The Mirabell Palace, surrounded by fabulous gardens, is rightfully considered the most attractive castle in Salzburg. You'll find it on the north side of the Salzach River, which bisects the city, and just on that side of the river is the Old Town.

Myths and facts

Originally built as a luxurious private estate, Mirabell Palace has been the property of the city since 1866. Now there is the residence of the city burgomaster.

Mirabell was built in 1606 at the request of Prince Wolf Dietrich von Retheno. As they say, the residence, which was originally named Alteno, was intended for the prince's mistress Salome Alt. She bore him 15 children, but only 10 of them survived.

Not much remained the same in Mirabell after Reteno's death. His successor, Prince Marcus Sittikus, began by changing the name of the estate. The new name - Mirabelle - means " beautiful view". Sittikus probably had in mind the magnificent view of the nearby Alps. About 100 years after Sitticus, another prince, Archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach, decided to completely reconstruct Mirabell. He enlisted the help of the architect Lucas von Hildebrandt. But most of the buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1818. The impeccable frescoes painted by the artists Gaetano Fanta and Johann Michael Rottmayr burned down in a fire. Only the Marble Hall and the marble staircase of the palace survived. After the fire, the court architect from Peter de Nobile gave the building its current neo-classical appearance. But throughout the palace and Various evidence of the Baroque can still be found in the gardens, such as the Donnerstig staircase and the Marble Hall.

What to see

The most famous attraction of Mirabell is, of course, its beautiful gardens, recognized as the best example of European gardening art, not inferior to gardens in France. In the garden conservatory you will find the Baroque Museum. Interesting feature- dwarf garden with 28 funny figures.

These days, concerts and wedding ceremonies are often held here. The castle's marble hall is the most enviable and, perhaps, the most expensive place for wedding ceremonies in all of Austria. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who grew up in Salzburg, once played his works here.

The idea of ​​building a palace came from one of the Salzburg bishops, Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau, well known in the history of the city, who decided to dedicate a beautiful baroque building to one of his many passions. As an addition to it, it was planned to create a park in the best traditions of the French Renaissance.

If this complex had been conceived by someone else, perhaps everything would not have been so piquant. But von Reitenau was not only the ruler of the city, but also had the rank of bishop: as you know, Catholic clergy are obliged to observe a vow of celibacy. This (as well as the spending of money from the treasury on construction) caused public discontent, which later cost the bishop not only his power, but also his freedom.

But one way or another, in 1606 the building was built and received its original title- Altenau (in honor of Salome Alt, to whom it was dedicated). However, the romantic story ended very poorly for von Reitenau: he himself was later deposed and imprisoned, and Salome was expelled from the palace. However, the absence of a happy ending in this story only benefited the palace: today for tourists it only emphasizes the romanticism and atmosphere of Mirabel as a “palace of lovers.”

Altenau was used as one of the residences of the rulers of the city until the beginning of the 18th century: the palace was rebuilt in 1727 in the most fashionable baroque style in Europe at that time. At the same time, the palace was given a new name in the French style - Mirabelle. Only a few elements remain from the original buildings in the southeast wing of the building. Changes also affected the park - its partial redevelopment was carried out in 1690.

Almost immediately after this, a fire occurred, destroying a significant part of the interior. Later, the interior decoration was restored, but many unique items were lost. In fact, only the Marble Hall with the main staircase has survived unchanged to this day; everything else was restored in the neoclassical style.

In 1868, Mirabell finally ceased to be the property of the rulers of Salzburg and became subordinate to the municipality. Having purchased the right to own the complex, the city administration opened the palace and park to everyone. It was from this time that the tradition of holding classical music evenings began - one of the symbols cultural life cities.

Today, one of the most beautiful landmarks of Salzburg is still used by the city authorities: the mayor’s office is located here, as well as the entire administration apparatus.

