Day 8 – Hellbrunn Palace, Mirabell Gardens, and Augustiner Brau!

Today we woke up to the sun shining! After a quick breakfast of chocolate croissants and cappuccinos, we headed to the bus stop near our hotel and hoped aboard a local bus to Hellbrunn Palace, just outside Salzburg center. Built in the early 17th century, as a summer home, what made this palace a bit different than others we’ve visited were the trick fountains spread throughout parts of the garden. A mix of jets of water, hydro-powered automatons, and surprising fountains, kept us giggling and ultimately soaked in water. Apparently these types of water features were commonplace until they fell out of favor.

After a hike to the viewpoint, two quick geocache finds, and a long stroll through the gardens, we grabbed some ice cream and headed back to our hotel for lunch and a nap.

We spent our afternoon at gardens outside of the Mirabell Palace along the Salzach river. The garden itself is gorgeous, with the flowers, statues, and fountains we’ve come to expect – but just as incredible were the views of the Altstadt and fortress towering high above the city. Kate found a comfy bench and spent some time sketching while Addison and Evan headed to the playground and Kendra and I wandered though the gardens.

As the afternoon waned, we crossed the  river to the Alstadt, and had dessert at Cafe-Konditorei Fürst, home of the original Salzburger Mozartkugel (a candy that Kendra and Kate love, and the rest us do not enjoy). My vanilla ice cream with warmed raspberries and fresh cream was delightful. I also tried Evan’s Sachertorte, and Kate’s Mozarttorte, and was not disappointed.

Our last stop of the day was the Augustiner Bräustübl Kloster Mülln, a beer garden founded by monks in 1621 that Kendra and I used to frequent when we stayed in Salzburg. It’s Austria’s largest, though I am not sure the kids were impressed. The ribs, fries, freshly made potato chips, and beer hit the spot. We enjoyed a leisurely time, playing gin rummy and going back to the food stalls several times. Tomorrow we are off to our next adventure – Innsbruck!