Starting point: Palace of Mirabell
The palace was built about 1606 on the shore of the Salzach river north of the medieval city walls, at the behest of Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau. The Archbishop suffered from gout and had a stroke the year before; to evade the narrow streets of the city, he decided to erect a pleasure palace for him and his mistress Salome Alt. The palace was purchased by the City of Salzburg in 1866. After World War II it was temporarily used for the mayor’s office and housed several departments of the municipal administration.
Mirabell Gardens
The Mirabellgarten was laid out from 1687. In its geometrically-arranged gardens are mythology-themed statues dating from 1730 and four groups of sculpture (Aeneas, Hercules, Paris and Pluto), created by Italian sculptor Ottavio Mosto from 1690. It is noted for its boxwood layouts, including a sylvan theater (Heckentheater) designed between 1704 and 1718. An orangery was added in 1725. The gardens were made accessible to the public under Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Up to today, it is one of the most popular tourists’ attraction in Salzburg. Several scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed here. Maria and the children sing ‘Do-Re-Mi’ while dancing around the horse fountain and using the steps as a musical scale.
Directions: Mirabell Gardens is located outside the palace.
Getreidegasse
Getreidegasse (Grain Lane) is a busy shopping street in the Old Town section of Salzburg. The house at Getreidegasse 9 is the place where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and where he lived until the age of 17.
Directions: Exit Mirabell Gardens through the east side and walk towards Makartplatz. Continue forward on Theatergasse, which will turn into Schwarzstrasse. Turn right on Staatsbrucke. Cross the bridge and continue forward on Rathausplatz. Turn right on Getreidegasse.
Sporer Likör
The building was built in 1407 and is home to Sporer’s wine and spirits store, now being run by the fourth generation of the family since it was established in 1903. It offers a comprehensive selection of fine spirits in wooden barrels that are over 100 years old. There are 34 products manufactured by the company itself, including 18 different liqueurs. House classics include the ‘Hausmischung’ made according to an old family recipe, a fine herbal liqueur, and their famous orange punch – made to their grandmother’s original recipe from 1927. All of the spirits and a fine selection of top Austrian wines can be sampled in the main shop vault and in the cosy back room.
Directions: Sporer Likor is located near the end of Getreidegasse.
Confiserie Furst
Created in 1890 by Salzburg confectioner Paul Furst, the “Original Salzburger Mozartkugel” today enjoys world-wide fame and a reputation as a distinguished chocolate speciality. Paul Fürst’s creation, consisting of a marzipan centre with pistachio and the finest nougat, must be perfectly round. In order to make a round praline without a flat base, Paul Fürst placed the marzipan-nougat ball on a small wooden stick and dipped it in dark chocolate. The hole that remained after removing the stick was then filled with chocolate by hand. More than 125 years after their creation, Paul Fürst’s “Original Salzburger Mozartkugel” are still made expertly by hand at the Konditorei Fürst according to the original traditional recipe.
Directions: Cafe-Konditorei Furst is located just a few doors down from Sporer Likor.
Pferdschwemme
The Horse Pond was designed and built in 1693 in the course of building the facade for the royal stables. The central group once stood in an oval basin axial to the portal of the royal stables. A separate palace façade with horse frescoes was located behind the portal.
The Horse Pond was restored in 1732. The statue of the “Horse Tamer” was rotated 90 degrees and placed on a new base, a balustrade was placed around the basin.
Directions: From Getreidegasse, turn left on Burgerspitalgasse. At Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz, take a right.
M32 (lunch)
Directions: Return on Herbert-von-Karajan and continue forward on Burgerspitalgasse. Turn left on Gstattengasse. Continue forward until you reach the elevator to the top of Monchsberg.
Eternal Horizon 