Category Archives: SPECIAL TOPICS

Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna, Austria)

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Kunsthistorisches Museum

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History), also often referred to as the “Museum of Fine Arts,” is housed in its festive palatial building, on the Ringstraße. The term Kunsthistorisches Museum applies to both the institution and the main building.

L-R (standing): Popong Flores, Jandy Layug, the author, Grace Layug, Manny Sta. Maria, Freddie Sta. Maria and Isko Dionela. Seated: Cheska and Kyle Layug

It was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary around 1891, the same time as the Natural History Museum (Naturhistorisches Museum) across Maria-Theresien-Platz.

Check out “Natural History Museum“

The ornate interior

The two museums, with identical exteriors,  were commissioned by the Emperor in order to find a suitable shelter for the Habsburgs‘ formidable art collection and to make it accessible to the general public.

Apotheosis Of The Renaissance (Mihaly Munkacsy, 1844-1900, Hungary)

Both were built between 1872 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

This rectangular building, with its sandstone façade, is topped with a 60 m. high octagonal dome.  Its interior is lavishly decorated with marble, stucco ornamentations, gold-leaf, and paintings.

Jandy beside sculpture of Theseus Defeats the Centaur (Antonio Canova)

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the museum:

The collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum  include the Picture Gallery, the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Kunstkammer (Collection of Sculpture and Decorative Arts), the Coin Cabinet and the Library.

Check out “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection,” “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities,” “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Picture Gallery” and “Kunsthistorisches Museum – Kunstkammer.”

Kunsthistorisches Museum: Maria Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna. Tel: +43 1 525 24- 4902. E-mail: info.ansa@khm. Open Tuesdays – Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM, Thursdays, 10 AM – 9 PM.

How to Get There: take U1 going to Leopoldau at Keplerplatz, transfer to U2 going to Aspernstrabe at Karlsplatz, exit at Volkstheater.

 

Natural History Museum (Vienna, Austria)

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Natural History Museum (NHM)

The Museum of Natural History (NHM, German: Naturhistorisches Museum),  amongst the most splendid of the buildings that line the Vienna Ringstrasse, houses one of the largest natural history  collections in the world.

The author trying out a microscope

Cheska and Kyle viewing a brown bear

Jandy beside a coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

Founded 250 years ago by Franz Stephan von Lothringen, the Natural History Museum was built as a cathedral to the natural sciences between 1872 and 1891 according to plans drawn up by Gottfried Semper and Karl Freiherr von Hasenauer.

The main staircase

The building itself, a masterpiece of historical Neo-Renaissance architecture, was opened in 1889 as the Imperial Natural History Museum, at the same time as the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The two museums, on the Ringstraße, facing each other across Maria-Theresien-Platz, have identical exteriors.

The ornate interior

Built to house the huge collection of the Habsburgs, it has timeless elegance.  Its ornate decoration, furniture and precious exhibits make it a feast for the eyes for those interested in arts, scienceand architecture. The building itself is an artifact for historical preservation.

One of 39 exhibit halls – ornithological display

Copernican Planetary Machine

Archelon ischyros – world’s largest turtle

Its collection, in 39 exhibit halls against a backdrop of magnificent halls and spread out in 8,700 sq. m. (94,000 sq. ft.), has grown to approximately 30 million objects and artifacts (as of 2011), 25 million of which are the essential basis for the work of over 60 staff scientists.

Dinosaur skulls

Venus of Willendorf

Trilobites

The scientists’s main fields of research cover a wide range of topics, from the origins of the Solar System and the evolution of animals and plants to human evolution, as well as prehistoric traditions and customs. It forms the basis for natural sciences research at the NHM.

Lake Nyrshany – a Carboniferous Ecosystem

Early Sharks and Lobefins (Coelacanths)

Allosaurus fragilis

On display at the first floor are a variety of species from the animal world, from protozoa to insects to highly developed living mammals in modern terraria and aquaria.

A pirarucu (arapaima) from the Amazon River, Brazil

Whale Shark

Zebras

Herpetological display featuring taxidermied crocodiles

Turtles and Tortoises

Anaconda

Those over 200 years old, on their own account, are of particular interest as historical records for the history of science and the art of taxidermy.

Japanese Spider Crab

Komodo Dragon

Tiger-headed Python

Numerous stuffed animals, of species either long-extinct (such as Steller’s sea cow)  or extremely endangered, have made the collections truly famous and irreplaceable.

Skeleton of Steller’s Sea Cow

Skeleton of a Fin Whale

Pteranodon ingens

Skull of a Sperm Whale

The upper floor (Hochparterre) displays the following:

Austrian Meteorites

Amethyst

Diamonds and Quartz Crystals

Gold nuggets

The giant topaz crystal

Iron Meteorites

Some of the signs and explanations in the museum are in German but, following a recent renovation, much of the museum is now in German and English.

Bradysaurus baini

Dunkleosteus terrelli

Prodeinotherium bavaricum

Natural History Museum :  Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 521770. Open 9 AM – 6:30 PM. The museum’s website provides an overview in the form of a virtual tour.

Österreichische Galerie Belvedere (Vienna, Austria)

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Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere

The highlight of our tour of the Belvedere Palace, the summer residence of  the great art patron and collector Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736), was our tour of the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere (Austrian Gallery), an art museum housed in the Upper Belvedere, one of two palaces that make up the Belvedere.

Check out “Upper Belvedere“

The author

Named as such in 1921, this museum houses an extensive and permanent collection which includes several thousand masterpieces from the Middle Ages and Baroque up to the 21st century contemporary art, focusing on Austrian painters from the Fin de Siècle and Art Nouveau period complemented by the works of international artists.

Further attractions at the museum include key works of French Impressionism and the greatest, outstanding and most important collection of Viennese art from the Biedermeier Collection as well as highlights of the Baroque and Medieval Collection.

