There are several ways into the gardens but the tour starts from the Markartplatz entrance. This is next to the Hotel Bristol and opposite from Mozart’s Wohnhaus. You will see immediately the two statues that Maria and the Children imitated during the Do-Re-Me sequence. If you have entered by another route then these can be found at the Fortress end of the gardens.
From the statues go into the garden towards the Palace (Schloss Mirabell). Immediately turn left and head towards the side of the garden and you will come to the covered walk through which the children cycled. This leads you towards the Pegasus Fountain in front of the famous Do-Re-Me steps on the left side of the Palace. On the way you will also see the main fountain in the centre of the garden used in the same sequence.
At the Pegaus Fountain you will see steps up through the wall. These lead through to the Gnome Garden.
A Bit of History
The palace (Schloss) was originally built in 1606 and was redesigned during the 1720’s. It is currently used by Salzburg’s mayor and the municipal council. The Marble Hall is considered to be one of the most beautiful wedding halls in the world. It was formerly the prince-archbishops’ ballroom and concert venue for Leopold Mozart and his children Wolfgang and Nannerl,
The famous Mirabell Gardens were redesigned around 1690 and then completely remodelled around 1730. The Pegasus Fountain, a work by Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck, was installed in 1913. The four groups of statues around the fountain were sculpted by Ottavio Mosto (1690) and symbolize the 4 elements: fire, air, earth and water.
Next Location
To get to the next Sound of Music location, turn left at the top of the steps and follow the path towards the river. Cross the main road (Schwarzestrasse) and head towards the footbridge over the river where there are beautiful views of the city and the fortress. Over the bridge, turn left and walk down the river path back towards the Old Town. About 100m before the next footbridge, take the path on your right, cross the road and go up Museumplaz. Past the Haus der Natur museum you will see the entrance to the Monschberg Lift directly under the Museum der Moderne on the hill. Take the lift (for a small fee) up into the Museum entrance and walk out onto the Winkler Terrace used in the opening sequence of Do-Re-Me in the Sound of Music.
