Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Salzburg - ideas on city exploration routes

» The Hohensalzburg Castle is a medieval fortress located on a high mountain. It was built in 1077.
»  Originally, the castle belonged to archbishop Gebhardt I. The foundation is all that remains of that building. The castle has been rebuilt and strengthened and finally become a mighty fortress.
»  In 1500, the world’s first funicular was constructed. They delivered different goods to the fortress.
»  Over the years of its existence, the fortress had been besieged once for 61 days during the uprising in 1525. The big fortress has never been looted or destroyed even during the bombing in 1944.
»  In the 19th and 20th centuries, there were barracks, a jail, and warehouses in the castle.
»  Nowadays, the fortress is one of the most popular tourist sites in Salzburg. The fortress is linked with the city center by a cable railway.
»  Some of the most interesting museum sites are Princely Chambers with a medieval interior, the Fortress Museum that houses the big collection of weapons of different ages, the death mask of Field Marshal Radetskiy, the Museum of Puppets, and the Archduke Rainer Regiment Museum.
»  On Sundays, the wind orchestra performs and festive parades are held in the fortress. Fanfares are heard throughout the district.

» Hellbrunn Palace was built upon the order of Prince-Archbishop Markus von Hohenems in 1615. Originally, it was a summer residence. The prince had lived in Italy and loved Italian architecture since childhood. So, he invited Italian architects to build the residence.
»  Besides the castle, the Monatsschlössl Hunting House, the stone outdoor theatre carved in a rock cleft, and the Mechanical Theatre, where 265 statues of people of different professions are set in motion by the water, were built.
»  There is also a park with ponds, fountains, statues, and figurines of animals. Its total area is 60 hectares. Water entertainments are available due to the water of natural streams running down from the mountain. There are no such constructions in the world.
»  The palace and the park has survived to this day. Here, festivals, celebrations, international conferences, and seminars are held.
»  In 1961, a zoo was opened in the palace. It is very popular with tourists.

» St Peter's Abbey was founded in 690 at the foot of the Mönchsberg. Hermits had lived in caves of the mountain before. These caves still exist today.
»  St. Rupert found a friary here. The relics of St. Rupert were buried under the altar in the monastery.
»  There had been an archbishops’ residence since 793 until 1110.
»  In 1622, the Catholic University was opened in the abbey. Nowadays, it is the University of Salzburg. In the abbey, there is the oldest library in Austria. It houses 100 000 books about art, the history of the abbey, Salzburg, and its surroundings. You need to obtain a special permit to enter the library.
»  Behind the monastery, there is an old cemetery. On gravestones, you can see a special date, 803. The abbey still sells burial sites to rich citizens.
»  The abbey owns a big land plot and a bakery where rye bread is baked.
»  Although it is still a working man’s monastery, some rooms are open for tourists.

» Red Bull Arena was built in 2003 in Wals-Siezenheim. It was the home arena of the Austria team. The new stadium was named Stadion Wals-Siezenheim and accommodated 18 332 spectators. The field coating was artificial, which was an innovation at that time.
»  The stadium was first reconstructed in 2005. The artificial coating was replaced with grass. A car parking and a railway station for spectators’ convenience were added.
»  Then, the team was renamed “Red Bull”, so the arena was renamed too. Two stadiums having the same name are located in Leipzig, Germany, and New Jersey, USA.
»  During the 2008 Europa League, the stadium was reconstructed and extended to accommodate 30 000 fans.
»  Near the stadium, there are two monuments: the Granite Ball that has a diameter of 2 m, weighs 3 tons, and is 2.5 m high, and the statue of a football player that symbolizes all footballers of Europe.

Location on the map:
Facts: » Hangar-7 is an exhibition and museum building that houses the Flying Bulls fleet of light aircraft and a collection of Formula One racing cars.
»  The hangar building is located on the territory of the airport. It’s constructed from curved metal structures covered with a huge glass dome. 1,200 tons of steel and 6,970 square metres of glass were used during its construction.
»  The modern building was built by Dietrich Mateschitz, the founder of Red Bull GmbH, Austria’s most successful company.
»  Although the company’s main profit came from the sale of energy drinks, in the 90s, it began to invest actively in sports – the Red Bull Salzburg football and ice hockey clubs. It also actively sponsors car racing and air shows. Hangar-7 has 25 historic airplanes and Formula 1 racing cars on display.
»  There’s also the Ikarus restaurant well known outside Salzburg located under a glass dome in the building. To get inside, you need to go along a suspension path spiralling up along the glass walls. Famous chefs from all over the world come here by invitation every month to please the museum visitors with their own dishes.

Location on the map:
Facts: » The Anif Palace is located in the suburbs of Salzburg. The building is surrounded by an artificial pond and linked with the land only by a narrow path. There are no specific data on the palace. However, a castle that was located here in 1520 is mentioned in some documents.
»  Bishops had lived in the castle until 1803. Then, the castle came to Count Stepperg who had rebuilt the building for 10 years until 1848.
»  Then, the palace belonged to the niece of the count, Sophie de Sons. Halls of the palace have a luxurious interior. The walls are decorated with frescoes of Grünwedel. The Bayern sculptor Ludwig Michael von Schwanthaler made the sculpture “Nymph of the Rhine”.
»  During the war, the Wehrmacht units were accommodated here, followed by American ones.
»  Nowadays, the castle still belongs to heirs of the de Sons and is in private ownership. However, you can walk and admire landscapes in the part around the castle. In the territory of the park, several films were shot: “The Great Race”, “The Sound of Music”, “Cinderella”, etc.
»  In 2001, owners of the castle decided to sell some pieces of antique furniture at the Sotheby's auction in Amsterdam. Some pieces were returned to Salzburg and presented in the Museum Carolino-Augusteum.

Location on the map:
Facts: » The University of Salzburg Church is distinguished by a convex facade, towers, and a high middle dome that are typical for the baroque style of the late 17th century.
»  The church was built exactly for Benedictine University. Four additional temple constructions symbolize faculties. The exterior looks magnificent due to sculptures, relief decorative elements, and moldings.
»  The vault is decorated with patterns depicting different berries and fruit. Plain white walls without colorful elements contrast sharply with thin frescoes and carved figurines.
»  Around the main altar, you can see painted colors with cherubs. High ceilings and a slippery marble floor are very impressive. It is cool here even if the weather is hot. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who often visited the church composed several music opuses for services.
»  The church was also looted by soldiers of Napoleon’s army. To disparage the citizens, hay for soldiers’ horses was laid here. The latter church served as a garrison during the reign of Austrian monks. Nowadays, the church serves the needs of worshipers.

Location on the map:
Facts: » Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest convent in German-speaking countries.
»  The convent was founded by St. Rupert. In 714, his sister Erentrudis was the first abbess of the abbey. In the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is the grave of canonized saint Erentrudis of Salzburg.
»  As the convent is still working, its territory is closed to the public. However, tourists can visit St. John’s Chapel for free.
»  There are a lot of unique exhibits: a cross made in 1300, an abbess’ chair decorated with a thousand ivory figurines, old books, and paintings.
»  In 2006, golden and silver coins, on which Nonnberg Abbey was stamped, were issued.
»  The musical “The Sound of Music” shows the life of Maria Kutschera, a postulant at the abbey.