Domgrabungsmuseum

Snapshot

Three metres below the floor of Salzburg Cathedral, the foundations of two earlier churches and a Roman settlement wait in the dark. The Domgrabungsmuseum is not a main attraction. It is a descent through twelve centuries in a few steps.

The Story

Excavations beneath the Salzburg Cathedral began in 1956 under archaeologist Hermann Vetters and continued into the early 1970s. What emerged, layer by layer, was a stratigraphic record of the site’s entire Christian history: the foundations of the 8th-century Virgil Cathedral at the base of the Christian sequence, its Romanesque successor above it, and beneath both of those, walls and floor remnants from Iuvavum, the Roman settlement that preceded medieval Salzburg.

The museum adapted those underground chambers for public access, installing walkways, lighting, and protective glass over the excavated remains. It sits in the arched passage connecting Residenzplatz to Domplatz, below the Cathedral that most visitors see only from above. The entrance is unobtrusive. Most people walk past it.

In standard operation the museum is seasonal, open in July and August, and charges EUR 4.00 for adults. The Salzburg Card covers admission. A visit takes 20 to 30 minutes at the museum alone, or up to two hours as part of a DomQuartier circuit. The space stays cool underground, which is its own recommendation on a hot Salzburg summer day.

Note: as of early 2026, the museum is closed for renovation. Guided tours can be arranged on request by contacting the Salzburg Museum directly (call +43 662 620808-723 or email [email protected]). Reopening is expected around 2028.

Visiting

Entered through the arched passage between Residenzplatz and Domplatz, beneath Salzburg Cathedral. Admission EUR 4.00 in standard operation; free with Salzburg Card. Open July-August in normal years, daily 10:00-17:00. Currently closed for renovation; check salzburgmuseum.at for current status before visiting. Combine with Salzburg Cathedral, Residenzplatz, and the DomQuartier.