Down the Salt Mines in Salzburg
By traveltripz on May 7, 2007 in Austria, Europe
Salzburg has lots to see and do and while we were going through the brochures for local events we came across a tour to the Salt Mines. Well this sounded like fun and we rang and booked a tour for the next day.Next morning we are up bright and early again and have an early breakfast in the well lit dining room with the subtle frescoes on the walls, and off we go.
We had to wait for quite some time until one couple turned up but finally we are bundled into a car and off we go. The guide is awesome, not only does he speak english he also speaks French and Spanish for the two other couples on the tour.
We drive along thoroughly engrossed in the sights and listening to our guide going through his translations.
We head out a short distance south of Salzburg, to the Dürrnberg mountain where we are going to see one of the world’s oldest salt mines that is open to tourism.
To reach our destination we have to go up the side of a mist shrouded mountain in a gondola. It starts to drizzle with rain, but the view back down over the picturesque town of Hallein is spectacular in spite of the rain.
Salzburg’s legendary wealth was founded upon the salt or the “white gold” that lay beneath the Dürrnberg mountain . Salt was mined from the times of the Celts.
Once we arrive at the top we are ushered into a change room while a new guide tells us what we are going to see and do. We are each given a set of overalls to put on over our clothes.
Extremelly attractive as you can see.
Then we all board a miniature train that takes us into the gloomy tunnels of the preserved mine. There are two smoothly polished slides that we must descent before travelling by boat across a salt lake. Our guide explains the history of the salt mines and tells us about the lives of the miners before we leave the boat and continue on foot, stopping now and then to look at the artifacts that tell the tales of a life long gone.
Once we have returned to the reception area and taken off the overalls, our guide takes us to a nearby celtic village where we can see how the celts lived in a long gone age.
Our advice is to make sure you don’t miss this tour. Not only is it educational, it is great fun.
We head back to do some more sightseeing and shopping around town.
Next morning we board the train to Venice.