Duke Ernst the Iron Saves Cimburgis (Franz Dobyaschofsky, 1850, oil on canvas)

The collection threw a fresh and exciting light on artworks by well known Austrian artists that includes the world’s largest collections of paintings by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller and Gustav Klimt and the Character Heads by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. Other Austrian artists with works displayed include Rueland Frueauf the Elder, Erika Giovanna Klien, Egon Schiele, Helene Funke, and Oskar Kokoschka.

Cheska admiring “Count Moritz Christian von Fries and his Family,” an oil on canvas painting by François Pascal Simon Gérard

The museum’s display concept offered fresh approaches to these masterpieces of art through four innovative and thematically organized galleries (Austrian Baroque; Habsburg – Myth and Truth; Austria in Exile: Artists in Exile – Destinies in Dark Times; and Austria on the Move) that enlivened the path through the chronologically arranged periods of art in the permanent collection, sparking a multi-layered dialogue between the classics of art history and contemporary artists, for example Erwin Wurm and Christian Philipp Müller.

Empress Maria Theresa with her Children (Heinrich Fuger, tempera on parchment, 1776)

Conceived as a deliberate pause, the magnificent staterooms provides an opportunity to engage with, as well as focus on, issues and questions concerning Austria’s art, identity and history over the course of different epochs. An exciting interaction between past and present, we encountered and experienced an almost complete overview of the development of over 500 years of art history in Austria and, thus, an insight into the country’s history, rediscovering old favorites in a new context.

The Chess game (Josef Danhauser, 1839)

A section in the exhibition is dedicated to the tempestuous history of the Belvedere covering Prince Eugene’s building of the palaces, the foundation of the museum, the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, and its role today as a modern museum.

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (Lovers), 1908–1909. Measuring 180×180 cms., the ornamental character of this masterpiece is enhanced with gold and silver. According to a contemporary rumor, the couple depicted is the artist himself and his lifelong partner Emilie Flöge. which was Bought in 1908 by the Moderne Galerie, Klimt reached the pinnacle of his “golden” phase with “The Kiss.”

At the Galerie des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts (Gallery of 19th- and 20th-Century Art), I found works by the artists of the 1897 Secessionist movement. Most outstanding is Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), one of the movement’s founders.  The heart of the presentation of “Art around 1900” is the collection of 24 of his works (portraits, landscapes, and allegorical scenes), the world’s largest collection of his paintings, which allowed us to trace the evolution of his style, from elegant portraiture (e.g. 1897/1898’s Sonja Krips), through to portraits with abstract elements (1906’s Fritza Riedler), impressionist landscapes (1907’s Flowering Poppies) and, of course, the golden pictures The Kiss (1907/08), his most famous painting, and Judith (1901).

Napoleon at the St. Bernard Pass (Jacques Louis David, 1801. Oil on canvas, 246 x 231 cm.)

Sharing almost equal billing with Klimt is Egon Schiele  (1890-1918).  The museum hosts some of Schiele’s masterpieces, including The Wife of an Artist, The Embrace, Death and the Maiden, and The Family (a self-portrait painted just months before his death in 1918 from Spanish flu; the expressions on their faces suggest that Schiele and his wife almost seem to know what’s coming).

Österreichische Galerie Belvedere: Upper Belvedere, Prinz Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 795 57-0 and +43 1 79557134. Open: 10 AM -6 PM. E-mail: info@belvedere.at. Website:  www.belvedere.at.  Admission (Upper Belvedere): €16 (adult)

How to Get There: take U1 going to Reumannplatz at Stephansplatz, exit at Hauptbahnhof, then walk.

Kollegienkirche (Salzburg, Austria)

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On our way to Mozart’s Geburtshaus, we passed by Universitätsplatz (“University Square”) where a farm market takes place here every Monday to Friday.  The square lead up to  the Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church, sometimes called the Universitätskirche), another elaborate Baroque church of Salzburg. Grace and I went in for a visit.

Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church)

Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church)

The church, dedicated to “Unserer Lieben Frau” (Our Blessed Lady), was built between 1694 and 1707 from the local Benedictine university founded in 1622. The university was disbanded in 1810 but reopened in 1962 as part of the University of Salzburg whose main campus is in the suburb of Nonntal. After Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of 1800, the church was converted into a hay store. Kollegienkirche functioned as a military church and, under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, was a classical secondary school. In 1922, the premiere of the Great World Theater was held here. With the reopening of the University of Salzburg, Kollegienkirche regained its original purpose.

The bright and spacious interior

The bright and spacious interior

One of the most celebrated churches in Austria and he largest church in Salzburg from the Baroque period, it was designed by the great Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (who also built the Mirabell Garden, Holy Trinity Church, Markuskirche and Dreifaltigkeitskirche). Attached to the church  is the Furtwänglerpark, a lovely piece of green, and the oldest buildings of the university.

Altar built by Josef Anton Pfaffinger in 1735

Altar built by Josef Anton Pfaffinger in 1735

The Kollegienkirche, built on a modified Greek cross (cruciform) plan, has a unique, ornamental north-facing convex façade with many finely wrought details. It is flanked by two free standing bell towers.  On the top of the façade are four tapering statues resting on a coping which is bordered by balustrades.

Figures above the tabernacle

Figures above the tabernacle

Its spacious and bright interior, with its very steep proportions, is one of the most impressive and unusual creations in Baroque style. It is filled with elaborate stucco works, large windows surrounded by delicate decorative features, the coat of arms of Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun set in the closing gable area, angels and an eye-catching Maria Immaculata statue, designed by Fischer von Erlach and Diego Francesco Carlone, framed by statues of the Four Evangelists on the left tower and of the four Church Fathers on the right, all done by Michael Bernhard Mandl. The porch is separated from the nave by three round-arched arcades. The cupola and transept are situated exactly in the center.

Side Altar (1)

Side Altar (2)
Initially, instead of a high altar, the Kollegienkirche choir originally held only a high tabernacle of stone.  Today, however, the church does have an altar, made by Josef Anton Pfaffinger and dating from 1735. Its seven classical columns (representing the Seven Pillars of Wisdom), of red marble, in the center hall, are topped by angels, with St. Michael the Archangel in the middle.

