Mozart City Salzburg – Rome of the North

Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. With almost a billion euros in tourism sales and around 8000 jobs, tourism is an important economic factor. From princely to urban, the city of Mozart is as wonderfully rich in contrast as the people of Salzburg themselves - close to home but cosmopolitan and down-to-earth.

For more than 1000 years, Salzburg was a papal state with secular and ecclesiastical power united in the role of prince-archbishop. After the Vatican, Salzburg was the most important church metropolis. Baroque squares, small passages and an impressive abundance of churches and monasteries bear witness to the legacy of these prince-archbishops in terms of architecture, art and culture.

The Papal State of Salzburg was very wealthy due to the mining of salt, ores and precious stones . Today's Salzburg bears witness to this wealth and the brisk building activity of the prince-archbishops. Magnificent Rome was the model for building projects and architecture. For example, cathedrals, churches and monasteries were built in Salzburg according to the Italian example and with the help of Italian master builders.

It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 . The city is the birthplace of the 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is known for its attractive surroundings and scenic Alpine backdrop.

Aha! Cool ...

UNESCO World Heritage - power and splendor of the archbishops

Salzburg is not only rich in sights , the city on the Salzach also has a long history as a metropolis of art and culture . The cultural heritage of the baroque city has its origins in the lively exchange with the southern neighboring countries, especially with Italy.

Salzburg was considered a melting pot of cultures and arts in northern and southern Europe . Artisans and artists were drawn to Salzburg early on. Many of the baroque buildings, such as the Salzburg Cathedral, were designed by the Italian architects Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santini Solari.

Salzburg is not called the "Rome of the North" for nothing. This title also goes back to a special position held by Salzburg: the archbishop of Salzburg , like a pope, was allowed to appoint bishops himself in four dioceses . And he ruled the second largest papal state in the world until 1806.

Only Rome was bigger. The sacred buildings enchant visitors from all over the world with their baroque beauty. The town houses from the Middle Ages and the spacious, Italian-style squares are also beautiful to look at.

As a festival city and the birthplace of Mozart, Salzburg is a world-renowned music capital . The perfect stages can also be found here for sacred music. Even the prince-archbishops had important musicians and composers in their pay. They left behind an impressive work that is still performed in Salzburg's famous churches today.

The city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997 . The city is the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is known for its scenic surroundings and scenic Alpine backdrop.

Unbelievable

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Mozart was playing the piano at the age of four and began composing at the age of five .
  
• He mastered drama and lightness like no other
• His oeuvre includes more than 1000 titles (complete works of an artist)
• to this day it is the subject of scientific investigations

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (full name: Johannes, Chrysostomus, Wolfgang, Theophilus Mozart) was born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756, the son of a court violinist . He had an older sister, Maria Anna, called " Nannerl ", who made music regularly with her father. Mozart came into contact with music from birth.

Wolfgang discovered the piano at the age of three. Soon he could play his first songs. As a four-year-old, he prevailed in rehearsing one of his father's string trios to play second fiddle . Without ever having learned it, error-free. A wonder. Leopold Mozart realized more and more clearly: his son was something very special.

Mozart was six years old when he went on his first concert tour with his family. These rides in horse-drawn carriages sometimes lasted for years and led to cities like Munich, Cologne, Paris, Vienna and London. Consider that the carriage was the number one mode of transport - uncomfortable and slow. All in all, Mozart undertook 17 journeys, for which he needed 3,720 days . Converted to 10 years, 2 months and 2 days.

However, the transition from child star to professional musician was not as easy as hoped. After Mozart lost his "cute factor" over time , his extraordinary talent was perceived as a threat to other composers. Nevertheless, Mozart made his first breakthrough as a composer with the opera "Idomeneo", which premiered in Munich in 1781 .

June 26, 1770 : Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is enthroned by Pope Clemens XIV . awarded the Order of the Knight of the Golden Spur . The wearer is entitled to call himself a cavalier, chevalier or knight . Examples from the Köchel index:

What distinguished Mozart as a musician was his versatility . He could write extremely complex pieces and then captivate his audience with very catchy melodies . According to the current state of knowledge, Mozart's complete works comprise around 1060 titles . All of Mozart's works were recorded in an index drawn up by the botanist Ludwig Ritter von Köchel in the 19th century.

What's exciting to see?

Hohensalzburg Fortress - was never conquered...!

The Hohensalzburg Fortress towers high above the baroque towers of the city and is a real eye-catcher. The unmistakable symbol of Salzburg is the world-famous city silhouette . Even from afar, visitors can sense the power of this building. Up close, the history hidden behind the mighty walls is almost tangible.

