Salzburg, Austria

To kick off spring break, Halley Bartlett and I found ourselves in Salzburg, Austria, which was slightly colder than most other students' preferred spring break destinations. This city is the backdrop for The Sound of Music as well as the birthplace of Mozart. While there, we explored old town, drank way too much coffee, and walked along the river with breathtaking views of the classical Austrian architecture and the Monchsberg cliffs.

One thing in the city that both of us found interesting (as two landscape architecture students) was St. Peters Cemetery. Personally I'd never seen anything like it. The cemetery was tightly filled with headstones, some of which belonged to pretty notable people such as Mozart's sister. Unlike other cemeteries I'd visited in my lifetime, this one was beautiful and full of life. Each of the graves is home to a planting bed that is filled with flowers and greenery that are kept in perfect condition by locals. Rising from each headstone is an ornate metal fixture that tells a little something about the person, or people, who are buried there. These allow the tight space that the cemetery is located in to remain feeling open and light.

This cemetery seems to celebrate life and death in a way I've never seen before.