Trust me on this! The famous Mirabell Gardens would have 50% less visitors if it hadn’t been a filming site for, once again…The Sound of Music. What an amazing impact that movie had on tourism in Salzburg, Ja? They are a horticultural masterpiece, open daily from 6:00a to dusk and entrance is free.
Mirabell Gardens and Palace is located about an easy four-block walk from Hotel Schwarzes Rossl down Ranierstrasse, right across the street from Panorama Tours; a booking and pick-up spot for those on tour with their company. The Palace now houses offices of Salzburg’s mayor and municipal council and most rooms are not open to the public. Free entrance is allowed into the Marble Hall, formerly the Prince Archbishops’ ballroom. Salzburg Palace Concerts are held here regularly just as when Wolfang and sister Nannerl entertained here.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Salzburg, Austria
Pegasus Fountain in Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Salzburg
The original name of Schloss Mirabell Palace was Schloss Altenau “Schloss Altenau” when built by Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in 1606 as a present for his concubine Salome Alt. Markus Sittikus succeeded him and renamed the palace, Schloss Mirabell (beautiful view). It wasn’t until 1690 when the gardens were redesigned and again remodeled around 1730.
As earlier stated, we visited for the gardens. My inner Sound of Music wouldn’t allow a visit to Salzburg without seeing most of the original film sites. Maria and the children were seen dancing around the statue of Pegasus, the winged horse, and throughout the gardens singing Do-Re-Mi. Other than that bit of knowledge, I knew nothing about the other statues and garden sections until after-the-fact but I’m a quick learner. It was pure luck that we walked down Rainerstrasse from the hotel and entered at the top of the steps referred to as the Do-Re-Mi steps! Especially since there are at least three other entrances into the gardens: from the Markartplatz at the other end, framed by the statues of Roman gods), the Schwarzstrasse, and Mirabell Square.
– There is another fountain with four groups of statues symbolizing the four elements: fire, air, earth and water; and more statues of Roman gods, etc., scattered among the garden;
– The Hedge Theater, created between 1704 and 1718, is located in the main part of the Mirabell Gardens. It is an open air theater laid out in the middle of a tall hedge maze while rows of benches serve as seating;
– Orangerie, still used as a greenhouse; and
Steve and his Mirabell Gardens dwarf, Salzburg
Sheila and her Mirabell Gardens dwarf, Salzburg
– The Dwarf Garden. Walking through marble statues encircling an old bastion, we had no idea what they were or what they symbolized; listen to our guesses in the video below. Were they supposed to be some of the seven dwarfs from Snow White; Dopey, Grumpy and Sneezy perhaps? If I had read up about Salzburg or googled, I would have known that yes, they are dwarfs. Originally built in 1710 by Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach and since remodeled, the statues are models of deformed dwarfs, some of whom actually lived in courts of the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg. As mentioned on the audio guide tour of Hellbrunn Palace rooms, only Prince Archbishops were entitled to the best and rarest of anything, including the ugliest dwarf!
