Vienna, Austria

Vienna is probably one of my dearest cities in Europe. It was the first big city I visited when I went abroad more than 9 years ago. Once heart of the Habsburg Empire, Vienna never ceases to amaze me with it's  culture, architecture, culinary delights and everything so well thought. I got the chance to visit again (this time the interiors also) the Schönbrunn Palace, which is one of Vienna's highlights! No need to tell you about the delicious apple strudel I had to taste while being there, the perfect gardens, the amazing Gloriette, the huge "bretzel", the wonderful Orange Garden...there are so many things to see there...one day is just not enough...Take a look...see for yourselves! :)

Love, ~Gab

Salzburg ♫♪♫ Austria

The pic above is a duo - the left one is me in the same place as in the right one, only that is 8 years ago...and the right one is this year, well this month...A lot has changed...
I was so happy I could see again this beautiful city of Austria. It's just the perfect destination for an european relaxed vacation. It's for sure...I'll always love these places! If this pics won't make you wanna see Salzburg...then...you refuse to see pure beauty.

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria (after Vienna, Graz and Linz) and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Its "Old Town", with its world famous baroque architecture, is one of the best-preserved city centers in the German-speaking world and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The name Salzburg literally means "Salt Castle", and derives its name from the barges carrying salt on the Salzach river, which were subject to a toll in the 8th century.

The Salzburg Cathedral (German: Salzburger Dom) is a 17th century baroque cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg in the city of Salzburg, dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg.It is the site of Mozart's baptism.

Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung) Located on top of a mountain, the Festung offers breath-taking views of Salzburg and the Alps. One area of the fortress offers visitors the chance to look down on a field below to find only one house, the executioner's residence. It was believed to live anywhere near the executioner was bad luck. Inside the fortress is a museum of medieval weapons, life on the fortress, and torture instruments. To avoid the vertical hike up to the Fortress, a funicular is available to ride, for a fee.

Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart's birth house), Getreidegasse 9 - The Mozart family lived in this house in the heart of Salzburg from 1747-1773, where W.A. Mozart himself was born on 27 January 1756. The house is now a popular museum devoted to Mozart and his family, with interesting memorabilia and letters.

Getreidegass - A long yet narrow street running parallel to the river in the center of town, with lots of shops, famous for the old (or old-style) signs of profession outside each store. Getreidegasse (also known as Grain Lane) is a busy shopping street in the Old-Town section of Salzburg. The house at no. 9 Getreidegasse is the place where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and where he lived until the age of 17. Is one of the oldest streets in Salzburg. Most of the buildings feature wrought-iron guild signs hanging above the shops.

More pic on my facebook profile http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=242954&id=570581867

"It starts in Linz"

Linz is the third largest city in Austria with 188,968 inhabitants, is the capital of the federal province of Upper Austria and forms the heart of Austria´s second strongest economic region. Linz is by the Danube (Donau) river. The tourist slogan of the city is "In Linz beginnt's" ("It starts in Linz"). It was the first time I've seen this city and although is not as almost fairy tale like quality of Salzburg, I loved it anyway! Check it out for yourselves!

Cathedral of the Virgin Mary (Mariendom), Linz, Austria

Linz is an industrial city (with huge steel and chemical works) which was bombed during World War II - and was one of the few cities of Nazi-Germany that escaped total destruction. While Linz does indeed have a sizable "Altstadt" (old town) it may be disappointing to those tourists familiar with the charm of Graz or Salzburg. Linz is primarily a student and industrial town.While industry in Linz is still financially important, it is slowly diversifying by helping small companies and encouraging tourism. The city gets a lot of international media attention because of its annual Ars Electronica Festival - an international festival for Electronic Art. It also hosts the "Klangwolke" ("sound-cloud"); a big cultural Open-Air spectacle with modern and traditional music and a massive light show, which is held in September. Linz has become the "European Capital of Culture" in 2009, by virtue of an independent cultural development and an innovative culture and art scene.