Side Altar (3)

Side Altar (4)

Around the tabernacle are figures, surmounted by throned allegorical figures representing Faith, depict the various aspects of the human spirit. Above the angels is a stucco aureole of clouds, rays and putti (cherubs) encircling the floating Immaculate Virgin. This design, by Fischer von Erlach, was executed by Diego Francesco Carlone and Paolo d`Allio.

Side Altar (5)

Side Altar (6)

The elaborate side nave altars bear remarkably intense colors. The altar paintings on the left hand side were made by Johann Michael Rottmayr in 1721 and depict St. Barromäus. The painting is flanked by St. Rupert and St. Vergillius.  The altar paintings on the right hand side, painted by Rottmayr in 1722, depicts St. Benedict baptizing a pagan chief.  It is flanked by St. Erentrude and St. Scholastika. The Stations of the Cross, depicting the passion of Jesus Christ, adorn the spandrels.

Statue of St. Joachim

Statue of St. Joachim

Statue of St. John

Statue of St. John

The statues in the side chapels refer to the “Fakultäten,” the schools of the university: St. Thomas Aquinas (school of theology), St. Luke (school of medicine), St. Ivo (school of law) and St. Catherine (school of philosophy). The sparse use of sculptures and stucco works aims to highlight the architecture.

Statue of St. Leonard

Statue of St. Leonard

Kollegienkirche: Universitätsplatz (University Square), 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel:+43 662 841327.  Open daily, 9 AM – 6 PM.

Residenz Palace (Salzburg, Austria)

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Residenz Palace

Salzburg Residenz, a Baroque  palace located at Domplatz and Residenzplatz in the old part of the city has, throughout the centuries, been the residence of the Archbishops of Salzburg (who used the palace to present and represent their political status) as well as a place of public gatherings and state affairs, all taking place in a setting that reflected power and grandeur.

Along with Salzburg Cathedral and St. Peter’s Abbey, the Salzburg Residenz is one of the three buildings which provide the backdrop for the Dom Quartier (opened in 2014). The Residenz Palace is also, alongside with the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salzburger Dom, probably the most important historic building of Salzburg.

Check out “Salzburg Cathedral,” “Hohensalzburg Fortress“ and “St. Peter’s Cemetery“

Today, the Salzburg Residenz, one of the most impressive attractions in the city, houses the Residenzgalerie (visited separately from the palace), a museum intended to replace the art collection of the prince-archbishops, which had been lost during the Napoleonic wars in the early nineteenth century.  Intended to support a planned academy of art, as well as promote tourism, it houses paintings from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, and Austrian paintings from the nineteenth century.

The so-called Tuscany Wing (Toskanatrakt), in the north, is used by the School of Law and the law faculty of Paris Lodron University of Salzburg.    The palace is also used during the Salzburg Festival, for state receptions, conferences and international congresses can also be rented for private occasions.  The Knights’ Hall, with its excellent acoustics, is ideal for concerts and other events.

We were able to visit the palace using our Salzburg Card but photography wasn’t allowed inside. During our visit, the exhibit “Seduction: Tempting Beauty, Deadly Charm” (July 10 – November 1, 2015) was ongoing.

Here is the historical timeline of the palace:

  • The earliest recorded reference to the bishop’s palace was in a document dated 1232. Construction began under Archbishop Conrad I.
  • In the sixteenth century, several changes and additions to the structure were made.
  • Under the auspices of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (1587–1612), the bishop’s palace took on its present appearance.
  • In 1606, the Hofbogengebäude and Wallistraktwere finished.
  • In the early seventeenth century, work began on the south wing, which included the addition of the large staircase and the Carabinieri-Saal, a section that connected the palace to the Franziskanerkirche and a large courtyard.
  • To allow the Residenz Palace to blend in visually with the Salzburger Dom, Prince Archbishop Guidobald Reichsgraf von Thun (1654 to 1668) added a floor to the main building.
  • In 1660, the Carabinieri-Saal was enlarged
  • In 1689, the elaborate stucco work and the three paintings on the ceiling of the  Carabinieri-Saal were  finished
  • In 1690, the additional floor at the Wallistrakt was completed.
  • Around 1710, the façade was renewed under Prince Archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach according to a design by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.
  • In 1714, the ceiling paintings at the Rittersaal were completed.
  • During the 19th century, the Residenz Palace was temporarily used as a private palace by some members of the Austrian royal family as well as the line of Habsburg-Toskana.
  • Through to the end of the eighteenth century, the successors of Wolf Dietrich continued to expand and refine the palace.
  • On May 1, 1816, Emperor Francis I accepted homage and the oath of allegiance from the civic leaders of Salzburg at the Knights’ Hall, marking the beginning of Salzburg as a part of Austria.
  • In 1867, Emperor Franz Joseph I received Emperor Napoleon III at the Residenz.
  • In 1919, a plan to assemble an art gallery was proposed by the Residenzmuseum.
  • In 1922, planning for the Residenzgalerie was completed by Eduard Hütte, the official curator of Salzburg.
  • In 1923, the Residenzgalerie was opened

Ticket counter

During our visit, we first stepped into the  Carabinieri-Saal, the sala grande of the Salzburg Residenz.  The Carabinieri-Saal, used as a common room for the Prince Archbishop′s bodyguards, but also for theatre and banquettes or balls, and Rittersaal Halls, also called Prunkräume or “glorious rooms” (State Apartments), are the two most important halls for representative purposes in the Residenz Palace.

The elaborate stucco work of the Carabinieri-Saal was made by Francesco and Karlo Antonio Brenno and Antonio Carabelli. The three paintings on the ceiling, painted by Johann Michael Rottmayr depict representations of the four elements – Neptune rules over the wind (water and air), the Calydonian hunt for boars (earth) and the workshop of Vulcanus (fire). The smaller artworks in the corners represent the four gods of wind. The four gates, made of marble, date back to around 1610.

