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Salzburg: City of Culture
Now in paperback, Nowak reveals the lesser-known side of Salzburg through stories of those who have lived there over the centuries.
Situated in the shadow of the Eastern Alps, Salzburg is known for its majestic baroque architecture, music, cathedrals, and gardens. The city grew in power and wealth as the seat of prince-bishops, found international fame as the birthplace of the beloved composer Mozart, and expanded to become a global destination for travel as a festival city. With all its stunning sights and rich history, Salzburg has become Austria’s second most visited city, drawing visitors from around the world.
Hubert Nowak sets out to reveal the lesser-known side of Salzburg, a small town with international renown. Leaving the famed festival district, he plunges into the narrow façade-lined streets of the old quarter, creating one of the most extensive accounts of the city published in English. Through the stories of those who visited and lived in the city over the centuries, he gives the reader a fresh perspective and gives the old city new life.
Situated in the shadow of the Eastern Alps, Salzburg is known for its majestic baroque architecture, music, cathedrals, and gardens. The city grew in power and wealth as the seat of prince-bishops, found international fame as the birthplace of the beloved composer Mozart, and expanded to become a global destination for travel as a festival city. With all its stunning sights and rich history, Salzburg has become Austria’s second most visited city, drawing visitors from around the world.
Hubert Nowak sets out to reveal the lesser-known side of Salzburg, a small town with international renown. Leaving the famed festival district, he plunges into the narrow façade-lined streets of the old quarter, creating one of the most extensive accounts of the city published in English. Through the stories of those who visited and lived in the city over the centuries, he gives the reader a fresh perspective and gives the old city new life.
140 pages, Hardcover
Published July 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 25, 2020
My knowledge of Salzburg before picking up this book was Mozart was born there and then booted out, it is a pretty city surrounded by mountains and the hills there seem to be alive with music. There is a lot to learn about Salzburg in this book and you realise this as Nowak drops a very interesting fact on the first page, this instantly drew me in with lots of "no ways" from this reader.
The best way to to describe this book is one of those city tour guide books but written by somebody who adores the city. Nowak tells you all the best museums, he lets you know of some of the best views and introduces you to some really interesting locals. Visiting the city you're not going to meet these hotel owners, architects, gallery directors and artists so reading this book will give you an extra edge on anybody else.
One of the most interesting things I learnt was about crime novels, there are so many that are based at Salzburg and yet there is barely one murder a year there and that always gets solved.....and as Nowak points out this is perfect for a crime novel as cases there always get solved too. Also covered in the book that I found quite interesting is city planning, there is very little space available and getting a new building through planning or even resurfacing a road takes an age.
This was a good book and there is something for everybody here I reckon. One day if I ever decide to leave the safety of this island I live on then this would be one place I'd visit, both my daughters are quite artistic and I think they'd love it there. One bug bear with the book....no map...I love finding the places talked about on a map so had to keep going to google to have a look.
Many thanks to Haus Publishing for this copy. I've noticed they have a book about Hemingway in Italy so might have to check that out.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020...
The best way to to describe this book is one of those city tour guide books but written by somebody who adores the city. Nowak tells you all the best museums, he lets you know of some of the best views and introduces you to some really interesting locals. Visiting the city you're not going to meet these hotel owners, architects, gallery directors and artists so reading this book will give you an extra edge on anybody else.
One of the most interesting things I learnt was about crime novels, there are so many that are based at Salzburg and yet there is barely one murder a year there and that always gets solved.....and as Nowak points out this is perfect for a crime novel as cases there always get solved too. Also covered in the book that I found quite interesting is city planning, there is very little space available and getting a new building through planning or even resurfacing a road takes an age.
This was a good book and there is something for everybody here I reckon. One day if I ever decide to leave the safety of this island I live on then this would be one place I'd visit, both my daughters are quite artistic and I think they'd love it there. One bug bear with the book....no map...I love finding the places talked about on a map so had to keep going to google to have a look.
Many thanks to Haus Publishing for this copy. I've noticed they have a book about Hemingway in Italy so might have to check that out.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020...
November 1, 2020
Heading for SALZBURG? You need to this book! Salzburg is so much more than Mozart...
Our You Tube review: https://youtu.be/9eR2oiBmy5s
I have been to Salzburg once. It is a small town nestled amongst the mountains and hills (it’s important to mention the hills when you are in Salzburg, for obvious reasons), with a river at its heart (the Salzach), located not far from Italy and Germany, and busy doing its own, low key thing.
Most people would associate the city with Mozart (and it is Joannes Chrysostomus Wolgangus Theophilus Mozart). This is a city that is quietly going somewhere. Those in the know are blessed with being part of an arty, historic and culturally vibrant metropolis – if they can stand the glut of Mozart memorabilia and architectural tributes.
On page one of the book we discover that Salzburg, the city of Mozart’s birth, couldn’t really accommodate his free and colourful spirit. He was given the cold shoulder, so he ended up in Vienna. It was 50 years after his death that the city elders realised what a missed opportunity his defection had been and the first of many statues to him was erected. Salzburg has tirelessly been working on the Mozart theme ever since, and stealthily his name has become synonymous with the city (hard luck Vienna!).
