Residenzplatz
Residenzplatz features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Salzburg. Give it roughly ~20 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Salzburg Salzburg guide
About Residenzplatz
Salzburg's grand ceremonial square, cleared in the 1580s, centred on a giant Baroque marble fountain and framed by the prince-archbishops' residences and the carillon tower, with Fiaker carriages along its edge.
Residenzplatz is Salzburg's largest ceremonial square, laid out from 1587 when Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau cleared a dense medieval quarter and the old cathedral graveyard to remake the city as a 'Rome of the North'. The Alte Residenz closes its western side, the Neue Residenz with its carillon tower the east, and the cathedral the south.
At its centre stands the Residence Fountain, carved from Untersberg marble between 1656 and 1661 for Prince-Archbishop Guidobald von Thun: rearing horses, straining giants and a conch-blowing Triton some fifteen metres high. The fountain appears in the 1965 film The Sound of Music. In the Neue Residenz tower, a carillon of thirty-five bells, bought from Antwerp in 1695, still plays three times daily. A memorial set into the pavement records the Nazi book-burning held here on 30 April 1938.
Did you know? The Residence Fountain, carved from Untersberg marble between 1656 and 1661, rises some fifteen metres with rearing horses, giants and a conch-blowing Triton, and features in 1965's The Sound of Music.
How long is a visit to Residenzplatz?
Set aside roughly ~20 min for Residenzplatz. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Residenzplatz worth your time?
Residenzplatz is among the 15 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Salzburg, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Salzburg
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Residenzplatz and read more:
Day 1 of the Salzburg in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Residenzplatz
Preview the Salzburg tour free in the Gingerguide app.