Illuminated fountain at Residenzgalerie yard

The Rittersaal, bordering the Carabinieri-Saal, has ceiling paintings, done by Johann Michael Rottmayr, depicting scenes from the life of Alexander the Great, mainly his taming of the horse Bucephalus.  Over the mantelpieces are plastic allegories and armor trophies. A gate towards the east, dating back to 1770, connects the Residenz Palace with the Salzburger Dom.

The Wallistrakt, a wing of the prince archiepiscopal Salzburg Residenz, is a composition of various architectural components built during different construction stages. The only original wing contains a two-storey hall with a central pillar in Tuscany style that was taken from the old cathedral.

Due to several re-constructions and changes of proprietors, the apartment here hasn’t been dealt with as a part of the prince archiepiscopal residence.  It connects the Residenz Palace with a pillar hall over the Franziskanergasse alley.

On the northern side of the Wallistrakt are two Roman mosaics from the 3rd century, found during the 1964 to 1965 renovation work, added to the arcades.

The so-called Hofbogengebäude was originally a place of accommodation for the apartment of prince archbishop Wolf Dietrich of Raitenau.

There was enough space in the medieval Frohnhof (the forecourt of the cathedral) to quickly build a new living unit for the prince archbishop without disturbing the procedures of the residence or having to redeem civic houses. After the Hofbogengebäude was completed, the medieval Residence was open to further renovation and modernization.

To the north, the Hofbogengebäude was connected directly to the Carabinieri-Saal hall. From there, the second floor apartment extended southwards to the prince archbishop’s private chambers in the very south of the building. From there, a richly stuccoed staircase led to a garden hall which opened towards the Hofgärtl, a giardino segreto (secret garden) located in the west surrounded by a high garden wall.

Jandy, Cheska, Kyle and Grace making their way down a stairway

The buildings of the Toskanatrakt wing, ordered erected by Prince Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo (1772–1803), replaced former wings from the time of Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (Colloredo planned to rebuild the western wings in Neo-Classic style, but only the Toskanatrakt wing was altered).

Its façade bears decorations around the windows that date back to the late 18th century. The northern wing consists of arcades, built in the early 17th century, with ionic pillars that span two floors. The southeast corner, dating back to the first building period of the Residenz Palace, contains a staircase and stucco work from around 1600.

The first floor Steinsaal hall contains elaborate stucco decorations from the 18th and 19th century while the second floor Toskana Appartement (Tuscany apartment) contains a ceiling and walls with stucco work from 1862.

Odysseus and the Sirens (Ferdinand Alexander Bruckmann, 1829)

Salzburg Residenz: Residenzstraße 1, München, Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +49 89 290671. Open 10 AM – 5 PM.

Salzburg Cathedral (Austria)

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Salzburg Cathedral

This cathedral, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg, is dedicated to Saint Rupert and Saint Vergilius. It was founded by St. Rupert on the remnants of a Roman town. The first cathedral was built under Saint Vergilius of Salzburg, who might have used foundations by St. Rupert.

The present seventeenth-century  Baroque cathedral was built in the seventeenth century under Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau  (also responsible for the building of the nearby Alten Residenz, which is today connected to the cathedral), a patron and supporter of modern Italian Baroque architecture, having seen it from its origins in Italy and particularly Rome.

Statues of diocesean and cathedral patrons. The coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Guidobald von Thun and Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun are at the bases.

Here’s a historical timeline of the cathedral’s construction:

  • In 774, the first Dom was recorded.
  • From 767 to 774, the so-called 66 m. long and 33 m. wide Virgil Dom was built
  • Archbishop Arno (785 – 821) was the first to arrange renovations of the Dom, which was in place for less than 70 years.
  • In 842, the building burned down after being struck by lightning.
  • Three years later, the re-erection of the building started.
  • Between 1000 and 1080, under Archbishop Hartwig, a long choir with a crypt was built and an extension of the rebuilt cathedral was built towards the towards the west
  • From 1106 to 1147, under Archbishop Konrad I, the west towers were built
  • In 1167, the Virgil Dom was seriously damaged in a fire.
  • In 1181, the cathedral was rebuilt during the reign of Archbishop Konrad III
  • During the early Middle Ages, the original church experienced at least three extensive building and rebuilding campaigns, the final result of which was a somewhat ad hoc Romanesque basilica.
  • In 1598, the basilica was severely damaged in a fire
  • After several failed attempts at restoration and reconstruction, Prince-Bishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau (Archbishop from 1587–1612) ordered that the building be finally demolished.
  • In 1614, Mark Sittich von Hohenems (Archbishop from 1612–19 and Wolf Dietrich’s successor),  laid the cornerstone of the new cathedral.
  • In 1628, remarkably in less than 15 years, the cathedral was completed. That same year, the Marienglocke and the Virgilglocke, the oldest bells in the cathedral, were both cast.
  • On September 24, 1628, the cathedral was consecrated by Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron.
  • In 1652 and 1655, the towers were finished.
  • Between 1766 and 1771, the Maria Immaculata (Immaculate Mary) column was executed by brothers Wolfgang and Johann-Baptist Hagenauer.
  • During World War II, the cathedral was damaged when a single bomb crashed through the central dome over the crossing.
  • From 1945 to 1959, the Salzburger Dom was rebuilt in its original shape and reopened by Archbishop Andreas Rohracher.
  • On September 24, 1961, 5 new bells were added.

Coats of arms of Markus Sittikus and Paris Londron at the tympanum

Here are some interesting trivia regarding the cathedral:

  • The present cathedral was built partially upon the foundations of the old basilica. Indeed, the foundation stones of the preceding church building may be seen in the Domgrabungen, an excavation site under the cathedral that also features mosaics and other artifacts found here when this location was the forum of the Roman city Juvavum.
  • Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi was hired by Wolf Dietrich to prepare a plan for a comprehensive new Baroque building but the present cathedral was designed by Santino Solari, who fundamentally changed the original Scamozzi plan.
  • At the cathedral’s consecration, 12 choirs positioned in the marble galleries of the cathedral sang a Te Deum composed by Stefano Bernardi,   the Kapellmeister to the Salzburg court. The score has since been lost.
  • One other surviving relic that predates the Baroque edifice is the 14th century Gothic baptismal font.
  • Salzburg Cathedral still contains the baptismal font in which composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized.
  • When the cathedral was completed, the relics of St. Rupert were transferred here.
  • The finished church is 466 ft. long and 109 ft. high at the crossing/dome.
  • The Baroque style can be seen in the choir and the nave.
  • The Salvatorglocke (“salvation bell”) of the cathedral, weighing 14,256 kgs., is the 2nd largest bell in Austria, after the Pummerin bell in Vienna Cathedral

Statues of the Four Evangelists

The cathedral is located adjacent to Residenzplatz and Domplatz (accessed by three open arcade arches in the north, south, and west) in the Altstadt (Old Town) area of Salzburg.

