Boardroom, Salzburg Residenz Palace (16th century), Salzburg, Austria

Getty Images/DeAgostini

Residenz

Top choice in Salzburg


The crowning glory of Salzburg's DomQuartier, the Residenz is where the prince-archbishops held court until Salzburg became part of the Habsburg Empire in the 19th century. An audio-guide tour takes in the exuberant state rooms, lavishly adorned with tapestries, stucco and frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr. The 3rd floor is given over to the Residenzgalerie, where the focus is on Flemish and Dutch masters. Must-sees include Rubens’ Allegory on Emperor Charles V and Rembrandt’s chiaroscuro Old Woman Praying.

Nowhere is the pomp and circumstance of Salzburg more tangible than at this regal palace. A man of grand designs, Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, the prince-archbishop of Salzburg from 1587 to 1612, gave the go-ahead to build this baroque palace on the site of an 11th-century bishop’s residence.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Salzburg attractions

1. Domgrabungsmuseum

0.02 MILES

Map out the city’s past with a look at the rocks in this subterranean archaeology museum beside the Dom. Particularly of interest are fragments of Roman…

2. Residenzbrunnen

0.04 MILES

The showpiece of baroque Residenzplatz is this enormous marble fountain ringed by four water-spouting horses and topped by Triton bearing a conch shell.

3. Dommuseum

0.04 MILES

The Dommuseum is a treasure trove of sacred art. A visit whisks you past a cabinet of Renaissance curiosities crammed with crystals, coral and oddities…

4. Residenzplatz

0.05 MILES

With its horse-drawn carriages, palace and street entertainers, this stately baroque square is the Salzburg of a thousand postcards. Its centrepiece is…

5. Dom

0.05 MILES

Gracefully crowned by a bulbous copper dome and twin spires, the Dom stands out as a masterpiece of baroque art. Bronze portals symbolising faith, hope…

6. Christmas Museum

0.07 MILES

If you wish it could be Christmas every day, swing on over to this museum. The private collection brings festive sparkle in the form of advent calendars,…

7. Sphaera

0.07 MILES

A real attention-grabber on Kapitelplatz, this gigantic golden globe by German artist Stephan Balkenhol is topped by a statue of a man.

8. Franziskanerkirche

0.08 MILES

A real architectural hotchpotch, Salzburg’s Franciscan church has a Romanesque nave, a Gothic choir with rib vaulting and a baroque marble altar (one of…