Dan Evans

Dan Evans' Euro Trip

part 3: Salzburg, Landshutt and Praha

Once again, we start with thumbnails. Click on the description to see it full size.

Salzburg...

Soori and I got a 'wochende' ticket, 35 DM (around $20) and you can ride all weekend on the older trains. It was a 2 hour ride to Salzburg in Austria. It's a pretty place, dripping with history as all those places seem to do. The Hoehnzolleran fortress is the largest in Europe. Quite impressive and a great view. We got there during the Christmas market, and I had a choclolate covered pretzel that was a lot better than it sounds. Salzburg was the home of Mozart and Haydn too. I give it 4 stars.

At Hoehnzolleran fortress Me, fortress in background

Me at a Salzburg fountain

Landshutt

Landshutt is northeast of Munich about an hour's train ride. It has a nicely preserved (read: not bombed) old town. Pretty, all in pastel. I visitted on Sunday, so the place was quiet. I did have a kebap in a little shop with a number of guys talking in Turkish. The kebab was good and so was the beer. I give it 2.5 stars. Had I seen it on Saturday, might have gotten 3.

Alte Deutchland in Landshutt Landshutt, Pastel Bavaria

More Landshutt

Praha (Prague)

Probably my favorite place of all was Praha. Now, it's not a clean as Munich, but it positively overflows with charming buildings. And, being a cheapskate, I loved the prices, which were generally cheaper than elsewhere. A BIG pizza for one would cost 3 dollars. Beer, kingsize, was around a dollar in a restaurant. Praha is very popular now among ex-pats, I met several Americans living there in my few days, as well as Dutch, Brit and what not. They are pretty open minded in Prague, with gambling casinos. One of the first things I noticed in the train station were the slot machines! Now the train station isn't as hygienic as Munich. It's a bit run-down, and there are a few unappealing characters (drunks and indigents, not necessarily criminals, as (thankfully) I had no problems there) hanging around in the train station. But they seem to be recovering quite well from their Communist years. Oh, by the way, it's a great place to pick up commie souveniers. I got a hammer and sickle flag and a nice fake-wool Russian army hat, with pin. Tovarich! I give it 5 stars!

Praha (Prague), on foot... Postcard of Praha, Wenceslaus Square

Another Postcard view of Praha

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