Hellbrunn Palace south of Salzburg is famous for its Wasserspiele: trick water fountains hidden in a garden that suddenly soak visitors, including hidden jets in every dining table seat except the host’s. The hydraulic system, installed when the palace was built in 1615, still works. It was designed by the same Italian architect (Santino Solari) who built Salzburg Cathedral, and built by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus as a day-trip pleasure palace, never intended for overnight use. The stone theater in the gardens hosted the first opera performance north of the Alps in 1617. The Sound of Music gazebo is here too, relocated from the private Leopoldskron estate to stop tourist trespassers. Full tour (palace plus fountains) around EUR 15; the park itself is free. Bus 25 from Hauptbahnhof or by bicycle. You will get wet on the fountain tour.
palace
Hellbrunn Palace
Summer residence of Markus Sittikus, built by Santino Solari in Italian Renaissance style (1613-1619). The palace itself is elegant and relatively austere; its fame rests on the extraordinary grounds: the Wasserspiele (trick fountains), the Steintheater, the Sound of Music Pavilion, and the zoo.
- Type
- palace
- Cost
- Paid entry
- Founded
- Built 1613-1619
- Address
- Fürstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg
- Coordinates
- 47.7621, 13.0603
- Official website
- Visit website