Salzburg a coffee trip.
The relationship between Austria and the coffee began in the year 1.683 with the siege of Vienna, the rest is history and some legend….
But isn’t Vienna the subject of this post. The city of Salzburg is one of Austria's most beautiful and visited cities and well known for Mozart and The Sound of Music. I decided to visit Salzburg to meet some friends and at once get a closer look at the coffee scene in that wonderful city.
As far as I know, the oldest coffeehouse in Austria and one of the first in Europe is The Tomaselli located in Alter Markt, 9 in Salzburg.
The Tomaselli must be almost as old as the tradition of coffee drinking in Europe.
ERICH KÄSTNER
The Tomaselli along the Sacha Hotel and the Konditorei Fürst are those kinds of charming establishments that transport you back to another age.
On the other hand, we have the Third Wave Coffee Houses, focused on speciality coffee but with different points of view and philosophy.
Before the trip, I only knew about Kaffee-Alchemie, a place not to be missed, and after digging a little and be lost, twice, in Salzburg I started to enjoy the adventure of discovering new horizons.
Kaffee-Alchemie
Thanks to John, a coffee enthusiast from Norway, with more than 15 years within Speciality Coffee, International Cup of Excellence Judge and experienced barista trainer, this small coffeehouse is well known outside Austrian borders.
Although I have put in the category of 3rd Wave Coffee House I think that the correct term would be Speciality Coffee House and somehow It reminds me of the shop in Barcelona of Cafés El Magnífico.
Here you can drink and buy coffees from Central America and Africa roasted by Wild Kaffe Rösterei and Gardelli Speciality Coffees and find any kind of coffee machines and coffee tools for home.
I bought two bags of coffee from them, one from Wild Kaffee Rösterei, Guatemala fermented for 36h, Catuai, Bourbon and Typica and other from Gardelli, Rwanda with an 88 score.
Coffee Press
The first time I get lost and my steps lead me to Coffee Press, a pretty and cosy place, where I found coffee beans roasted in Salzburg. The roaster’s name is EBNER KAFFEE and although is not a Speciality Coffee Roaster, their roast is kind of old school roast, deserves to mention it because the staff of Coffee Press show me the way to something unexpected, 220GRAD!
220GRAD
Love at first sight!
As a former owner of a coffee house and restaurants still having the business eye.
Alois and Margret Macheiner started this project ten years ago and nowadays they run three spots. The roastery, a coffee house and the prettiest combination of coffeehouse and restaurant that I’ve ever seen.
They pay attention to every single detail from the outside decoration to the inside atmosphere, how present the coffees on a precious cups over a thin elegant wood plate, the food, the service and the staff always smiling even in the rush moments!
Also, have a big selection of single origins:
Brazil, Imas Pereira.
Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe.
Sumatra, Mandheling.
Kenia, Karani.
Colombia, Hernando Castro.
Guatemala, La Labor.
And three blends:
Selektion Eins, Brazil, Guatemala and Ethiopia 100% Arabica
Selektion Zwei, Brazil, Kenya and Uganda 90% Arabica 10% Robusta
Selektion Vier, Brazil, Sumatra and Uganda 70% Arabica 30% Robusta
I am a lover of the blends and roaster, I can tell you that build a blend and roast the same blend through the years is the real roasting art.
220GRAD RÖSTEREI
Alois is in charge of the roastery where they roast and sell the coffee.
220GRAD CAFÉ
Here I bought the Selektion Zwei and Colombia that by the way is spectacular and I loved how they closed the coffee bags with the same braided thread used in the coffee tote bags.
220GRAD NONNTAL
I met there Margret, her daughter Katarina and Carlo Tandjoong part of the café staff.
And with Christian Kaiserseder from KK solutions (Victoria Arduino, Nuova Simonelli and BTW best water technology) spoke about the new Aurelia II.
In their business cards only shows the other places and Alois told me “you must visit our new place Nonntal, you will love it!”. He was right and I loved so much that I would like to work there.
Just opened May 15th and I went there the June 14th!
Here I tried the Yirgacheffe and the Selektion Zwei, both in espresso.
RÖSTZIMMER15
I get lost in Salzburg twice and the 2nd time this banner call my attention!
I just founded a 3rd roastery in Salzburg, lucky me!
Erna Reichinger is the owner of this micro-roastery and coffee house focused in bio Speciality Coffees from East Africa that roast herself.
Here I had the chance of meeting to Janine Reyhani, she provides the green coffee to Erna and she owns a micro-roastery in Gratz.
After four intense days in Salzburg, I flew back to Iceland dreaming about the next coffee trip destination...
Kaffe-Alchemie
Rudolfskai, 38
220GRAD
Café - Chiemseegasse, 5
Rösterei -Maxglaner Hauptstrasse, 29
Nonntal -Nonntal Hauptstrasse, 9A
Röstzimmer15
Wolf-Dietrich Straße, 15
Salzburg a fairytale city!
Salzburg is a small city in west Austria, by the border with Germany well known because of one of their most famous citizen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In the summer of 2016 and 2017, I worked with Austrian students. They were doing their internship in the hotel that I worked in Iceland and I wanted to visit them and spend some days in the city and learn about the coffee scene in Salzburg.
To visit Salzburg you may need between two to three days and maybe a fourth to enjoy!
There are many churches, museums, a big castle and old buildings.
My trip started choosing a place to sleep and have a shower, cheap and close to the old part of the city to avoid to take public transport, which by the way is awesome and works with the precision of a Swiss watch.
My hostel was the Yoho hostel in Paracelsusstraße, just 3 minutes walking from Mirabellplatz and Mirabellgarten. A clean and nice hostel with 6 pax bedrooms, bar, kitchen, dining room, tours activities and a kind staff.
I started my first day buying the Salzburg Card (24h/48h) at the reception of the hostel, this card is awesome! Free travel on public transport, free entrance to all city attractions, free entrance to museums, discount on cultural events, funiculars and the boat tour on the river Salzach is for free.
A useful tip about this card is that you write the day and the time you start to use, I mean you can buy the card but the 24h or 48h starts when you write the time on the card.
So first make a visit plan to squeeze the card!
My city tour started at the Mirabell square, Mirabell garden, Mozart birthplace, Makart bridge, the pretty street Getreidegasse, Alter Markt, Domplatz, and Mozartplatz. I did the same tour at night with no tourist and totally empty streets.
(photos)
I really recommend visiting the cafe and the restaurant at Sacha Hotel to jump back in time and try the Sacha cake with the world famous Vienna Coffee.
And the Confectionery Fürst to buy the original Mozart Chocolates!
But If you are interested in coffee, as I am... You should visit some cafes in Salzburg… but that is for the next Sunday!
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See you!