Architectural features

Despite the fact that Mirabell was originally built in the classical Baroque style, subsequent restoration changed it somewhat appearance. The palace combines elements of Baroque and neoclassical style, but in the nearby park several attractions have been preserved in their original form.

Regular geometric shapes, a large number of rooms, exquisite interiors - the palace is an example of classical European architecture, located in the northern part of the surrounding park.

Must see

There are noteworthy attractions both on the palace grounds and in the adjacent park. In 3-4 hours the complex can be explored almost completely, which is what we recommend you do.

Attractions of Mirabell Palace

  • Marble Hall. A cult place for newlyweds from a good half of Europe - marriages take place in these beautiful interiors every day. Not only is it necessary to see the exiting couples, but also to visit the main hall of the residence of the Salzburg archbishops!

Magnificently decorated with the best marble from the northern Alps, high ceilings, golden stucco, stained glass windows, parquet flooring - in a word, all the splendor and sophistication of Austria-Hungary is before you. Enjoy.

  • Staircase of Angels. The famous grand entrance to the residence has now become a kind of “stairway to happiness” for newlyweds - couples are greeted by numerous cupids, which creates a romantic and sophisticated atmosphere. Anyone can appreciate it - under your feet and above your head is a magnificent example of Baroque in its original, skillfully restored version (1727).

In addition to the amazingly neat and intricate flower arrangements on its territory, the park itself is located surprisingly harmoniously. Geometrically, it is ideally oriented towards two city symbols - Hohensalzburg and the cathedral, which is why you can see them while walking along neat alleys with trimmed hedges.

Pegasus Fountain

One of the most beautiful attractions of the park - a magnificent sculpture of the famous winged horse was created in 1690, but originally stood near the Salzburg cathedral. It was moved to the park only at the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to its grace and beauty, the monument is also remarkable because it is one of the few sculptures of horses standing on 2 legs. The overall picture is complemented by a composition of 4 elements - a magnificent setting for wonderful tourist photos.

Having lost almost half of the sculptures (15 out of 28) during the reign of Ludwig of Bavaria, the Garden of the Dwarves still remains one of the most interesting attractions of Mirabel. Small monuments symbolize the main occupations of the residents of Salzburg: the figures can be safely considered a monument to hard work, and at the same time a kind of satire on the hard work of the then townspeople. And, of course, every tourist strives to rub the nose or belly of some hard-working gnome for luck: the traces are visible to the naked eye.

Summer Theater

Take a real trip back in time by visiting the Mirabell Summer Theater! All elements of the site and stage (backstage, corridors, passages, etc.) are made of hedges - in full accordance with French Baroque delights. Today orchestras and musicians perform here: for example, you have the chance to hear Mozart (who often visited Mirabell with concerts for dignitaries). The Salzburg Symphony Festival is also held at this venue.

Rose garden and greenhouse

Located in the south of the park and almost adjacent to the wall. Because of the rose garden, Mirabell is often called the most elegant garden in Salzburg. It’s impossible to disagree with this - more than 3 dozen varieties of roses bloom here: just what you need for impressive photographs and lovers of natural beauty. There is also a greenhouse in the park: originally oranges were grown there, but today you can see exotic palm trees here.

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    IN historical center The Austrian city of Salzburg is home to one of its most important attractions - the Mirabell Palace, surrounded by marvelous gardens and listed World Heritage UNESCO.

    Construction of the building began back in 1606, and the history surrounding this event is filled with romance. Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau, who served as Archbishop of Salzburg at that time, fell in love with the beautiful girl Salome Alt with all his heart and, despite all the prohibitions of the church, did not give up his love. Moreover, the archbishop did not hide his relationship and his affection, they lived together openly, and it was for Salome that Raitenau ordered the construction of this fairytale palace, which originally bore the name Altenau in her honor. Their lives were spent here, and their 15 children were born here. Here they were very happy - until the archbishop was imprisoned in the fortress and died there, and his cousin Marcus Sittikus von Hohenem ascended to his place, expelling Salome from the palace and declaring it the residence of the Salzburg archbishops.

