Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz

Snapshot

The square fronting the Grosses Festspielhaus, named after Herbert von Karajan, and home to the baroque Pferdeschwemme. The central node of Salzburg Festival life.

The Story

During Salzburg Festival season, this square becomes one of the most charged public spaces in the classical music world. Audiences in festival dress move between the Grosses Festspielhaus and the surrounding concert venues; the electric atmosphere of the world’s most prestigious festival saturates the air. The square bears the name of Herbert von Karajan, the conductor who shaped the festival and the building itself over decades, and whose influence over Salzburg’s musical identity was absolute during his long tenure.

Outside festival season the square is quieter and easier to read as architecture. The Pferdeschwemme, a baroque horse trough built in 1695, stands at the southern end; its equestrian sculpture and painted arcade make it one of the Altstadt’s most distinctive monuments. The Mönchsberg cliff face rises immediately to the west, with the Sigmundstor tunnel mouth piercing the rock nearby.

Visiting

• Access: Free; publicly accessible at all times
• Duration: 15-30 minutes to appreciate the square and Pferdeschwemme
• Getting there: Between the Grosses Festspielhaus and the Mönchsberg cliff, south of Getreidegasse
• Combine with: Grosses Festspielhaus, Pferdeschwemme, Neutor