Archbishop Gebhard built the fortress in 1077 . In the years that followed, his successors ensured the further development of fortress construction. Around 1500, Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach gave the fortress its current appearance and thus significantly shaped the Salzburg city panorama. The fortress originally served to protect the principality and archbishops from enemy attacks. In all these years it has never been taken by foreign troops.

The Prince's Rooms, consisting of the Prince's Hall, the Golden Room and the Golden Hall, are also located on the third floor of the fortress. The furnishing of these rooms is original and has not been changed since 1501/1502. Particularly impressive are the replicas of the night sky , consisting of golden stars on an azure and royal blue background, as well as the tiled stove in the Goldene Stube .

The Salzburg bull is the oldest still operating horn factory in the world and is located behind the wooden gallery of the herb tower of Hohensalzburg Fortress. The large barrel organ with a good 130 pipes was built in 1502 under Prince Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach for the High Stock and was located above the princely rooms. The bull can be heard daily at 7 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. after the carillon.

With more than 7000 square meters, Hohensalzburg Fortress is one of the largest fortresses in Europe.

Residenzplatz and Residenzbrunnen

The Residenz fountain can be described as a real landmark. Completed only shortly after a lengthy renovation phase, it shines as freshly as when it was completed in 1661 . The largest baroque fountain in Central Europe was made of Untersberg marble and shows a scene from Greek mythology in which the sea god Triton lolls in the water with hippos and dolphins .

The largest fountain in Salzburg and one of the most important European baroque monuments was imperceptibly bent by subsidence. From July 2008 to June 2009, the fountain was restored for more than a million euros: cracks, cracks, algae, sintering, incorrect seals, corroding iron clamps, incorrect joint compound and cement, areas with incorrect stones and other damage were repaired.

The baroque city of Salzburg is rightly called the " Rome of the North ". The representative and magnificent buildings from this time still make a significant contribution to the folksy appearance of the city.

Domquartier Salzburg – more than a museum

The Domquartier tour conveys a unique interplay of 1300 years of Salzburg's history of rule, art, music and architecture. The Salzburg prince-archbishops ruled over " heavenly and earthly affairs " with absolutist claims.

For centuries, the Salzburg Residence served as the seat of government and residence as well as for representative purposes. 15 magnificently furnished state rooms combine over 200 years of rule and style history from the Renaissance to the Baroque to Classicism .

The cathedral arch terrace offers a unique view of the baroque center of Salzburg. As part of the cathedral quarter and connection between the Residenz and the cathedral, the Dombogenterrasse offers an incomparable view of the Domplatz and the Residenzplatz. The Salzburg Cathedral is one of the largest monumental buildings of the early baroque period. The interior of the cathedral opens up in all its glory from the organ gallery.

Salzburg carillon

The repertoire consists of 100 pieces of music and changes monthly . So there is something for every taste - whether Mozart operas, folk songs or rather the well-known Salzburg Christmas carol "Silent Night! Holy Night!"

Every inhabitant who was born acoustically close to the carillon is a so-called carillon child! This also includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Salzburg Cathedral - the most impressive building in Salzburg

It is located in the center of the city. It cannot be overlooked from any direction . Next to the fortress, it is the most impressive building in Salzburg. The baroque building is 101 meters long and the transept is 69 meters long . The tower height is 81 meters, the dome height is 79 meters. The cathedral has 900 seats . It is under monument protection and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Historic Center of the City of Salzburg .

The ten fires in the cathedral. Bishop Virgil's first cathedral was barely 70 years old when, in 845, lightning struck and the cathedral burned to the ground. That was the first of ten fires to date, the last of which started after an American bomb hit on October 16, 1944.

If you look closely - you can see it best from the Mirabell Gardens - you can see that the dome is not entirely symmetrical . After the bomb damage of 1944, the dome was rebuilt. The fire escape could have been placed on the outside of the building, but it was decided to hide it under the dome. Therefore, the dome on the right side has a belly ...

The Salzburg Cathedral has a total of five independent organ instruments . As in Mozart's time - Mozart played mostly on the south-east pillar organ, the " court organ " - instrumental music can be performed at the cathedral entrances, polychoral works by old masters can be performed in an original way.

Many know that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized in the cathedral . But not only him! Even Joseph Mohr - lyricist of "Silent Night! Holy Night! It's a bit sad that his godfather Franz Wohlmuth was the last executioner in Salzburg...

Every year " Jedermann ", the most important piece of the Salzburg Festival, is performed on the cathedral square. For this purpose, the spectator stand will be erected on the cathedral square, with the stage directly in front of the main entrance. The façade of the cathedral is thus integrated into the play as a stage design.

