 

Salzburg Cathedral

 

Another view of Salzburg Cathedral

 

St. Peter’s Abbey & Church

 

One of many food stalls at the Saturday market

 

Some of the lovely seasonal food items - I especially love the white asparagus and chanterelles 

 

An outside daytime view of Restaurant Zipfer Bierhaus, where we ate the evening before

 

A view of Hohensalzburg Fortress, towering over the Old Town

 

Augustiner Kloster

 

By this time, we had wandered about three hours, and we were ready for a break.  We still weren’t hungry enough for lunch and we knew we had a dinner reservation for 6:00 pm at the hotel that evening, so we opted for a beer garden restaurant run by a neighboring hotel.  However, we were kind of “beered” out so we both ordered aperol spritzes since the day had warmed up.

 

 

 

By the time we spent a relaxing hour at the beer garden, we had about an hour and a half to head back to the room and change before our evening reservation at our hotel Sky Bar.  We were able to secure a balcony table for what turned out to be a wonderful evening of food, drink, service, and views.

 

This was one of the views from our balcony table.

 

Mike chose a beef consommé with truffled oxtail ravioli and vegetable pearls.

 

I chose a soup of white asparagus with bresaola and cream cheese.  We drank a bottle of Gruner Veltliner white wine.

 

Mike ordered Wiener Schnitzel with parsley potatoes, lingonberries, and lemon for his main.  He said it was good, but not as good as my seeded chicken schnitzel had been at the Queen’s Tea Room (at Bran Castle in Transylvania).

 

I ordered the Ragout of asparagus with gnocchi, herb salad, macadamia, pecorino, and pepperoni mayonnaise.  It was fantastic!

 

For dessert, we shared a Lime-Curd Mousse with almond pastry, berries, and mango.

 

We spent about three and a half hours eating, drinking, talking, and enjoying the views.  It was a wonderful and relaxing evening, made even nicer since we knew we only had to go down two floors to our room.

 

One of our final evening views from our balcony table.

 

Edited Saturday at 04:39 PM by Australia08

[Australia08]

 

Sunday, May 19 - Salzburg to Berchtesgaden and Back

 

This is a day I had been looking forward to - our historical tour of the near Berchtesgaden that was so important during WWII.  My husband and I had always been interested in WWII - probably due to the fact that our fathers had both participated, his father in Europe, my dad in the Pacific.  We have visited many sites associated with the war, but somehow always missed the Eagles Nest and the Berghof.  Today was the day to fill in that missing piece.

 

We had another one of the great Imlauer Hotel Pitter breakfasts, then walked to the bus stop to catch our ride to Berchtesgaden.  He had checked out the stop the day before so we knew exactly where to head.  The bus was on time and we were off on our 30-40 minute ride.  The ride itself is quite scenic.

 

We had taken an earlier bus than we needed, so we had plenty of time to walk up the path from the station into the Old Town of Berchtesgaden prior to meeting our guide.  It was Sunday morning, so it was rather quiet in the Old Town.  

 

Old Town Berchtesgaden

 

Old Town Berchtesgaden

 

By the time we walked around the town and then walked back down, it was almost time to meet our guide, Steve Lewis.  He was already there to meet us so we were able to get an early start on the tour.  I had booked this tour using GetYourGuide, but learned that Steve does have a website, so if you want to book, I’d definitely suggest doing that.  Through GetYourGuide and Viator, only his 1/2 day tour is listed - on his personal site, he always offers a full day tour.  We definitely would have taken that (had we known).  Steve and his wife run their tours.  They have done extensive research, interviewed survivors of the period and children of survivors who remember living there, and they provide a very history focused tour.  They even live in one of the old SS barracks that had since been converted into apartments.  They really know this area well.

 

We immediately started our climb up toward the Berghof.  Along the way, Steve pointed other SS quarters, the site of Bormann’s home and Goering’s home, along with other homes of German leaders of the era.  Steve also pointed out sealed bunker entrances along the drive. The scenery was stunning as we continued to wind our way up toward our first major site - the Berghof, Hitler’s retreat during WWII.  When we reached the area, Steve pointed out the structure, close to the Berghof that remains from the period - a former hotel, Hotel zum Turken.  Bormann did not like it being so close to the Berghof so he had it “purchased.”  It then was used by different security services. While it did sustain some bombing damage at the end of the war, it had been restored by a relative who had regained control of the property after the war.

 

One of the many SS barracks

 

 

 

One of many bunker entrances

 

Hotel zum Turken

 

Right next to the hotel, Steve pointed out the final checkpoint before the Berghof as well as the service entrance and main driveway of the Berghof.  During this time, Steve was also showing us period photos on his iPad.  

