DESTINATION:
Salzburg
Set against a backdrop of mountains, the city straddles the Salzach River and is an extraordinary showcase of baroque architecture. Its most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born in the Old Town (Aldstadt) in 1756, and in 1996, the Aldstadt was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dubbed the ‘Rome of the North’, the 17th and 18th centuries saw Europe’s most prominent architects flock to Salzburg and the buildings of this period still dominate the cityscape.
Recommended duration - 4 nights/5 days
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- HELLBRUNN CASTLE – built in the 17th century as an Italian style summer pleasure park, the palace has an unusual domed octagonal music room and an impressive banquet hall with a tromp l’oeil painting. The central theme of the park is Wasserspiele (Water Games), and there are several trick fountains and hidden water powered features to surprise the unsuspecting visitor!
- MOZART’S BIRTH HOUSE – a substantial patrician house located in the busy Getreidegasse, which displays the instruments used by Mozart in his childhood.
- MIRABELL GARDENS – redesigned on the instructions of Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun in the 17th century. The vast gardens featured in The Sound of Music, and are home to a series of statues depicting figures from Greek Mythology.
- SALZBURG RESIDENCE: RESIDENCE GALLERY – located on the second floor of one of Salzburg’s most historic buildings and the former home of the town’s bishops. The Gallery houses European art from the 16th to the 19th century.
- STATE ROOMS – the ornate State Rooms were built predominantly for entertaining.
- HOHENSALZBURG FORTRESS – located on a hill overlooking Salzburg and the Eastern Alps. Constructed in 1077 it is the largest fully preserved fortress in the whole of central Europe. Our visit will incorporate the richly decorated Apartments of the Medieval Princes, with their beautiful wooden carvings and paintings, and also the Fortress Museum, which houses furniture, historical objects, weapons and instruments of torture.
- MUSEUM OF THE SALZBURG MARIONETTE THEATRE – housed within the fortress. The museum displays marionettes from Europe including the collection of marionettes from Salzburg’s own Marionette Theatre.
- CAROLINO AUGUSTEUM MUSEUM – exhibits chronicle the history of the city from prehistoric times to the modern day.
- RUPERTINUM – housing a fine collection of modern and photographic art, including works by Oskar Kokoschka and Gustav Klimt.
- FULL DAY VISIT TO SALZKAMMERGUT’S LAKE DISTRICT – including the spa town of Bad Ischl and its best-known building, the Summer Residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I – the Kaiservilla. We will also visit St Wolfgang located on the Wolfgangsee with its famous Baroque Church of Pilgrimage.
- FESTSPIELHAUS – the city’s musical centre, designed by Wolf Dietrich in 1607 and particularly famed for its numerous performances of Mozart’s work.