Statue of St. Paul

The “cathedral arches” unite the cathedral with the Salzburg Residenz and St. Peter’s Abbey , forming a unique self-contained square. It is 101 m. long, 69 m. wide and 81 m. high.

Statue of St. Peter

The richly decorated façade, made of bright Untersbergmarmor (Untersberg mountain marble) and divided into three horizontal sections, is framed by two towers and a curved gable.

Statue of St. Rupert

Three high round arches or portals, at the lower section, provide access to three bronze doors and are flanked by four large sculpted figures representing the diocesean and cathedral patrons.

Statue of St. Virgilius

The mitered figures of St. Rupert, holding a salt barrel, and St. Virgilius, holding a church, were created c. 1660 by Bartholomäus van Opstal. The inside figures of St. Peter, holding keys, and St. Paul, holding a sword, were sculpted c. 1697 by Bernhard Michael Mandl, who also created all the pedestals.

Interior of the cathedral

The coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Guidobald von Thun and Prince Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun are at the bases. The mantelpieces, over the central windows, contain a lion and an ibex (the animals depicted in the coats-of-arms) and a golden crown that aligns with the Marien column in the Domplatz.

The main altar

The statues of the Four Evangelists (Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke and Saint John), at the central section of the façade, represent the salvation offered through their preaching.  The coats-of-arms of the builders of the cathedral, Markus Sittikus and Paris Londron, are at the top section tympanum.

The cathedral dome with frescoes depicting scenes from the Old Testament around it.  Above it are the coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron and Archbishop Andreas Roracher. At the corners are paintings of the Four Evangelists.

The figure group on the pediment, representing the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mt. Tabor, shows Christ as Salvator Mundi, with Moses holding the tablets on the left and the prophet Elijah to the right. Tommaso di Garona, the mason who built the Residenz Fountain, created the three statues in 1660. An old oven, used for baking communion bread, is housed in the north tower.

The main nave with paintings showing scenes from the life (10 smaller ones) and passion (15 large ones) of Christ, done by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari.

The three bronze gates inside the portals, representing the 3 divine virtues (Göttliche Tugenden) of faith, hope and love, were erected in 1957 and 1958.  The Gate of Faith (Tor des Glaubens ), on the left, was created by Toni Schneider-Manzell (1911-1996); the Gate of Love (Tor der Liebe), at the center, was created by Giacomo Manzù (1908-1991); and the  Gate of Hope (Tor der Hoffnung), on the right, was created by Ewald Mataré (1887-1965). The flanking towers, also divided into three horizontal units, bear clocks and the bells.

Paintings on the main nave, showing scenes from the life (10 smaller ones) and passion (15 large ones) of Christ, were done by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari. The stucco works were done in white (and crested by black stucco)  by Guiseppe Bassarino around 1628.  Four chapels, on each side along the main nave, each have a side altar and palatine frescos.

The 71 m. high dome, with two rows of eight frescos each, displays scenes from the Old Testament that relate to the life and passion scenes from the nave. They were also painted by by Donato Mascagni and Ignazio Solari.

On top of these paintings are paintings of the Four Evangelists (Mark, Luke, Matthew and John) and, beyond that, the coats-of-arms of Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron and Archbishop Andreas Roracher.

On the left and right side of the nave are motives of St. Francis and Virgin Mary respectively. To the left and right of the St. Francis Altar are epitaphs of Prince Archbishops Leopold Anton von Firmian (died in 1744), Guidobald von Thun (died in 1668), Max Gandolf von Kuenburg (died in 1687) and Jakob E. von Liechtenstein (died in 1747).

Around the Virgin Mary Altar are epitaphs of Prince Archbishops Andreas J. Dietrichstein (died in 1753), Johann E. Thun (died in 1709), Franz A. Harrach (died in 1727) and Siegismund Schrattenbach (died in 1772).

The main altar, probably built by Santio Solari in 1628, has a painting depicting the Resurrection of Christ and made by Donato Mascagni.

Above the painting are statues of St. Rupert and St. Virgil as well as allegories of Religio and Caritas. Between the figures is an inscriptions that reads: Notas mihi fecisi vias vitae (“You showed me the way of life”).

On top of the altar there are statues of angels holding golden crucifixes.  The right and left hand side of the main altar has epitaphs of Prince Archbishops Markus Sittikus (died in 1619) and Paris Lodron (died in 1653) respectively.

The main altar backdrop with a painting depicting the Resurrection of Christ made by Donato Mascagni

On the right hand side of the main altar is the entrance to the crypt (the tombs of the Archbishops of Salzburg) based on the foundations of the Romanesque Virgil Cathedral.

The Zehneckraum (“Ten corner room”) contains the tombs of the Prince Archbishops from the 17th to the 18th century. In the round tower is a mosaic showing the scale of the former Salzburger Dom in comparison to today′s cathedral.

The new organ built in 1988

The organ that is in use for services today was built in 1988.  The old organ is essentially the same as the one built by the famous organ builder Josef Christoph Egedacher in 1703.

The old organ built in 1703 by Josef Cristoph Egedacher

Salzburg Cathedral: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 80477950. Open 8AM-5PM. From June to September, there is a one-hour organ recital every Wednesday and Saturday at 11.15.