    To put his brother's "shameful" past behind him, Honham renamed the palace, which has since been called Mirabell Palace. Over the course of two centuries, its owners changed, and each one contributed to the appearance of the palace and its design.

    IN early XIX century, a fire broke out in the Mirabell Palace, which destroyed it almost to the ground. In 1820, the palace underwent a major restoration, thanks to which it was possible to preserve the main staircase, decorated with figures of angels, by Georg Raphael Donner, which survived the fire; The Marble Hall, which in our time has become one of the most famous and revered places in the world for a wedding ceremony; and the church at the palace. However, many elements of the building and interior items were lost forever, as was the baroque appearance of the palace itself.

    The gardens surrounding the Mirabell Palace are especially beautiful. On the territory there is an amazingly beautiful fountain, decorated with a sculpture of Susanna, whose face and figure are very similar to Salome. There are also majestic stone lions, beautiful flower beds of unusual shape, a garden theater surrounded by hedges - the Austrians are very proud of all this beauty.

    Mirabell Palace has been the property of the city since 1868, and in 1948 it became the official residence of the mayor of Salzburg. Today, the magistrate and the office of the burgomaster are located on the territory of the palace; various concerts, congresses and award ceremonies are held on its premises.

    Once upon a time there lived an Archbishop of Salzburg Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau. And although he was a church person, and according to the church rules of that time it was in no way supposed to have beloved women, Wolf Dietrich was above the laws. In 1606, on his orders, the most luxurious Altenau Palace as a gift to the lady of the heart, the beautiful Solomeya Alt. The complex is being built outside the city gates - this is now the very center of Salzburg. Further more…

    Since ancient times, it has been the custom that if there is an impregnable castle, or some other larger and more beautiful palace, then a beauty must be imprisoned in it. And the prince. The one on the white horse. But this is in fairy tales. In the life of beauties, no one hides beauties from the public behind locks; on the contrary, the prince (not an obligatory character) tries to put the beauty on public display, and even emphasize it with the decoration and luxury of his location...

    Why all this introduction - and to the fact that we will now tell you about one of the most beautiful castles (more correctly, castle complexes - because the real pearl is, first of all, the garden at the castle) in Austria - Mirabell Castle.

    Once upon a time there lived an Archbishop of Salzburg, Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau. And although he was a church person, and according to the church rules of that time it was in no way supposed to have beloved women, Wolf Dietrich was above the laws. In 1606, on his orders, it was built most luxurious palace Altenau as a gift to the lady of the heart, the beautiful Solomeya Alt. The complex is being built outside the city gates - this is now the very center of Salzburg. Further more. The emotional beauty, in a fit of gratitude, gives birth to fifteen (15) children to the archbishop. True, only 10 survived - but this was a very good result by the standards of that time. Naturally, the family idyll continues only as long as the archbishop is alive. After his death, Solomeya is kicked out of the palace, and the complex itself is remodeled and expanded.

    The archbishop's place is taken by his main rival, his cousin Marcus Sittikus von Hohenem. He decided to rename the castle in order to erase the shameful act of a relative from memory. This is how the archbishop's summer residence Mirabell appears (historians still argue to this day whether Mirabell means “beautiful view” in Spanish, or whether in French there is a name for a type of plum that grew on this territory...).

    For the next 200 years, archbishops were not transferred here. Some people liked the castle, others treated it “with lukewarmness,” but everyone considered it obligatory to complete something, at least a little. Thus Mirabell became part of the city of Salzburg. In the 20s of the 18th century, the castle was radically rebuilt in the Baroque style according to the design of Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. He didn’t reach us like that. At the beginning of the 19th century, a huge fire burns Mirabell to the ground.

