Walking on Mozart’s Footsteps in Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg is a city in Western Austria near the border of Germany. It is famous for Salt Mines and great composers like Mozart and Hayden.

Mozartplatz, is a square in the historic centre (Altstadt) of Salzburg in Austria. In the centre of the square is a statue in memory of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was born in the city. The square was created by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau who ordered the demolition of a number of houses on this site in the early 17th century. Originally the centre-piece of the square was a baroque fountain with a statue of St. Michael, but this was removed in 1841 to make way for the statue of Mozart.

In the centre of the Mozartplatz is the Mozartdenkmal (Mozart Monument), a statue of the composer by Ludwig Schwanthaler.

On the north side of the square, the low Imhofstöckl houses the city’s tourist information office. Behind the Imhofstöckl is part of the old city wall, which dates from the time of Prince-Archbishop Paris Lodron (1619–1653). Opposite, on the south side, is the Neue Residenz, home to the Salzburg Museum. On the east side of the square, three houses have a uniform facade and date from the 17th century. Of these, number 8 was the home of Constanze Mozart-Nissen, Mozart’s widow. On the west side are the Salzburg Christmas Museum and the Café Glockenspiel, and in the south-west corner the Mozartplatz opens into the adjacent Residenzplatz.

A popular tourist destination within walking distance of Mozartplatz is the Salzburg Fortress. A lift (railcar) is available for quick ascent from the base of the castle. Walking up the hill to the castle is about a mile long hike.

Hohensalzburg Fortress is a large medieval fortress that sits atop the Festungsberg mountain at an altitude of 506 m. It was erected at the behest of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg. The fortress is 250 m (820 ft) long and 150 m (490 ft) wide making it one of the largest medieval castles in Europe. The fortress museum provides a detail history of Salzburg and its salt mines. Visitors get a 360 degree view of Salzburg and the surrounding areas from the top of the fortress.

There are two museums in Salzburg celebrating the Mozart’s life that are within walking distance from Mozartplatz. These are – Mozarts Geburtshaus (Birthplace of the composer) and Mozart-WohnHaus, the house where Mozart lived and worked for many years.