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel (Mondsee, Austria)

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Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

The last leg of our “Original Sound of Music Tour,” via Panorama Tours, brought us to Mondsee, a quaint and colorful town of lush countryside, shops and restaurants, where we made our final stopover at the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel situated right smack in the middle of the town center.  We were given an hour to explore the area.

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Maria (Julie Andrews) von Trapp walking down the aisle of St. Michael’s Basilica in the film “Sound of Music.”

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Another movie scene of Maria walking down the aisle. Behind is the Wolfgang Altar

Do you remember Maria (Julie Andrews) and Captain Georg (Christopher Plummer) von Trapp’s wonderfully famous wedding scene at the “Sound of Music?” This is where the wedding in the film took place (though, in real life, they got married at Nonnberg Abbey where Maria was a postulant). The exterior of the church was never shown in the movie, as it was then under renovation.

Maria and Captain von Trapp at the high altar

Maria and Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) at the high altar

The bright and welcoming yellow and white, Late Gothic-style and three-aisled St. Michael’s Basilica, located next door to the monastery building (founded by Bavarian Duke Odilo II in 748, it has been restored and turned into a classy hotel) and courtyards, is the cultural and spiritual heart of the Mondsee region.

View of pipe organ from high altar

View of pipe organ from high altar

The second biggest church in Upper Austria, it is also one of the most prominent and largest monuments in Austria. This former Benedictine abbey church, officially as Pfarrkirche St Michael, was constructed under the direction of Abbot Benedikt Eck and consecrated in 1487.

High Altar designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger

High Altar designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger

The pink and white ceiling with snowflake-like designs

The pink and white ceiling with snowflake-like designs

In 2005, Pope John Paul II upgraded the church to a minor basilica and, that same year, a huge restoration and renovation of the interior began that included every part of the basilica. During one of the many restorations, the framing on the Gothic vaults have been discovered to have been painted in the original light pink color. It took 3 years to complete and, in 2009, the church was reopened and was conferred  the title “Austria’s Monument of the Year.”

Side Altar (1)

Side Altar (2)

The basilica has two 52-m. high towers and statues of Saints Peter and Paul on the façade. For architecture buffs like me, it is unassuming on the outside but beautiful inside. We entered the basilica through a small lovely gift shop which helps in the upkeep of the basilica. The beautiful Baroque interior, dating back to the 17th century, features Baroque-style altars collaboratively created by Matthais Wichlhammer and the famous Swiss Baroque sculptor Meinrad Guggenbichler, outstanding pieces of work, with lots of black and gold, that are really stunning and nothing short of extravagant.

Poor Souls Altar

Poor Souls Altar

The light and airy interior, exactly the same as it was when the movie was filmed, was even more impressive when we looked at the ornate details up close. The ceiling, with soft almost pink snowflake-like designs on a clean white background, was also beautiful.

Wolfgang Altar

Wolfgang Altar

Seven of these altars were carved by Meinrad Guggenbichler who, from 1680, dedicated much of his life to beautifying the monastery.  Its 18 m. high early Baroque high altar. with the relics of Abbot Konrad II, dates from 1626 and was designed by Salzburg sculptor Hans Waldburger.

Altar Josef

Altar Josef

More altars were then built in the monastery church.  These included the Holy Spirit Altar, the Wolfgang Altar, the Corpus Christi Altar, the Poor Souls Altar, the Sebastian Altar and the St. Peter Altar. Later, other altars were added, this time by Franz Anton Koch. These were the John Altar, the Altar Josef, the Anna or Virgin Altar and Antonius Altar. The altar cross was put together by a Mondsee  sculptor.

Antonius Altar

Antonius Altar

Once up the high altar, we could see the equally beautiful and impressive pipe organ at the opposite end of the basilica. There are also additional artifacts to be viewed at the museum attached to the basilica. The gilded statues and paintings made me wonder where they got the resources for such extravagance.

Altar of Annunciation (1680) by Meinrad Guggenbichler

Altar of Annunciation (1680) by Meinrad Guggenbichler

I am not used to seeing such splendor. One of the most photographed churches all over the world, this cinematically famous basilica is visited by more than 200.000 people each year. Even if you are not a “Sound of Music” movie fan, the elegant and classy St Michael’s Basilica is still worth spending time walking through. 

John Altar

John Altar

Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel: Kirchgasse 1, Mondsee 5310, Austria. Tel: +43 6232 4166. Open daily, 9 AM – 7 PM. Although entrance to the basilica is free, there is a small admission fee for the museum.

The museum

The museum

Gift Shop

Gift Shop

How to Get There: Bus140 from Salzburg runs every 30 minutes and takes approximately 50 minutes (25 kms.) to reach Mondsee.

The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show (Austria)

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The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show

For our first night in Salzburg, Grace, Manny, Jandy, Cheska, Kyle and I proceeded to Sternbrau Restaurant, at the old heart of the city (next to the famous “Getreidegasse” shopping street), to watch the amazing “Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show,” (Check out video here) a daily show & dinner event with 74 seats available.

Sternbrau Restaurant

The most successful dinner show in Salzburg, it has, for 24 consecutive years, been mesmerizing and entertaining Salzburg visitors from all around the world with its harmonic blending of songs from The Sound of Music movie, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, operettas and other excerpts of Salzburg’s musical past.

Cheska, Kyle and Grace at the entrance of the restaurant

In 1991, three entrepreneurs – Franz Langer (music director), Martin Uitz (former CEO of Salzburg Land Tourism) and Stefan Herzl (CEO of Panorama Tours) – created the Sound of Music Dinner Show (as it was called back then), a dinner concert with live on-stage performance of The Sound of Music compositions combined with an Austrian dinner. It was staged daily, from May till October, in the big hall of the Salzburger Stieglkeller underneath the famous Hohensalzburg Castle.

In 2000, the dinner concert moved, from the Stieglkeller, to the Sternbräu with Franz Langer updating the program, featuring more compositions of W.A. Mozart and Salzburg‘s operettas, and renaming the daily event to “The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show.”  Even a stepdaughter of Maria von Trapp, also called Maria, used to visit the show several times.

