Mozart in Salzburg
So what’s the Mozart Salzburg connection? Salzburg is Mozart’s hometown! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who may have been the greatest composer of all time, was born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756. He lived in Salzburg until 1781 when he moved to Vienna.
The city of Salzburg is so proud of its connection to their famous one-time resident that the town is sometimes referred to as “The City of Mozart.”
Salzburg’s old town and historic city center have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in part because of its many historical Mozart locations. I fell in love with The City of Mozart and I know you will too.
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Who was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
There have been few people throughout history as gifted and talented as Mozart. Even if you aren’t a big fan of classical music, the historic significance of many of the sites discussed in this article make them worth a look.
Mozart was a child prodigy of the highest degree. His father, Leopold, recognized his son’s talents from a very young age. By 3 years old he was picking out tunes on the harpsichord. By the age of 5 young Wolfgang could already play the piano and violin and was composing his own music.
Herr Mozart took his son to travel around Europe performing for only the most prestigious of audiences, such as Prince Electors and Archbishops.
As often happens to exceptionally gifted people, life took a downward trajectory for Mozart. He died penniless in 1791 at the age of 35. Mozart’s treasured classical music outlived him. His timeless classical music is recognized around the world today.
Mozart activities in Salzburg
Are you looking for fun things relating to “Mozart in Salzburg?”
He may be long gone, but if you are looking to find Mozart in Salzburg you won’t have any trouble finding him. In fact, you’ll find him in nearly every nook, cranny, and corner of the city!
What are the best Mozart activities in Salzburg?
- Mozart’s Birthplace Museum
- visiting the Mozart Statue
- The Salzburg Cathedral, Mozart’s church
- Mozart Dinner Concert (authentic 1700’s experience)
- tasting confections and desserts created in his honor
Here is a list of 17 things to do in the heart of Salzburg for Mozart lovers:
(1) Mozart’s Birthplace Salzburg (Mozarts Geburtshaus)
First up on your itinerary should be Mozart’s Birthplace. It’s full of interesting historical treasures. The Mozart family lived on the third floor of this house when Wolfgang was born in 1756. The entire house is now a museum dedicated to all things Mozart.
Treasures you’ll find here:
- Locks of Mozart’s hair
- his childhood violin
- a clavichord he may have played
- and a whole lot more.
It’s my favorite Mozart museum!
Location: (Getreidegasse #9)
The house overlooks Getreidegasse Street below with its wrought iron signs that advertise what’s sold inside. The buildings on this street date mainly from the 15th century, the architecture looks much the same as it did in Mozart’s time.
(2) Mozart Residence Salzburg (Mozart-Wohnhaus)
The Mozart’s Residence, the family moved to a larger apartment when Mozart was about 17 years old. The actual building they lived in was destroyed in World War II and later rebuilt. There are some original Mozart family instruments here that make it worth a visit.
You can see Mozart’s pianoforte as well as his violin and a family portrait. (also known as The Dance Master’s House / Tanzmeisterhous)
Location: Makartplatz 8
(3) Shop for Mozart Souvenirs Salzburg
If you’re hunting for a Mozart Souvenir, you won’t have to look far. You’ll find Mozart themed treasures all over the city.
I heard this music box play across the gift shop at Mozart’s Birthplace, made a Beeline for it and snatched it up in a quick hurry! It plays my favorite Mozart tune, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music!)
Location: Literally everywhere, but the Mozart Birthplace and the Mozart Residence gift shops are as good a place as any.
“a little night music” Mozart Music box, makes a great souvenir
(4) Mozart Statue / Mozart Monument
Head over to Mozartplatz (Mozart Square) to find the Statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Ludwig Schwanthaler.
Location: Mozartplatz
(5) visit the graves of the Mozart family
You won’t find the remains of Wolfgang Mozart in Salzburg. Sadly, the famous composer was buried in an unmarked grave in Vienna.
However, many of the Mozart family are buried in Salzburg. (Wolfgang’s mother, Anna Maria Mozart, died while in France and is buried in Paris). You’ll find the following Mozart family members buried in Salzburg, along with the location of where to find them:
Maria Anna (affectionately known as Nannerl)
Mozart’s sister Maria Anna is buried in St Peter’s Cemetery (Petersfriedhof)
in one of the intersecting tombs near the entry to the catacombs.