 

The location of the final checkpoint before the Berghof

 

The location of the service entrance to the Berghof

 

What remains of the main driveway leading up to the Berghof

 

We parked right at the entrance of the main driveway and walk up to the actual site where many famous photos have been taken.  We stood in front of the location of the huge picture window and viewed the scenery that hasn’t really changed since he lived there.  It was eerie. 

 

We walked around the site which, of course, is now wooded.  The Allied bombing at the end of the way had almost destroyed the Berghof, but the West German government called for it to be completely removed in 1952.  The only original things that remain are the supporting wall of the southern slope and a few small remnants of the foundation.  

 

Our walk up the main driveway

 

The back supporting wall of the Berghof

 

Another view of the supporting wall

 

One of the remaining foundation corners of the Berghof

 

A photo from the era showing the Hotel sum Turken (upper left), the service entrance to the Berghof (middle right), and the main driveway to the Berghof (upper right).  Obviously, the Berghof is on the upper right.  You can also make out the final checkpoint on the road.

 

We were the only people there until about ten minutes before we left, when a couple of hikers came over to see the area.  The government does not encourage the official Eagles’ Nest tours to come here, even though there is a small tourist-style sign placed at the location.  Steve said that none of the tourist literature of the area include directions here.  It’s interesting to note that the official tours go to the Eagle’s Nest, where it is documented that Hitler only visited 14 times.  Yet, he spent 1/3 of the wartime years at the Berghof, where many momentous decisions were made.  We were just glad we were able to come to this site and would be able to see the Eagle’s Nest, too.

 

After our stay at the Berghof, we headed further up the mountain road to the Obersaltzburg Documentation Center.  

 

The brick archways, only part left of the former N* Party Headquarters

 

The Documentation Center - Access to the Bunker Network

 

Unfortunately on the 1/2 day tour, you don’t have time to really visit the museum part.  We did have time to visit the bunkers that are open to the public.  The construction of these bunkers began in 1943 as Germany began to suffer more bombing.  The tunnels that connected the bunkers were dug by slave labor.  

 

There was plenty of signage along the walkway to learn a lot about each bunker area.  I especially liked an area where you could watch a video of the building of the bunker system.

 

Steve’s map of the bunker system, which he explained in detail

 

Documentation Center map of the bunker system

 

Present public entrance to the bunker system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We could have stayed longer, but it we needed to head to our timed-entry bus to take us up the Eagle’s Nest (actually called the Kehlsteinhaus chalet).  Only official buses are allowed to access the very narrow (original) road up to the Eagle’s Nest.  Since the Eagle’s Nest is at such a high elevation, it doesn’t open until mid to late May.  We lucked out because it had opened just the previous week.  The drive up was beautiful.

 

Although Hitler did not visit the Eagle’s Nest very often, Eva Brau loved it.  When we arrived at the parking area, most of the bus passengers headed straight for the elevators that whisk you up to the chalet, which is still quite a distance up.  Steve took us to a side door that was clearly marked Verboten.  But Steve had a key to the door and he lead us in to see some of the equipment used for chalet maintenance.  It also gave him time to explain some more history and allow the crowds at the elevator to disperse.

 

The verboten doorway

 

Steve’s blueprints for the construction of the Eagle’s Nest

 

By the time we got to the original polished-brass elevator, we had it to ourselves.

 

The finely-crafted tunnel leading to the elevator

 

The ceiling of the waiting room for the original bronze elevator

 

When we reached the top, Steve walked us through the rooms, providing explanations and more iPad photos of the Eagle’s Nest rooms and exterior from the period.  This was great because a lot has changed inside the building.  It is a restaurant now.  Steve could point out what was original, partially original, and totally changed.  After his brief tour of the Eagle’s Nest, he left and gave us another 45 minutes to explore on our own before meeting him back down at the parking lot.  We walked up the mountainside behind the building to get a good view.  Again, the weather was on our side.

 

Original ceiling and woodwork

 

Original fire place and ceiling

 

 

 

The Sun Terrace today

 

The Sun Terrace then

 

 

 

When it was time to head down to meet Steve, we discovered that the original bronze elevator wasn’t working so it was an unexpected hike down to the parking lot (actually, we enjoyed it).

 

Outside the Eagle’s Nest starting our walk down

 

The buses were kind of off schedule due to the elevator malfunction since buses can only travel in one direction at a time due to the narrow road, so we had to wait for about twenty minutes in the parking lot.  Once we got back to Steve’s car, it was a quick trip back to the bus station to catch the bus back to Salzburg.  It had been a great tour and we highly recommend Steve’s tour!

 

Once we got back to Salzburg, we decided another visit to the hotel’s Sky-Bar Restaurant was in order.  It was a great decision because we had another great meal.  After dinner, it was time to back for our journey to Munich tomorrow.

 

[Australia08]

Sorry for the typos in my last post.  By the time I discovered them, it was too late to complete edits.  That includes the extra photos at the end.