Taylor Blair Photography

Salzburg completely caught me off guard and honestly it might be my favorite city I visited this entire trip.

zero plan here and that was the move. this place is so walkable you just start going and keep stumbling into things. shops, cafes, little alleys, a church around every corner. no itinerary needed.

as a Sound of Music girlie Mirabell Gardens was a big deal for me. it looks exactly like it does in the film and honestly doesn’t look like anything has changed since then. all the iconic spots are still there.

the Hohensalzburg Fortress is a whole day on its own. it’s basically its own little world up there. restaurants, cafes, shops, museums and views of the snowy Alps that I was not ready for.

Mozart was born here so music is woven into everything and plan for a show while you’re here. also keep an eye out for the marionette puppets, they are a huge part of the culture and once you start noticing them you see them absolutely everywhere.

the famous Krampus Christmas festival is held here every year and I’m definitely adding that to the bucket list!

Venice is one of those places that looks exactly like the photos but somehow feels completely different in person.

maybe I’ve been to the Venetian in Vegas too many times or watched too many movies but I was picturing singing gondola riders and romantic canals but that’s just not the reality. it’s super overpriced, pretty dirty, there was construction EVERYWHERE and dragging my suitcase over endless bridges and stairs genuinely almost made me cry.

we stayed two nights and out of everywhere I went in Italy this ended up ranking somewhere near the bottom which surprised me. that said the glass blowing was worth seeing, the water taxi system makes getting around super easy and the architecture was stunning (is it just me or does turning 30 make you suddenly care about architecture?) lol. going during off season helped it feel more local which I’d definitely recommend.

my honest take? Venice is worth seeing but maybe do it as a day trip from Mestre or even Murano instead of staying there. you’ll get the experience without the hassle and the price tag.