Salzburg Photos: Mount untersberg
return to "winter
photos 2"
Mount Untersberg is the first proper, Alpine mountain that you will see looking
southwards from Salzburg. It is accessible via a cable car, which in turn is
linked to Salzburg with a city bus. All that makes the Untersberg a rewarding
destination for a day-trip. Traditionally, the Untersberg has been seen as a
mystical place. This could be explained by its sheer size, especially if you
compare it to other mountains in the area. According to legend, Emperor
Charlemagne (in some versions Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa) sleeps inside of the
Untersberg. Only once a year he wakes up and sends out dwarves that serve him to
check if there are still crows flying around the summit. If this is the case, he
continues to sleep. As soon as the crows will leave, the Emperor will guide his
armies and dwarves to the Walserfeld in modern
Wals-Siezenheim to fight a final
battle in a doomsday-like fashion. As if all that wasn't enough, there are local
traditional culture groups in the area of the Untersberg that keep traditional
Perchtenlauf customs alive - the ones from the Untersberg area include certain
archetypes that you will not find anywhere else, such as the Habergoas, a
demonic goat.
photo (c) visit-salzburg.net
|