The ‘other’ cultural phenomenon (if you can call it that) is that it is the setting for the film The Sound of Music (the hills are alive, and all that….). If you have the stomach for it, you can visit many of the locations in the film (including the Alm – the hilly pasture where Maria sings) taking a 9 hour round trip by coach. Unlike the city’s dedication to Mozart, which now offers two museums to the man, it is strangely ambivalent about any tribute to TSOM. There is nothing that would, at first glance, link the city to this iconic film. Is it embarrassment, perhaps, a certain discomfort with the Nazi theme of the film, or a touch of snobbery that has precluded them from cashing in on this extraordinary film (a film of which virtually everyone has heard!)? More people know about the film than they do about Mozart, the author cites his examples! Who knows, though, why they are so loathe to cash in on the film’s success.
In this book, there are all kinds of nuggets of information about the city – the mountaineers in the Spring who chip off any loose boulders on the mountain face that might fall on unsuspecting pedestrians; or hear tell that the paving stones on the iconic Getreidegasse cost €2 million; and property prices are the highest in Austria, beating prices even in the capital Vienna.
For me it was particularly delightful to see mention the multitude of crime novels set in the city. This is actually ironic because they have about one murder per annum in the city and the crime usually gets cleared up (one could add a few attempted murders over the years to boost these squeaky clean statistics). Meet Manfred Baumann’s Kommissar Martin Merana (his role model being Donna Leon and her character Commissario Guido Brunetti) whose most popular title (of six books penned so far) is Everyman Death (Jedermanntod) – a body is found on the Everyman stage, part of the Festspiele (festival) held every year. Unfortunately these books remain untranslated and in their original German (*waving* at any publishers who fancy taking on the task of translation/publication?).
This is a book I would definitely take and read on my way to visit the city. It would really get me in the mood! It is written with wry humour, acute observation, and the author’s fondness for the city really permeates the pages.
Our You Tube review: https://youtu.be/9eR2oiBmy5s
I have been to Salzburg once. It is a small town nestled amongst the mountains and hills (it’s important to mention the hills when you are in Salzburg, for obvious reasons), with a river at its heart (the Salzach), located not far from Italy and Germany, and busy doing its own, low key thing.
Most people would associate the city with Mozart (and it is Joannes Chrysostomus Wolgangus Theophilus Mozart). This is a city that is quietly going somewhere. Those in the know are blessed with being part of an arty, historic and culturally vibrant metropolis – if they can stand the glut of Mozart memorabilia and architectural tributes.
On page one of the book we discover that Salzburg, the city of Mozart’s birth, couldn’t really accommodate his free and colourful spirit. He was given the cold shoulder, so he ended up in Vienna. It was 50 years after his death that the city elders realised what a missed opportunity his defection had been and the first of many statues to him was erected. Salzburg has tirelessly been working on the Mozart theme ever since, and stealthily his name has become synonymous with the city (hard luck Vienna!).
The ‘other’ cultural phenomenon (if you can call it that) is that it is the setting for the film The Sound of Music (the hills are alive, and all that….). If you have the stomach for it, you can visit many of the locations in the film (including the Alm – the hilly pasture where Maria sings) taking a 9 hour round trip by coach. Unlike the city’s dedication to Mozart, which now offers two museums to the man, it is strangely ambivalent about any tribute to TSOM. There is nothing that would, at first glance, link the city to this iconic film. Is it embarrassment, perhaps, a certain discomfort with the Nazi theme of the film, or a touch of snobbery that has precluded them from cashing in on this extraordinary film (a film of which virtually everyone has heard!)? More people know about the film than they do about Mozart, the author cites his examples! Who knows, though, why they are so loathe to cash in on the film’s success.
In this book, there are all kinds of nuggets of information about the city – the mountaineers in the Spring who chip off any loose boulders on the mountain face that might fall on unsuspecting pedestrians; or hear tell that the paving stones on the iconic Getreidegasse cost €2 million; and property prices are the highest in Austria, beating prices even in the capital Vienna.
For me it was particularly delightful to see mention the multitude of crime novels set in the city. This is actually ironic because they have about one murder per annum in the city and the crime usually gets cleared up (one could add a few attempted murders over the years to boost these squeaky clean statistics). Meet Manfred Baumann’s Kommissar Martin Merana (his role model being Donna Leon and her character Commissario Guido Brunetti) whose most popular title (of six books penned so far) is Everyman Death (Jedermanntod) – a body is found on the Everyman stage, part of the Festspiele (festival) held every year. Unfortunately these books remain untranslated and in their original German (*waving* at any publishers who fancy taking on the task of translation/publication?).
This is a book I would definitely take and read on my way to visit the city. It would really get me in the mood! It is written with wry humour, acute observation, and the author’s fondness for the city really permeates the pages.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews