Castle Hellbrunn Salzburg

It does not always have to be Mozart. Salzburg has much more to offer than only the places where the most famous son of the town lived, worked and hence wrote history. Many guests also plan to visit castle Hellbrunn during their stay in Salzburg. The magnificent building was constructed in 1612. At that time prince archbishop Markus Sittikus von Hohenems decided to commission the construction of a summer residence completely in Italian style directly at the foot of hill Hellbrunn. The builders made all efforts and constructed a real pleasure palace: Hellbrunn got a large park whose special appeal lies in the trick fountains, which are up to now unique and known worldwide. The element water, whose availability is basically unlimited due to the many mountain sources at the hill Hellbrunn, was made in a skilful way the cornerstone in the concept of the castle. Everywhere in the park, in the garden and at the castle, water dabbles and sprinkles – the complex and creative trick fountains are still the centre and the attraction of castle Hellbrunn, even after almost 400 years,

Salzburg - Castle Hellbrunn and its trick fountains


Money seemed to be no issue at that time: The architects and builders were able to let their ideas flow freely here. It is no surprise that this building quickly became one of the archbishops' favourite places: Lots of festivals, concerts and other cultural events were celebrated here. In this connection the castle and its park were renewed from time to time. For example in 1730 when head gardener Franz Anton Danreiter redesigned the garden to reflect the contemporary taste. By the way the statues of god and of heroes were put into the park at that time.

The visitors can also see Europe's oldest open air theatre here. Markus Sittikus commissioned the turning of the natural stone quarry in Hellbrunn into a stage – since then countless open-air theatre- and music performances took place.

The folk museum of the Salzburg museum is now located in the Monatsschlösschen (castle about which a legend said that it was constructed within only one month) named “Waldems” in Hellbrunn. Here the visitors get to know many interesting facts about tradition, culture, belief and medicine from back then.

Persons who are interested in visiting the town and the castle Hellbrunn, should by the way book a room in the Hotel Stadtkrug Salzburg. Centrally located with a wonderful roof garden and an excellent cuisine, the Stadtkrug is a real oasis in the middle of the town. An additional benefit is that the hotel's employees can provide much information about the places of interest, that they gladly assist with the planning of a cultural trip through Salzburg and that they can of course also help to find the cheapest prices. The guests can really feel in every part of the hotel that it is a family business. Service and friendliness are not just empty words here, these principles are actively lived by the owners and their personnel.