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Listed as a World Heritage Site precisely ten years ago, Salzburg's Old City has more to offer than just the relics of a moving past. Modern design and extraordinary architecture peek between the city's baroque façades. Trend-setting symbols of an active city.
History and modernity on the Mönchsberg
Hohensalzburg Fortress reigns majestically on the Mönchsberg. The walls of Central Europe's biggest preserved fortification, never conquered, have a centuries old history. Further northwest, a light, rectangular building offers a fascinating pendant to the medieval fortress: the new Museum of Modern Art, quickly having established itself as another of the city's landmarks. Its three floors with roughly 2,300 m2 of exhibition space for contemporary art offer plenty of room for Austrian art from the 20th century, the present, and extensive changing exhibitions presenting the work of international contemporaries. The Munich based team of architects, Friedrich, Hoff & Zwink, designed the building decidedly stark with a light, smooth façade made of Untersberg marble. Visitors stroll through spacious exhibition rooms and wide staircases, flooded with daylight through the overhead skylights. Big panorama windows afford an unobstructed view of the interesting sculpture terrace, and the terrace offers a stunning panoramic view of the Old City.
The city as a sculpture park
In addition to the traditional, world-famous attractions such as Mozart's Birthplace, the Mozart Residence, the Salzburg Museum (at the New Residenz starting this summer), the Museum of Natural History or specialties such as the Toy Museum, Mozart's city has an active culture scene with innovative projects. Leaving the Museum of Modern Art on the Mönchsberg, a special installation beckons, built in a depression right next to the building: a cylindrical structure, over eight meters high. Covered on the outside with Golling conglomerate rock, the inside offers changing perceptions and impressions of the fascinating interaction between nature, architecture and technology. "Skyspace“ is the name of the recently completed project by the American artist, James Turrell. Natural light reflections, sunlight and various cloud formations can be seen through the opening in the roof – the artist uses light as a material just as we deal with material objects.
"Skyspace“ is the latest of a series of projects created by the Salzburg Foundation, e.g. Mario Merz’ "Numbers in the Forest “, Marina Abramovic's "Spirit of Mozart“, Markus Lüpertz’ modern Mozart statue and Anselm Kiefer's "A.E.I.O.U.“. The latter is
located in the Furtwängler Park and consists of a walk-in room with a large-format
picture, a shelf with leaden books and writing on the wall. The sculpture "Mozart – a Homage" is in a more tranquil setting across from the Ursulines Church, a modern Mozart sculpture by Markus Lüpertz, once sparking off a heated debate about art in public areas.
A work by the performance and video artist, Marina Abramovic, is set up on the other side of the Salzach at the end of the State Bridge. "Spirit of Mozart“ is an interactive, stainless steel sculpture depicting eight chairs that the observer can use to sit down, ponder and reflect. Attention is focused on the center chair, towering 15 meters high without a seat, allowing an unhindered view of the sky. The artist invites visitors to meditate at a place of constant movement, where Schwarzstrasse, Giselakai, Linzer Gasse and the State Bridge converge.
An interesting blend of the past and future
Upon leaving Anselm Kiefer's walk-in "A.E.I.O.U.“ exhibit across from the Festival Halls, the University auditorium, designed by the architect Franz Fonatsch comes into view, combining the future with the past. Visitors pass through the modern entrance with its prominent glass façade and the spacious foyer to the renovated auditorium, equipped with state-of-the-art technology. This is where Mozart's opera Apollo and Hyacinth was first performed in 1767. Today the auditorium is used for university functions, congresses, concerts, plays and Salzburg Festival performances. The architects, Wilhelm Holzbauer and Francy Valentiny, built the "House for Mozart" diagonally across from the University Auditorium, completed in 2006, and placed a Mozart bust made of Swarovski crystal in the 17-meter foyer behind a gold lamellar wall.
The baroque heart of the Cultural Heritage Site continues to beat just a few steps away from these innovative accents in the Festival District: Mozart's Birthplace, the Getreidegasse and the romantic courtyards with their so-called "passages“ accommodating cafés and historic shops. Futuristic architecture continues on the other side of the Salzach.
The fastest way to the other side leads over the Makartsteg – a bold, curved bridge. Past the traditional Hotel Sacher, one reaches the baroque park surrounding Mirabell Palace with its colorful flowerbeds and the perfectly manicured lawn. The newly built Mozarteum with its imposing glass entrance stands in sharp contrast to the palace's elegant, gray stone façade. After its reconstruction, the internationally renowned university, having taught music to the national and international elite for generations, presents itself in a modern dress with an abundance of light and air. Music instruction, science and events have been united in the same building.
The Department of Natural Science in Freisaal is another architecturally interesting part of the university campus worth visiting. The building, designed by Wilhelm Holzbauer, has an impressive, monumental, cylindrical entrance into a glass hall. Freisaal Castle, an enchanting moated castle lying in close proximity, is another link to the dynamic history of Salzburg and its archbishops.
Cultivated living with personal esprit
In addition to elegant, traditional hotels, individualists will also find trendy accommodations with stylish zeitgeist and a private charm in Salzburg. The "Auersperg“ for example, popular lodgings for actors and culture journalists during the Festival season, offers a very special ambiance in addition to contemporary 4-star comfort. The amenities include an attractive garden with a water lily pond and breakfast terrace as well as spa facilities with a rooftop sauna, steam room and tanning studio.
Those who prefer to enjoy the spectacular view of the Old City and Hohensalzburg Fortress directly from their hotel room, can reside at the Hotel "Stein“ on the Salzach. A fascinating, extraordinary 4-star hotel with designer rooms and suites, plus rare, originally-preserved furniture and appointments from the 1950s. The absolute highlight is the penthouse café, where even the restrooms have an elegant design, leather couch and TV set.
The "arthotel Blaue Gans" in Getreidegasse is an inhabitable work of art. Over 650 years old, the building ensemble with its courtyards and winding hallways is a continuously changing stage for contemporary art and performance: innovative designs, sculptures and large-scale paintings are characteristic for the hotel, whose rooms and suites were decorated by national and international artists. In contrast, the renovated dining room of Salzburg's oldest hotel/restaurant is a bow to tradition.
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