Salzburg — Mozart's Last Breath

Your journey begins on Residenzplatz, Salzburg's central baroque square, built from 1588 under Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. This nearly 5,000 m² esplanade was the heart of archiepiscopal power in the 17th century, hosting concerts and markets. The 15 m high Residenzbrunnen, a fountain erected in 1661 by Tommaso di Garona, welcomes you. Here, the city of Salzburg, recognized as a UNESCO City of Music since 2015, invites you to travel back in time, following the footsteps of those who shaped its artistic and political destiny.

A few steps away, the Salzburger Residenz, the archiepiscopal palace built between 1597 and 1726 by Wolf Dietrich and his successors, displays its baroque facades with 300 windows. The residence of prince-archbishops until secularization in 1803, this palace houses 180 rooms. It was here, before Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach, that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as a child, demonstrated his first musical prowess between 1757 and 1771. A UNESCO Altstadt site since 1996, this location immerses you in the opulence of the court where the young genius made his debut.

The path then leads you to Mozarts Geburtshaus, at n°9 Getreidegasse, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756. This 17th-century baroque house, which became a museum in 1880, was the place of his first compositions until 1780. Getreidegasse, a medieval cobbled alley and commercial street since the Middle Ages, provides a rich historical setting. You will find original instruments and handwritten scores, testaments to Mozart's early talent, whose house is visited by 400,000 people annually.

Nearby, the Salzburger Dom, a baroque cathedral built between 1614 and 1628 by Santino Solari on an episcopal site since 774, reveals its majesty. With a 100 m long nave and a 67 m high dome, it can accommodate 10,000 people. It was the place of Mozart's baptism on January 28, 1756, and his first masses. Rebuilt after the 1944 bombings, the cathedral houses a restored 1705 Silbermann organ, highlighting the deep connection between Mozart and this Salzburg World Heritage monument.

Your quest will lead you to Petersfriedhof, Austria's oldest cemetery, founded around 700 AD, adjacent to St. Peter's Church (1138). Its 1st-century Roman catacombs and 18th-century baroque tombs offer a glimpse into the region's funerary history. Although Mozart was buried in Vienna in 1791, this place inspired the idea of a burial for the composer. Finally, the Alte Universität, founded in 1623 by Archbishop Mark Sittich von Hohenems, recalls the importance of musical education in young Mozart's development, right next to Residenzplatz. You leave with an understanding of the roots of this musical genius, deeply embedded in the history and heritage of Salzburg.