In 2014, Roman Forisch took over from Franz Langer (since 1997 sole owner of the show) as new manager and relocated “The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show” to the Festungssaal (Fortress Hall) on the first floor of the K+K Restaurants am Waagplatz, a historical landmarked building next to the famous Salzburg Cathedral and right in the middle of the historic district of Salzburg.

Festungssaal (Fortress Hall)

The building, one of the oldest sites in Salzburg, was a brewery in the Middle Ages first mentioned in 1542.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart liked to come here regularly, especially in 1777. At the beginning of 2013, the building was restored, modernized and, after almost two years, re-opened as a restaurant in 2014.

Soup of the Day

Viennese-style Schnitzel with Noodles

The move to this historical building added a final piece to the cultural tourism highlight, providing the makings of a truly wonderful evening with its ideal combination of a splendid, high class culinary experience and a comfortable and atmospheric  Medieval location.

Roast Pork with Dumpling and Cabbage Salad with Bacon

Before the show, a dinner is served at 7.30 PM (Doors open at 7 PM).  We enjoyed a traditional Viennese 3-course meal, in a candlelit setting, prepared by chef de cuisine Michael Pratter and his team.  It featured a starter (Soup of the Day), a choice of white or red meat (Roast Pork with dumpling and cabbage salad with bacon or Vienna-style Schnitzel with Noodles) and their famous homemade Grandma’s Apple Strudel with Whipped Cream for dessert.

Grandma’s Apple Strudel with Whipped Cream

The one-and-a-half-hour show began at 8.30 PM at a stage with an area of about 10 square meters, right in front of the dinner tables. The “Sound of Salzburg Show” features a group of 4 singers (2 female and 2 male), all trained artists from all over the world, and 1 female pianist.

The four performers and the pianist (at right)

On stage, they performed a program which includes the greatest hits of the aforementioned The Sound of Music musical (Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein) and  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Salzburg‘s operettas.   For the Sound of Music, they performed “The Sound of Music (song),” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Do-Re-Mi (Reprise),” “Do-Re-Mi (Fuge),” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Maria,” “My Favorite Things,” “Lonely Goatherd,” “Laendler Tanz,” “Edelweiss” and “So Long, Farewell.”

The two lady performers dressed up as nuns

The Mozart repertoire consisted of “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” “Ronda Alla Turca,” “Papageno Arie (Zauberflöte),” “Pa-Pa Duett (Zauberflöte),” “Vedrai Carino Arie (Don Giovanni)” and a “Minuet from Don Giovanni.”

Salzburg operettas featured, with live piano accompaniment, were Ralph Benatzky’s “Regenlied (Im weißen Rößl),” “Im Salzkammergut, da kammer gut (Im weißen Rößl)” and “Im weißen Rößl am Wolfgangsee (Im weißen Rößl); Fred Raymond’s “Saison in Salzburg (Saison in Salzburg)” and  Franz Lehar’s “Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (Das Land des Lächelns)” and “Lippen Schweigen (Die lustige Witwe).”  A folk song, Und jetzt gang i ans Petersbruennele, was also featured. 

Cheska dancing with a male performer

The show thus featured 5 different composers who each have their own style and lived in various parts of the musical history.  Thus, the job of the singers (who perform in 15 countries around the world as musical ambassadors for Austria) of the Sound of Salzburg show wasn’t easy as every single song they sang was supposed to be sung in the right way, in the way the composer intended.

They also needed to have a broad understanding of music to perform every one of them, know what the songs were actually about as well as to learn them by heart. In short, they have to live the song.

The real Maria von Trapp

The show also included an 8-minute, really interesting film clip of an interview from the real Maria von Trapp. The video, not the best quality, was from the 1980’s but you can see and hear everything you need to understand the real von Trapp story behind the movie.

Manny, on stage, serenaded by a lady performer

The dinner side of the show was great and the show itself was very entertaining.  The show was in English so we didn’t have to worry about not understanding anything. There were a couple of songs sung in German but we didn’t need to understand German to enjoy the tunes.  The performers also did a little audience participation.  Manny was pulled on stage, seated and serenaded by a lady singer.

Kyle (center) on stage with performers and other members of the audience

The male singers also grabbed a few ladies from the crowd (including my daughter Cheska) and taught them how to dance a traditional Viennese dance. Some kids (including my grandson Kyle) also joined the performers on stage. If you love “The Sound of Music” or simply just love Austrian music and culture, you would have a great night at the “Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show.” I definitely would recommend it. 

Kyle (second from right) with the performers

Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show: Sternbräu Restaurant, Griesgasse 23 5020 Salzburg. Tel: +43 660 5020520 and +43 699 10248666.  E-mail: office@soundofsalzburg.info . Website: www.soundofsalzburg.info. Daily show times (from mid May to mid October): 7 – 10 PM (dinner & show) and 8:30 – 10 PM (show only). Admission: € 39 (adults), € 32 (Salzburg Card & Students), € 20 (children 7-14 years of age) and free for children under the age of 7 (accompanied by an adult). Click here to book tickets online)

Guests can choose between three different 3-course menus (drinks not included) or our deluxe 4-course menu with premier seating (with drinks, the show and a CD). Menu choices for vegetarians and seafood lovers are available on request.  Food and beverages must be paid directly at the restaurant.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens (Salzburg, Austria)

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The Grand Parterre of Mirabell Gardens

The Grand Parterre of Mirabell Gardens

After checking in and freshening up at Hotel Garni Evido Salzburg City Center, we all met up at the lobby to begin our exploration of the city, starting with the nearby Mirabell Palace and Gardens, a listed cultural heritage monument and part of the Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most beautiful Baroque gardens in Europe, it was built along a north-south axis and oriented towards the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salzburger Dom cathedral.

View, from Rose Hill, of the Small Parterre, Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress

View, from Rose Hill, of the Small Parterre, Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress

The palace, outside the medieval walls of Salzburg, was built about 1606 according to Italian and French models, at the behest of Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich  von Raitenau as a residence for his mistress Salome Alt. From their union, 15 children were born, 10 of whom survived. When von Raitenau was deposed and arrested in 1612, Salome and her family were expelled. After Wolf Dietrich’s death, the palace was renamed “Mirabell” (from the Italian word mirabile, bella meaning “amazing” or “wonderful”) by his successor, Markus Sittich von Hohenems.

