Giant Games & Weird Art
Location: Austria
Camera Info: Fuji Finepix A303 • Automatic Point & Shoot
ISO 100 • f 7 • 1/210 sec
Are you up for a game of chess? What about if the pieces are as big as you? I was intrigued by this giant chessboard during a walking tour of Salzburg. There was already a game in progress, but how fun would it have been to join in!
Salzburg’s giant chess board is in the heart of the Kapitelplatz, near the Dom Cathedral. The Kapitelplatz is the part of Salzburg’s Old Town, and is a square featuring art displays, music and cultural activities. While giant chess boards are not unique (there is even a site pinpointing them all around the world), the other two main attractions in the site are creative.
One is a fountain/pond with a statue of Neptune on it. Back in the 1700’s, it used to be the Kapitelschwemme, or horse bath. On the other side, right next to the chessboard, is a 30-foot statue of a man on top of a golden orb. This piece of art, known as Sphaera, was made by artist Stephan Balkenhol in 2007. Since the artist’s other works around Europe feature the same man on top of various objects, the locals nicknamed this statue “Mann auf Mozartkugel” (Man on Mozartkugel). Mozartkugeln are the best chocolate candy balls in the city, just as an FYI. 😉
You can find all sorts of fun things in town squares!
Have you ever seen (or played) a giant board game of any kind?
More Than Salt in Salzburg
Location: Austria
Camera info: Fuji Finepix A303 / Automatic Point & Shoot
ISO 100 • f 2.8 • 1/550 sec
Time for some more tourist tips! The city of Salzburg (lit. “Salt City”) was one of my favorite visits, because there was just so much to do! I posted earlier about The Sound of Music tours, but the city sports many other things to do. Some people come to hear all about the birthplace of Mozart, and another travel reviewer described the Salzburg as “a Disneyfied city with scrumptious cakes, sugar-coated mountains and one helluva fortress.”
I took this photo from the top of Festung Hohensalzburg, which roughly translates to “Fortress High (Above) Salzburg.” Appropriate, I guess. It was a good view of the city, and they had a great classical music concert. That was after a day of exploring the salt mines on the Austria/Germany border. If you’ve never ridden a speed slide into a cave, you have to try it! For those on a budget, even walking around the old town to see the baroque architecture and trying out the variety of food is a good way to spend the day. Salzburg was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. A quick search online will reveal a long list of things to do, or not do, when visiting Salzburg. No matter what type of activities interest you, I would definitely recommend taking a trip here next time you’re in Europe!
Sound off if you’ve ever visited this city! What was your favorite thing to do or see?
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