Location: Sankt-Peter-Bezirk 1
Constanze and Leopold
Mozart’s wife, Constanze, and father, Leopold, are buried across the river in St. Sebastian’s Cemetery near the Mirabell Garden. (From the black iron gate entrance on Linzer Gasse walk 19 paces and look left)
Location: Linzer Gasse 41
(6) Modern Art Statue
The Homage to Mozart (Mozart – Eine Hommage) Statue in Bronze by Markus Lüpertz is a bit polarizing.
As you can see the statue is not a very accurate likeness, but it is interesting. To those of us who don’t always appreciate an artist’s creative vision, it’s a bit of a (what we call in the US) road attraction.
It’s there if you want to see it!
Location: Ursulinenplatz, in front of St. Mark’s Church
(7) Salzburg Cathedral (Dom zu Salzburg or Salzburger Dom)
Architecturally impressive buildings, like the Salzburg Cathedral, are the reason that Salzburg is often referred to as “ Rome of the North .” This gem was consecrated in 1628. In 1756 little Wolfgang was baptized here. You can still find the font where he was baptized.
This was his home church for the next 25 years. Mozart served as organist here for two years.
Location: Domplatz 1a
Get entry tickets to the Salzburg Cathedral on Get Your Guide! (or choose the guided tour)
(8) Salzburg Marionette Theater (Salzburger Marionettentheater)
Headed to Salzburg? Check out the event calendar at the Marionette Theater. On occasion, they perform Mozart themed shows like The Magic Flute (opera by Mozart to a libretto by Impresario Emanuel Schikaneder.) Other popular shows include the Trapp family from The Sound of Music.
Location: Schwarzstraße 24
Get tickets! book tickets to the Marionette Theater here on Get Your Guide!
Mozart concerts and symphonies
(9) Mozart Dinner Concert
This immersive experience is a real treat. The dinner concert is held in an elegant candle lit baroque setting. You’ll be treated to performances of the composer’s most popular compositions by an orchestra and opera singers in Mozart era costume. Through the concert guests are served a three-course meal, recipes from the Mozart era are carefully chosen.
The building itself is a “must see.” The St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is a beautiful historic baroque hall, located in the oldest part of Salzburg, is a Benedictine abbey. It is the oldest restaurant in Europe, first mentioned in the year 803 AD.
The Mozart family attended events much the same as this one in this very building!
This was one of our favorite activities in Salzburg!
Location: Sankt-Peter-Bezirk ¼
Get your tickets! book the Mozart Dinner Concert on Get Your Guide!
(10) Fortress Hohensalzburg (Festung Hohensalzburg) concerts
Another option to take in a concert is at the Fortress Hohensalzburg where they offer “The Best of Mozart Concert.” Hohensalzburg Fortress is the big 900-year-old castle that overlooks the town. This is another dinner concert with a VIP option that allows you to sit on the terrace during dinner with stunning views of beautiful Salzburg.
Come early if you like and tour the castle!
Location: Mönchsberg 34 (high up on the hill overlooking the town)
purchase tickets here on Get Your Guide!
(11) Mirabell Palace (Schlosskonzerte Mirabell)
Mirabell Palace is another historic venue in Salzburg where you can catch a Mozart themed concerts. The Mozart family performed for archbishops in this beautiful baroque marble concert hall at Mirabell Palace.
Location: Schloss Mirabell, Marmorsaal, Mirabellplatz 4
purchase tickets here on Get Your Guide!
(12) Mozart Violin Sonatas
45-minute concerts in the Alte Residenz where Mozart once played.
Location: DomQuartier, Residenz Pl. 1
(13) Try the famous Mozart Balls (Mozartkugeln)
Mozart Balls are a popular treat created in 1890 by Paul Fürst and named after Salzburg’s most famous resident.
There are many new versions of the Mozart Ball (Mozartkugel), but the original confection consists of pistachio, marzipan, and nougat and covered in dark chocolate.
The original Fürst Shop, where it all began, is located at Getreidegasse 47. To be honest they were not to my liking but give them a try!
Location: various locations around town, the original shop: Getreidegasse 47
(14) Try the delicious Mozart Cake
Modeled after the famed Mozart Ball, the origins of this delicious torte aren’t as easy to ascertain but it is delicious! Thin layers of almond paste made from sweet almond milk, and topped with chocolate, YUM! Stop in for some Mozart Cate at the Cafe Tomaselli, in the Alter Markt area, established in 1700!
(15) Salzburg Festival (Salzburger Festspiele)
If you enjoy music festivals, you may want to plan your trip to coincide with the Salzburg Music Festival. This annual festival takes place for a full 5 weeks starting in late July.