Getreidegasse

The Getreidegasse is the heart of Salzburg's old town and attracts a large number of visitors with its unmistakable charm and Mozart's birthplace. In addition to international fashion chains, the Getreidegasse inspires with historic inns and unique traditional businesses .

The Getreidegasse was originally called Trabe-, Trab- or Trav-Gasse . The name came from the word "trot", i.e. "to run", but also referred to the trotting of the horses . Over the years, the current name Getreidegasse was finally formed through the names Tragasse, Traidgasse and Getreidgasse . The name changes make it clear that the name Getreidegasse originally had nothing to do with grain .

Each courtyard is a work of art in itself: columns, vaults, capitals, profiled cornices, reliefs, marble parapets, engraved house marks and dates, arcades, steep and narrow stairs and colorful floral decorations in the archways create a unique atmosphere .

The Getreidegasse is particularly attractive with an extensive range of international fashion chains, traditional shops and a wide range of restaurants. In addition to jewellery, traditional costumes, hip accessories, antiques, leather and paper goods and perfumeries, those willing to shop can also buy delicatessen and groceries in Getreidegasse . A special highlight are the dainty and playful guild signs on the house facades high above the heads of the visitors.

Mozarthaus

One house in the Getreidegasse attracts particular attention: No. 9 , the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . Salzburg's most famous son was born here on January 27, 1756. For a full 26 years, starting in 1747, the family lived in an apartment on the third floor. The building, which was largely destroyed in World War II, was rebuilt true to the original and reopened in 1996 as the second Mozart Museum .

Leopold Mozart was one of the most versatile personalities of his time: composer, court musician and violinist, vice-kapellmeister , educator, patron of his gifted children, writer and scholar , excellent letter writer, loving husband and caring, occasionally instructive father, sociable host, networker , organizer, travel manager and Concert promoter, provocative subject, free spirit and man of the Enlightenment.

Mirabell Palace and Mirabell Gardens

For his 15 children, the sovereign, who always looked after his family, obtained from the emperor the legitimacy as legal heirs and for children and lovers also the elevation to the hereditary nobility. Mother and children now called themselves "Alt von Altenau".

But that was of little use later. After the fall in 1612 and Wolf Dietrich's subsequent solitary confinement in Hohensalzburg Fortress, his successor and cousin Markus Sittikus soon thereafter expelled his wife and children from Altenau Castle . To completely erase the memory of his predecessor , Markus Sittikus now called the castle "Mirabell".

In the years 1710 and 1721 to 1727, Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach commissioned the well-known baroque master builder Lukas von Hildebrandt to convert it into an architecturally outstanding baroque palace complex , a four-wing complex with an inner courtyard.

Incidentally, Otto I of Bavaria, later King of Greece , was born on July 1, 1815 in Mirabell Palace.

The marble hall , the former ballroom of the prince-archbishop, is now considered one of the " most beautiful wedding halls in the world" . Father Leopold Mozart and his children Wolfgang and Nannerl played there. Rarely do you experience concerts in Salzburg that are as intense, atmospheric and artistically dense as in this The baroque marble hall of Mirabell Palace is one of the most beautiful and historically significant concert halls in Salzburg and the world.

The Mirabell Garden

The Mirabell Gardens were redesigned under Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun around 1690. The basic geometric shape characteristic of the baroque can still be seen. The visual orientation towards the cathedral and fortress gives the garden a grandiose effect - and at the same time integrates it into the entirety of the historic cityscape.

• The Pegasus fountain with the Pegasus horse sculpture is the work of Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck and was erected in 1913.
• Four groups of figures by Ottavio Mosto (1690) stand around the Great Fountain (the fountain basin). They symbolize the 4 elements: fire, air, earth and water.
• The Hedge Theater is located in the western part of the Mirabell Gardens. It is one of the oldest hedge theaters north of the Alps. In summer, traditional events take place there.
• The dwarf garden dates from the time of Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf Thun. It originally comprised 28 dwarfs (17 today) made of white Untersberg marble and is the oldest dwarf garden in Europe.
• The rose garden with the ornamental rose beds is located immediately south of Mirabell Palace.
• The orangery now serves as a palm house.

The play of colors of the around 100,000 flowers that bloom here every year is wonderful!

• 30,000 forget-me-nots, wallflowers, bluebells (grafted daisies)
• 35,000 begonias, pelargoniums, tagetes, zinnias, vanilla flowers
• 20,000 pansies
• 15,000 tulips, daffodils and crocuses

The care also includes the pruning of 3.5 kilometers of boxwood , the pruning of 400 meters of linden avenue and around 70,000 liters of irrigation water are required per year.