    The castle needs to be restored - this solution did not raise any questions. But who is worthy to do this? We decided to turn to Peter de Nobile, the court architect and director of the Viennese architectural school. The decision turned out to be controversial. On the one hand, the architect quickly got down to business and by 1819 restored Mirabell, giving it the appearance that has survived to this day. On the other hand, such a famous architect did not want to follow the path of restoration; the castle was rebuilt according to his design. The result was a calmer, more restrained structure compared to the period of the 18th and 19th centuries. Yes, and we must agree that architectural gem The castle includes objects that survived that terrible fire and have come to us since ancient times: the famous staircase, the Marble Hall and the castle church.

    IN palace complex Particular attention should be paid to the magnificent staircase - a striking example of late European Baroque. The marble balustrade is decorated with the plump angels required for this style, and pseudo-antique statues are placed in the niches.
    A marble wedding hall in the Mirabell Palace, art critics consider it unique and say that it has no equal in the world. The decor of the early 17th century has been completely preserved here - lush and elegant. The voluptuous archbishop clearly had a remarkable sense of beauty. Smooth walls of white marble with red veins, covered with an ornament of gilded lines and dissected by pilasters, define the luxurious interior of this most beautiful wedding hall in the world. The decoration of the hall is complemented by a green marble fireplace, gold medallions and sparkling glass chandeliers.
    This former castle hall not only celebrates the weddings of couples from different cities, but also hosts the famous Salzburg Castle Concerts.
    The palace building is still in use today. Part of it is occupied by the city administration of Salzburg, and the residence of the Salzburg burgomaster and some city services is also located here. Several rooms are dedicated to the Baroque Museum.

    Having opened any guidebook, on one of the first pages, looking through the list of attractions, you will definitely see Mirabell Garden. Oddly enough, the park (or garden) at the castle has become an even more popular attraction than the castle itself. Mirabell Park is far from the scale of the Vienna Volksgarten, not as luxurious as the Luxembourg Park in Paris, but due to its compactness, brevity, and even uniqueness in its own way, it is sometimes called the most luxurious park in Austria.

    The park is laid out in a classical baroque form park architecture. At the entrance you will be greeted by two stone lions guarding access to the fountain and the Dwarf Garden. The fountain is visible from afar and from afar it completely captures your attention. It is surrounded by four sculptural groups that represent the four elements - air, earth, fire and water: Paris carries Helen, who he kidnapped, across the water, Pluto takes Persephone underground, Hercules lifts the giant Antaeus into the air and Aeneas carries his father Anchises on his shoulders from the engulfed the flames of the city of Troy.

    Not far from the fountain is another popular place among tourists - Garden of dwarfs. It’s just a small spot on which there are stone figures depicting the daily life of the Salzburg people. But either the architect somehow saw these pictures distorted, or he wanted with his creation to convey a different idea that did not reach his contemporaries, but the garden turned out to be original. Some even call him scary. Humpbacked, grimacing, grinning dwarfs attract viewers like a magnet, trying to unravel the creator’s idea. Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria disliked these dwarfs so much when he lived at Mirabell Castle that he even wanted to destroy them. As a result, many of the sculptures were sold, and then a lot of effort had to be made to return them to their place.

    Not far from the Dwarf Garden there is a small labyrinth and a theater, the oldest of all the theaters under open air on this side of the Alps. It was actually used for performances: the hedge formed a backstage where performers could prepare for their entrance, and there was even an orchestra pit in front of the green stage. Pantomimes were performed in the open air, operas and ballets were staged.
    Fountains, pools, stone balustrades, vases, sculptures and sculptural groups, pyramidal beech trees and floral arabesques merged here into a single ensemble.

    Needless to say, describing the beauty of the park is the last thing. She needs to be seen. Welcome to Salzburg. And don't forget to visit Mirabell.

    Entrance to the Mirabell Garden is free. Entrance to the Baroque Museum costs 5 euros. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 to 12 am and from 14 to 17; on Sunday - from 10 to 13.

    Thanks for the photo reshell

    While walking in big cities so sometimes you want to take a break and rest in some picturesque park or square. Salzburg is very lucky to have such a place.

