Mirabell Palace, Salzburg

Mirabell Palace, Salzburg

The Mirabell Palace is a beautiful Baroque building set in the midst of breathtaking landscaped gardens on the banks of the Salzach River in Salzburg.

The Mirabell Palace is a beautiful Baroque building set in the midst of breathtaking landscaped gardens on the banks of the Salzach River in Salzburg. It is famous for being the location where the hit number 'Do-Re-Mi' from 'Sound of Music' was shot. The Mirabell Palace and Gardens are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 'Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg', recognized for its crucial role in the interchange between Italian and German cultures as well as association with the arts. It houses the offices of the Salzburg mayor and the municipal council.

Originally built in 1606 by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau as the Altenau Castle, it was extensively remodeled by Archbishop Franz Anton Fürst von Harrach in 1721-'27, and renovated by Peter Nobile after the fire of 1816. Highlights of the castle are -

• The Donnerstiege is a monumental Baroque staircase leading from the ground floor to the second floor, richly decorated with sculptures by Georg Raphael Donner. The balustrade is adorned with various putti, while the niches have marble sculptures of mythological characters.
• The Marmorsaal or Marble Hall has breathtaking marble masonry, pillars and statues, along with gilded stucco work. Once used as a banquet hall, today it hosts the Salzburger Schlosskonzerte (Salzburg Palace Concerts) as well as weddings.
• The Schlosskirche or Castle Chapel dedicated to Saint Nepomuk dates from the renovation after the fire of 1818, though the altar dates back to the 18thcentury. Flanking the altar are Baroque statues of the Saints Augustinus, Rupert, Virgil and Martin.

The Mirabell Gardens are noted for their geometric layout, manicured flora, immaculate flower beds, and works of art. The Grand Parterre is the oldest part of the Gardens, featuring an inner and outer balustrade, on which are 17thcentury statues of Roman deities such as Diana, Flora, Minerva, Venus, Hercules, Volcano, Hermes and Apollo. The railing has large marble vases by Fischer von Erlach. In the centre is an octagonal Grand Fountain surrounded by 4 marble sculptural ensembles by Ottavio Mosto symbolizing the four elements – Water (abduction of Helen by Paris), Fire (Aeneas rescuing Anchises from the flames of Troy), Earth (rape of Persephone), and Air (Hercules and Antaeus). The Small Parterre has the fountain of Pegasus featuring a copper winged horse by Kaspar Gras, the Do-Re-Mi steps, and Volière ( Birdhouse) which displays art exhibitions.

The Heckentheatre or Hedge Arcade from the 18thcentury is one of the oldest hedge theatres north of the Alps, and is still used for concerts of the Salzburg Festival. The Orangerie was laid out to grow orange trees, and is still used as a greenhouse along with the adjacent palm house. Next to it is the Papagena fountain, and the Salzburger Barockmuseum (Salzburg Museum of Baroque). The Zwergerlgarten or Dwarf Garden originally had 28 white Untersberg marble dwarves of which few remain today.

Admission is free.