Location: the city centre
(16) Mozart Week
Every year around Mozart’s birthday Salzburg hosts Mozart Week, the world’s best Mozart Festival. The concert series centered around the works of Mozart is hosted by the Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg.
Location: various locations around Salzburg
(17) Guided Walking Tour
The “Life of Mozart Private Guided Walking Tour” is a 2-3 hour private Mozart themed walking tour from a local guide. Book the Salzburg Mozart Tour here on Get Your Guide.
Location: meets in front of St. Andrew’s Church, Mirabellplatz 5/1
Book it here on Get Your Guide!
map of Mozart in Salzburg
map of the top Mozart attractions in Salzburg, follow the link for an interactive google map.
final thoughts on finding Mozart in Salzburg
Is Mozart in Salzburg still? Yes, indeed he is! As I said before we just fell in love with Salzburg. It has a feel about it that is in part due to the rich history that has been so lovingly maintained in this most beautiful of cities.
A great deal of that history is focused around the city’s most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If you’re looking, you’ll certainly find Mozart in Salzburg!
Salzburg Card
If you plan on visiting a lot of Mozart sites in Salzburg you may want to look into the Salzburg card, a tourist discount card. After doing a little calculation we found that it saved us quite a bit of money over the 3 days that we were in Salzburg. If you plan to see a lot of sites, it’s the best way to save money.
With the Salzburg Card you receive one-time free admission to:
- Mozart’s Birthplace
- Mozart Residence
- The Catacombs
- Salzburg Castle plus the funicular and elevator up to the castle (and skip the line privileges)
- Hellbrunn Palace
- Plus a whole lot more!
Plus
- free use of most modes of public transportation
- Salzburg City Cruises, river cruise, one free
where to stay
Bloberger Hof
There are lots of good places to stay in the city center with easy access to these attractions. If you want to get away from the crowds there is an absolutely FANTASTIC option just outside of Salzburg with views of the mountains.
Bloberger Hof conveniently sits on the bus route into the city center, just 6 km away! The hospitality is second to none, the food outstanding. Oh and the prices are great! We had a balcony that looked out over the mountains.
book it on booking.com!
Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron
Splurge Alert! This palace was build in 1736, It’s surrounded by 17 acres of manicured grounds and mountains and sits on an idyllic little lake. Located 1.2 miles from the city center. Scenes from the Sound of Music were filed here, opulent dining areas and a library fit for a King! guest rating 8.8
book it here on booking.com!
city center options
Rather Stay in town? Here are some of the stand out options:
- Altstadt Hotel Stadtkrug, a 700-year-old building located in historic old town, guest rating 8.4
- IMLAUER HOTEL PITTER, opened in 1864, panoramic views of the city, including the castle! guest rating 8.7
- Hotel Wolf, the building dates from 1429, this place is CUTE! guest rating 9.0
- Hotel Stein (adults only) the building dates back to medieval times, beautifully renovated with eye popping color! sits on the Salzach River, panoramic rooftop terrace with views of the town, including the castle! guest rating 8.6
- Hotel am Mirabellplatz, boutique hotel located in a 17th-century building (former residence of Archbishop Paris Lodron) looks out over Mirabell Palace, guest rating 8.6
- Hotel Sacher Salzburg, another luxury option, this 1866 hotel is luxuriously decorated and has a beautiful quintessentially Austrian dining room with rich wood waxed to a high shine, on the banks of the Salzach River with views of the castle, guest rating 9.6
Austria obsessed? Want to hear more about my travels around Austria and the rest of our amazing planet? You may be interested in my Austria page and be sure to submit your email address to my subscriber sign up at the end of the page to be the first to know when a new blog publishes!
Austria’s prettiest Lake?
How about the prettiest lake in Austria? Gosausee Lake is just an hour south of Salzburg and I contend it is one of the pretties lakes in the world!
Austria’s most famous landmarks?
The Salzburg Cathedral, Hohensalzburg Fortress and Mozart’s Birthplace are some of Austria’s most famous landmarks. I’ve got 47 more famous Austrian landmarks for you to add to your travel itinerary!
The Mozart dinner concert sounds like such a wonderful experience!
I love his music, so these would definitely be places I would love to visit.
Never been to Salzburg so thank you for the inspiration! I didn’t know Mozart was born there!
This is a fun and interesting way to explore the city! I’ve only been to Vienna so Salzburg is still on my list.
Oh my goodness I’ve never considered planning a vacation around a famous person. This is such an interesting take, and you’ve certainly found some really cool experiences!