Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg

It used to be the rule that Tesco sited their stores on the route between a town's main car park and the shopping centre,and that is much how I pick my hotels except that I chose somewhere between the railway station and the main attractions (usually the Old Town).

And so I came to be close to the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg for a couple of days.

The gardens are not enormous but at least they are big enough to easily swallow a few coachloads of tourists.

They are also very formal and with all the flowers in bloom that makes them very attractive.

The gardens are arranged in neat rectangles on two sides of the Mirabell Palace while on the third side there is a more natural looking mound with trees. The fourth side is now a main road.

There is a small garden next to the Palace that is separated from the rest by railings and stone pillars topped with more flowers. Beyond this are large lawns through which flowers curve to make colourful patterns.

Looking back across the lawns towards the Palace is the most popular view and is the one chosen by all the wedding parties while I was there.

Beyond the lawns is a circular pond, with a fountain of course. around this are arranged four triangular beds with more haphazard planting competing with large statues for attention.

There are other gardens on either side.

On the left, and raised a little, is a series of hedges that do not quite make a maze and do not quite conceal the open-air stage.

On the right is another formal garden with statue, this time the demure Papagena (from The Magic Flute).

Finally, behind you as you look at the Palace, is the Dwarf Garden which is defined by a row of odd looking sculptures.

Together the varied sections of the garden add up to something greater than the sum of the parts and while there is nothing to get ecstatic about it is certainly the best route to/from the town.

Gardens like these were designed for walking in. So that is what I did. Several times.