The Heckentheater , sometimes called the Naturtheater, is the oldest of its kind in German-speaking countries. It was created around 1715, around the same time as or shortly after the creation of the dwarf garden.

In its original version, it was designed by the architect Matthias Diesel to be more elaborate and larger. The model for the labyrinth and the maze can be found in French baroque garden architecture. In its heyday, the Hecken-Theater performed ballets and operas as well as pantomimes .

Alongside the Felsenreitschule and the Nonnberg Monastery, the Mirabell Gardens are one of the most important backdrops to the well-known Hollywood musical " The Sound of Music ". In the film, Maria and the children dance around the Pegasus fountain in front of the castle while singing the song "Do Re Mi". At the end of the scene, the Trapp family line up on the stairs in front of the rose hill to sing the last song.

The city administration and the office of Salzburg's mayor are now located in Mirabell Palace .

Felsenreitschule

The Felsenreitschule is built into the Mönchsberg and fascinates with its stage and stone arcades . With a capacity of 1,437 spectators , it is one of the most important concert halls in Salzburg. It shares its foyer with that of the House for Mozart (Kleines Festspielhaus).

In 1693, under Archbishop Johann Ernst Thun , 96 three-storey arcades were built into the walls of the abandoned quarry according to plans by the Baroque master builder Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in order to be able to watch horse shows and animal fights from here.

In 1926, under Max Reinhardt, the Felsenreitschule became the venue for the Salzburg Festival for the first time . Seven years later, Clemens Holzmeister converted the special stage into " Fist City " and thus set a milestone in stage design. The performance was on a " Pawlatschen stage ", the floor was made of beaten earth and the spectators sat on wooden benches .

But the Fauststadt built by Clemens Holzmeister in 1933 in the Felsenreitschule is also one of the particularly impressive redesigns of this place. For the performance of Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice" in 1948 , Herbert von Karajan transformed the Felsenreitschule into an opera stage for the first time.

The Felsenreitschule has had a new roof since June 2011 . The slightly inclined pent roof, consisting of three movable segments , can be extended and retracted within six minutes on five telescopic arms. Thanks to the modern construction, the festival gained 700 m² of usable space for technology and rehearsal rooms. The building was designed by the HALLE 1 team of architects and was awarded the Salzburg State Architecture Prize in 2012.

The Felsenreitschule is a must for fans of the well-known Hollywood blockbuster "The Sound of Music" . On the historic stage, Maria, the captain and the children took part in a music competition and performed their folk songs. They then fled to Switzerland because of the Nazi persecution.

"Sound of Music" – one of the most famous films in the world

The film "The Sound of Music" was shot more than 50 years ago and has shaped the image of Salzburg all over the world. The story of the family choir around Maria and Baron Georg von Trapp contains many aspects that have had a lasting impact on the musical and later on the film.

The story takes place in 1938, the political and social upheavals triggered by the Second World War are imminent. The romantic encounter between Maria and Georg von Trapp, the happy time with the family in the Villa Trapp and the joy of making music show the idyll in the difficult times.

When war breaks out and the family has to flee Austria, they fascinate us with their courage and solidarity. They represent the fate of many who had to leave Austria because of the war. Maria's lively and cheerful nature is able to soften even the strict baron and finally helps the family to flee to America.

Hangar 7

Hangar 7 is a real meeting place for art, lifestyle and top gastronomy - and is not only considered an insider tip in high society. The smell of kerosene is at best imaginary in the air in Hangar 7.

Whoever enters the hall through the glass gate cannot help but be amazed. The transparent dome spans like a filigree vault over the imposing private fleet of legendary airplanes , helicopters, but also Formula 1 cars and motorcycles, which visitors can admire at close range.

In fact, the 1,200 tons of steel and 380 tons of special glass create a very special effect - depending on the time of day, they bathe the hangar in a different light and compete with the exhibits for the shine.

The gourmet restaurant Ikarus offers a very special highlight. Just like its mythological namesake, the restaurant of the same name invites you to culinary flights of fancy . A different international top chef is invited to Hangar 7 every month . Whether traditional cuisine, fusion cuisine or molecular cuisine - long live diversity ...

Schloss Leopoldskron

In 1736 the Salzburg prince-archbishop Leopold Anton Freiherr von Firmian built Leopoldskron Castle as a family residence . Located directly in front of the beautiful Leopoldskroner Weiher, it impresses with its panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. Due to his special connection to the palace, the Prince Archbishop had his heart buried in the chapel of Leopoldskron Palace.

