The Mülln Church is a late Gothic parish church founded in 1355, sharing its complex with Augustinerbräu Müllner Bräu, the biggest beer hall in Austria. The Augustinians have brewed on this site since the 16th century. Most visitors come for the beer; the church is part of the same visit.
The Story
The Mülln district sits just north of the Altstadt, separated from it by the Mönchsberg ridge. The Augustinian friars established their church here in 1355, on the river side of that ridge, and at some point in the 16th century began brewing beer in the monastic complex. The brewing never stopped.
The church itself is Gothic in structure, with a tall tower that is one of the most recognisable silhouettes when approaching Salzburg from the north. The interior has accumulated Gothic and baroque furnishings over centuries, though no single object is the principal draw. What draws people here is the combination: the old church, then the walk through the monastery courtyard, then a litre of unfiltered beer in the cavernous hall or on the terrace overlooking the Salzach and the Altstadt.
The Augustiner Braustuebl Muelln is frequently described as the biggest beer hall in Austria, and it functions in a way that few places of its scale still do: you collect your mug from the attendant, fill it yourself from the barrels, buy pretzels and cold cuts from the market stalls inside, and sit where you find a seat. The church lends the whole ritual an unlikely solemnity.
Visiting
- Address: Augustinergasse 4, 5020 Salzburg
- Hours: Church open daily during daytime hours; beer hall open evenings from around 3pm on weekdays, earlier on weekends
- Cost: Free (church); beer is priced per mug
- Duration: 10-15 minutes for the church; allow at least an hour if staying for beer
- Getting there: Walk north from the Altstadt through the Mönchsberg tunnel passage or along the Salzach river
- Combine with: Augustiner Braustuebl Muelln, Krimpelstaetter