Mirabell Palace

Mirabell Palace

Prince-Archbishop Franz Anton von Harrach had Mirabell Palace redesigned, according to plans designed by the famous architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, in a lavish Baroque style from 1721 to 1727, integrating the individual buildings into a self-contained complex. On June 1, 1815 the later King Otto of Greece was born here, while his father, the Wittelsbach crown prince Ludwig I of Bavaria served as stadtholder in the former Electorate of Salzburg.

Rosenhugel (Rose Hill)

Rosenhugel (Rose Hill)

On April 30, 1818, the palace was damaged by the great fire that swept through the city.  A number of frescoes, including those by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Gaetano Fanti, were destroyed by the flames but the masterly grand marble staircase that led into the palace and the marble hall, one of the most precious works of art at Mirabell Palace, survived unscathed.

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From about 1818, Mirabell Palace owes its present unassuming Neoclassical appearance to Peter de Nobile, the court’s architectural consultant and director of the Vienna School of Architecture. The edging of the windows, the capitals and stucco work are details that bear witness to the palace’s former splendor. Charming putti (cherubs) decorate the marble balustrade and the sculptures in the niches, all among the finest products of the European Baroque, are the work of the famous Georg Raphael Donner.

The Rape of Persephone

The Rape of Persephone

Aeneas and Anchises

Aeneas and Anchises

On June 3, 1944 Gretl Braun, the sister of Eva Braun (later to marry Adolf Hitler), married SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler‘s liaison officer on Hitler’s staff, at the Mirabell Palace, with Hitler, Himmler and Martin Bormann as witnesses. Eva made all the wedding arrangements.

Rape of Helen by Paris

Rape of Helen by Paris

Today, Mirabell Palace houses the offices of Salzburg’s mayor and the municipal council (its rooms are not open to the public). The Marble Hall, considered to be one of the most beautiful wedding halls in the world, was formerly the prince-archbishops’ ballroom and a concert venue for Leopold Mozart and his children Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart.  Meetings, awards ceremonies and romantic concerts (Salzburg Palace Concerts) are regularly held here. Mirabell Palace is also a popular location for weddings.

The author at the Grand Panterre

The author at the Grand Panterre

Grace at the Grand Parterre Fountain

Grace at the Grand Parterre Fountain

The famous, geometrically-arranged Mirabell Gardens was redesigned, under Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun, in 1689 based on plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, and completely remodeled around 1730 by Franz Anton Danreiter. Noted for its boxwood layouts, it has mythology-themed statues dating from 1730.

Grace and Jandy

Grace and Jandy

The “Grand Parterre,” the oldest part of the Mirabell Gardens that is still preserved, is embraced by a marble railing decorated with vases by Fischer von Erlach.

Vase by Fischer von Erlach

Vase by Fischer von Erlach

In the heart of the garden is a large fountain, with four statue groups sculpted by Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto from 1690 around it – “The Rape of Prosperina,” “The Rape of Helena by Paris,” “Aeneas and Anchises,” and “Hercules and Antaeus,”  symbolizing the 4 elements (fire, air, earth and water).

Statues of Roman gods and godesses

Statues of Roman gods and goddesses

On the balustrades are statues of Roman gods and goddesses (Ceres, Pomona. Venus, Vesta, Juno and Chronos, Bacchus, Jupiter, Mars, Hercules, Vulcan, Hermes and Apollo) made by B. van Opstal in 1689.

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The Heckentheater (Hedge Theater), a hedge maze located in the main part of the Mirabell Gardens, was created between 1704 and 1718 and is one of the oldest hedge theaters north of the Alps.  The Heckentheater is still used for performances in the summer, including concerts of the Salzburg Festival.

The Von Trapp children at the Hedge Theater

The Von Trapp children at the Hedge Theater

The Zwergerlgarten (Dwarf Garden) features a number of misshapen creatures, made of white Untersberg marble, dating back to the time of Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach.  In 1854, the gardens were opened to the public by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Kyle and Cheska at the Small Panterre

Kyle and Cheska at the Small Panterre

The “Small Parterre,” the part of the Mirabell Gardens just along the backside of the Mirabell Palace, is directly attached to the Grand Parterre.  At its core is the Pegasus Fountain with a copper statue of Pegasus made in 1661 by Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck for the well on the Kapitelplatz near the Salzburger Dom cathedral.

Pegasus Fountain

Pegasus Fountain

There it stayed until 1690. After that time, it was used for the well on the Mirabellplatz Square until the great fire of 1818, and finally transferred to its current location in 1913. From Rosenhügel ( “Rose Hill”), we had a beautiful view all over the Small Parterre towards Salzburger Dom and Hohensalzburg Fortress.

Maria and the Von Trapp children at the Small Panterre

Maria and the Von Trapp children at the Small Panterre

Several scenes from the 1965 movie The Sound of Music were recorded here. Maria (Julie Andrews) and the von Trapp children (Charmian Carr as Liesl, Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich,  Heather Menzies as Louisa,  Duane Chase as Kurt,  Angela Cartwright as Brigitta,  Debbie Turner as Marta and Kym Karath as Gretl) sing ‘Do-Re-Mi‘ while dancing around the Pegasus Fountain and using the steps as a musical scale.

Fraulein Maria and the children at the Grand Parterre Fountain

Fraulein Maria and the children at the Grand Parterre Fountain

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Mirabell Palace and Gardens: Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria. Tel: +43 662 80720. Open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thurdays, 8 AM – 4 PM; Tuesdays and Fridays, 1 – 4 PM.   No visit in case of special occasions.  The Mirabell Gardens are  open daily from approximately 6 AM to dusk.  Admission is free. The Hedge Theater and Dwarf Garden are closed during the winter.   The Orangerie is open all year round, 9 AM – 4 PM.