Europe's most famous theater impresario Max Reinhardt bought Schloss Leopoldskron in 1918 . He spent more than 20 years restoring the rococo jewel, giving the palace a new lease of life. Here Max Reinhardt founded the Salzburg Festival together with Hugo von Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss.

He lived in Leopoldskron until his Salzburg property was expropriated on April 16, 1938 . Reinhardt learned about his dispossession from the press while he was working on American cultural projects in New York. Stephanie von Hohenlohe , who as "Hitler's spy" was able to use the "Aryanized" castle for herself , generously redesigned it and planned a meeting place for festival guests.

For a short time, however, the well-known, politically opportunistic conductor Clemens Krauss occasionally lived in the castle until after 1945, in the Republic of Austria, which was re-established after the end of the Nazi regime, Max Reinhardt's heirs got it back and later sold it.

The world premiere of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Moritat " Jedermann " marked the start of the Salzburg Festival, which was to become internationally known. Directed by Max Reinhardt, it premiered on August 22, 1920 in Salzburg's Domplatz . The play about the death of the rich man has been on the festival program since 1926 - with the exception of the time of the Second World War . In 2020, the world's most important festival for classical music and performing arts is celebrating a big anniversary: it will be 100 years old - and yet it is as relevant as ever.

But Leopoldskron Castle is not only of great importance for the Salzburg Festival. To this day, the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, as it has been officially called since 2014, seems to almost magically attract creative people and thinkers. For example the Salzburg Global Seminar, which was founded in 1947 and develops solutions to global problems.

Or as a wonderful backdrop for the film "The Sound of Music", which was filmed here in 1964. In 2014, the late fashion czar Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron into the opulent CHANEL catwalk . But Max Reinhardt's creative spirit has also remained - for example in the form of "Shakespeare in the Park".

Based on the theatrical past of the castle, visitors follow the actors through the summery castle park - just as Max Reinhardt's guests strolled through the rooms back then - and can thus experience a piece of the history of the beautiful castle.

Salzburg Festival

The Salzburg Festival is considered the world's most important festival for classical music and performing arts . They have been held in Salzburg every summer in July and August since 1920.

Based on the idea formulated at the end of the 19th century to hold regular Mozart Festivals in Salzburg, the association "Salzburger Festspielhaus-Gemeinde" was founded in Vienna (!) in 1917 with the aim of raising the funds for the construction of a festival hall.

The Salzburg Festival was born on August 22, 1920, when Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Moritat "Jedermann" premiered on Domplatz, directed by Max Reinhardt. Since then, the Salzburg Festival has established itself as one of the most important opera, drama and concert festivals in the world.

For several weeks in summer, the city of 150,000 becomes the center of the cultural world. Salzburg owes this annual transformation to the Salzburg Festival: a world-renowned festival of the highest musical quality. International top stars such as Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazón or Riccardo Muti attract more than 250,000 culture lovers from all over the world every year. More than 200 opera, drama and concert events are offered.

One name is just as inextricably linked to the city of Salzburg as it is to the festival itself: Herbert von Karajan. The founding father of the Salzburg Festival came from Salzburg himself. The " Karajan era " began in the post-war years.

Because he was a member of the NSDAP , the Russian occupation had imposed a conducting ban on him. In 1948 he was allowed to raise the baton in front of an audience for the first time - conducting Gluck's Orpheus was also his festival debut. In 1956 Karajan finally took over the artistic direction of the Salzburg Festival, and from 1964 he was a member of the board of directors.

Karajan was an extremely disciplined workaholic who left nothing, absolutely nothing, to chance. The Salzburg Festival became his artistic legacy . But that's not all: He loved the big production - on stage as in real life. As a jet set favourite, he was also a guarantee for a high glamor factor!

What's playing today? Soloist concerts, chamber concerts, matinees and orchestral concerts: this is where the classical music that makes up the bulk of the festival takes place . But contemporary composers are also represented every year with very special world premieres. With the Vienna Philharmonic, one of the best orchestras in the world is on stage and other big names can also be seen in the numerous venues.

The brilliant performances in the Felsenreitschule and in the Haus für Mozart are peppered with stars of the scene. In addition to the Mozart operas, there are also many performances by Italian composers and modern pieces.

"Everyman" - game about the death of a rich man

Hugo von Hofmannsthal's mystery play "Jedermann". The play about the rich man's death was published in Berlin in 1911 and premiered there in the same year.

The play is set in the 15th century and is about a rich gentleman, Jedermann, who faces death and regrets his dissolute life far from God . He repents and then receives the grace of God.

Jedermann is an integral part of the Salzburg Festival . The "play of the rich man's death" is performed every year in front of the unique backdrop of the Salzburg Cathedral.