Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Salzburg

Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Salzburg (must see)

Mirabell Palace (Schloss Mirabell) in Salzburg is a renowned cultural heritage monument and part of Salzburg's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Originally built around 1606 by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, the palace was intended as a residence for him and his mistress and was constructed based on Italian and French designs.

The palace underwent significant transformations after Raitenau's deposition in 1612. His successor renamed it Mirabell, which means "amazing" or "wonderful" in Italian. From 1721 to 1727, it was extensively rebuilt in a Baroque style. Further changes gave the building its Neoclassical appearance.

Upon entry, you will be stunned by its 'staircase of thunder' 鈥� an elaborate, curved, shiny affair that leads up to the Marble Hall, full of angel sculptures and excessive stucco work.

The Marble Hall inside the palace is notable for hosting "Salzburg Palace Concerts" and weddings, including the 1944 marriage of Gretl Braun, sister of Eva Braun (Hitler's mistress), attended by notable Nazi figures. Aside from enjoying a reputation as one of the most sought-after wedding halls in the world (bookable up to two years in advance), the Marble Hall hosts frequent nightly Mozart concerts and the master himself used to 鈥渢ickle the ivories鈥� there.

Off to the side, you'll find a striking chapel with a vaulted ceiling and baroque statues of Saint Augustine and others.

The palace's gardens feature a mixture of mythology-themed statues from 1730 and four groups of sculpture (Aeneas, Hercules, Paris, and Pluto) created in 1690. The stunning scenery is further accentuated by geometrically structured garden beds, with multi-colored flowers blasting your eyeballs from every perspective.

In the middle of it all is the Pegasus Fountain which makes a memorable "The Sound of Music" shooting location for the 鈥淒o Re Mi鈥� song. Nearest to the horse, stairs lead to the creepy Dwarf Park, where a herd of misshapen, sizable dwarfs sculptured in marble are all lined up in military formation. Visitors can also explore the vine tunnel and hedge maze, echoing scenes from the film. As a dramatic finale, you can follow the steps that the Von Trapp kids from the movie hopped up like musical notes and enjoy a spectacular view of the High Salzburg Fortress (Hohensalzburg) framed by the garden.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Salzburg. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Mirabell Palace and Gardens
Sight Location: Salzburg, Austria (See walking tours in Salzburg)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Salzburg, Austria

Create Your Own Walk in Salzburg

Creating your own self-guided walk in Salzburg is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Historical Religious Buildings Walking Tour

The historic center of Salzburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, is home to numerous landmarks, including religious sites. Collectively, these historical sanctuaries, from small churches to the impressive Baroque-style Salzburg Cathedral, bear witness to the city's fascinating past and contribute a great deal of charm to its alluring present.

The local Saint Peter's Abbey is... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles

Mozart Walking Tour

Salzburg was Mozart's home throughout most of his short life. For those who wish to immerse themselves in the Mozart world, there are several locations in the city well worth exploring.

Born on Grain Street (Getreidegasse) and baptized in the nearby Cathedral, Mozart played his first big concert, at age 6, at the Residence Palace.

Later, he served as an organist for the Cathedral,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

Sound of Music Tour

As the hometown of Mozart, Salzburg is a true mecca for music fans, with no shortage of visitors. In the past few decades, though, Salzburg's Old Town has gained international fame thanks to the Hollywood film "The Sound of Music," shot in 1965. Set on the eve of World War II, the movie follows the lead characters, the Von Trapp family and their nanny played by Julie Andrews, all... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles

Salzburg Introduction Walking Tour

Dubbed the "City of Mozart", the enchanting Austrian city of Salzburg has gone down in history primarily as the hometown of its greatest son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His birthplace on a busy shopping street called Grain Lane (Getreidegasse) is now a museum. Also popular is the Mozart Residence, a place where the 18th-century composer spent much of his early life.

Apart from Mozart,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles

Old Town Gift Shops

Specialty shops make up an integral part of tourist life in Salzburg. The picturesque Old Town of Salzburg boasts a delightful array of gift shops, all within a pleasant walking distance, offering a diverse range of souvenirs and local treasures. Let's take a stroll through some of the notable establishments in this historic area.

We start at Kirchtag, a quaint gift shop known for its... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles

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