    Not only that, Mirabell Palace and its park area are located in the historical center, and not on the outskirts, it is also one of the most romantic and cozy corners of the city, as well as its most important attraction.

    By visiting the Mirabell Palace in spring, summer or autumn, you will enjoy the beauty of the building and the park, have a photo shoot, and the children will be able to relax in their own style, running around the alleys.

    In winter, you can also visit here for a while. Despite the fact that you won’t find a riot of colors here, a walk through the sleeping park will allow you to immerse yourself in a special state of relaxation and peace.

    History of the palace

    The Mirabell Palace and Gardens are a real monument to love. Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau gave it to the lady of his heart - Solome Alt.

    The beautiful beloved gave birth to 15 children for the archbishop, so the gift was worth it. Architectural complex was built in 1606, and since then a sculpture of Solome has stood in the park as evidence that true love never fails.

    In the 20s of the 18th century, Mirabell Palace was rebuilt by the famous architect Lucas von Hildebrandt, working in the Baroque style. Unfortunately, in the great city fire of 1818, many valuable items from the palace were lost, including unique frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Gaetano Fanti.

    The palace chambers were also damaged. However, the Marble Hall, the castle church and the large marble staircase, decorated with graceful figurines of angels, survived and have safely “survived” to this day.

    Later, according to the design of Peter de Nobile, the Mirabell Palace of Salzburg was rebuilt and has survived to this day in this form.

    Mirabell Park and its highlights

    Mirabell Park is no less famous than its namesake palace. It was also rebuilt at one time by order of Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf in 1690 and was rebuilt again later, in 1730, already under Franz Anton Danreiter.

    One of the main attractions of the park complex, the Pegasus Spring, designed by Caspar Gras from Innsbruck, was installed in 1913. The statue changed its location several times, but eventually found its place perfect place at the fountain.

    The famous Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto also left his mark on the park - he created the compositions around the fountain, symbolizing the four elements: fire, air, earth and water.

    In the western part of Mirabellgartens there is hedgerow theater, founded between 1704 and 1718. It is considered the oldest theater of its kind.

    Alleys of roses and beautiful ornamental shrubs are planted along the southern wall of the palace. In the warm season, when flowers bloom and smell fragrant, and neatly trimmed bushes attract with their lush greenery, being in the park is a real pleasure.

    dwarf garden, created on the territory in 1715, has always attracted a large number of tourists. In one of the corners of Mirabell Park, 28 funny sculptures of short men appeared, depicting scenes from everyday life.

    At one time, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria sold a unique collection of figurines at auction. Fortunately, most of it (namely 15 dwarfs) were found and returned to their places.

    Most guides will tell you interesting legend about these figures. They say that if you pet one of the gnomes, he will transfer his power to you. For example, a treasure-hunting gnome will give you good luck, a merchant gnome will help solve business problems, and a water-carrying gnome will bring freshness to your life. The main thing is to believe in this power.

    Since 1854, access to Mirabell Park has been open to everyone. A decree allowing free visits by citizens was signed by Emperor Franz Joseph.

    Currently, the Mirabell Palace and its park are not only a cultural and historical value, but also the place of work of the municipality and the Salzburg mayor.

    Marble Hall, where Leopold Mozart and his son Wolfgang Amadeus played music several centuries ago, is today recognized as the most beautiful wedding hall in Austria and one of the most beautiful in the world.

    It is so popular among newlyweds that applications for holding a special event must be submitted several months before the planned event. A variety of meetings, concerts and official events are also regularly held here.

    What more can be said about the palace and park? This amazing place on the map of Salzburg, where all the conditions have been created for peace and complete relaxation of soul and body: cozy benches, beneficial shade in the heat, and beautifully blooming flower beds, statues, buildings and ponds that make you enjoy the picturesque picture for a long time. But it’s better to see it all with your own eyes.