Mozart's Geburtshaus - Salzburg

As one genius, Albert Einstein, said of another: “Mozart is the greatest composer of all” and January 27th marks the 256th anniversary of the birthday of this much-loved and greatest of composers.

Things to do in Vienna

Mozarthaus Vienna is the only surviving Mozart residence in Vienna. If you’re in Vienna towards the end of January, you can visit Mozarthaus Vienna and its exhibitions for free on Sunday 29, 2012. The museum also offers special guided tours for children and adults, which are free of charge.

Mozart Vienna Walking Tour – Mozart lived the last ten years of his life in Vienna. You can trace the footsteps of this musical genius and learn more about his life in this city by doing a self-guided Mozart Vienna Walking tour,.

Mozart Concerts and Operas in Vienna – Many visitors come to Vienna especially to enjoy a Mozart concert or opera in the city where he composed many of his best-known works. Whether you prefer a concert in the grand setting of one of the Viennese palaces or in the more intimate setting of a church, there are plenty of concerts and operas to choose from. See the complete list of Mozart operas and concerts in Vienna HERE.

Things to do in Salzburg

Mozart Week, Salzburg’s Festival for winter classical music, is usually held each January around Mozart’s birthday.  Visitors to Mozart Week can look forward to opera productions, orchestral, chamber music and soloist concerts performed by world-renowned Mozart conductors and orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.  For  the Mozart Week 2012 program see HERE.

Salzburg City Tour – On the Traces of Mozart – On this Salzburg city tour, visitors can gain an insight into the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque aspects of Salzburg as seen by Mozart.  The tour concludes at Mozart’s residence where you’ll have time to leisurely enjoy this attraction.

Mozart Concerts and Operas in Salzburg – With some 4,000 cultural events taking place in Salzburg throughout the year, Salzburg is often referred to as the “Stage of the World”.  In Salzburg, you can enjoy operas and Mozart concerts in churches, castles and palaces.  See the complete list of Mozart concerts and operas in Salzburg HERE.

Mozart Concerts in Europe

You don’t have to be in Austria to enjoy Mozart music.  Mozart fans can celebrate his birthday at one of the many concerts in Europe. See the list of Mozart concerts and operas HERE.

Happy Birthday Mozart!

Portrait of Mozart - A 1781 painting

Mozart was born in Salzburg and although he lived for 25 years in this city, the final ten years of his short life were spent in Vienna. It was in Vienna that many important events took place that shaped his later life. Fans of Mozart can do a self-guided Mozart Vienna Walking tour, tracing the footsteps of this musical genius.

Mozart in Vienna

In 1781, whilst on a visit to Vienna with the Prince-Archbishop Count Colloredo of Salzburg, Mozart had a row with the Archbishop and resigned his commission. He decided to stay in Vienna where worked his way up from an unemployed artist to a respected and prosperous pianist, composer and music teacher.

Mozart got married to Constanze at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and his six children were born here. It was in Vienna that he composed many of his best-known operas, symphonies, piano concertos, sonatas, sacred music, including his most important works: the unfinished Requiem.

Sadly though, it was also in Vienna that Mozart died in 1791 and was interred at St Marx Cemetery in a modest funeral.

Mozart Vienna Walking Tour

This Mozart Vienna Walking tour, published by Vienna Tourism, can be done at any time of the year, but if you happen to be in Vienna at the end of January, it is a nice walk to do to celebrate Mozart’s birthday anniversary on January 27th.

The Mozart walk takes about 1.5 hours and does not include time for visiting the sites. So if you intend going into St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Mozarthaus or any of the other sites, you’ll need to allow more time. The walk starts from St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the city centre and takes in:

• House of the Teutonic Order – Mozart stayed here briefly from 18 March to 2 May 1781
• Milchgasse / Petersplatz – Mozart lived here briefly from May to September 1781
• Graben 17 – It was here in the former house at number 17 that he completed the Haffner Symphony and The Abduction from the Seraglio.
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Where Mozart got married to Constanze and two of their children were christened here
• Graben 29 – Mozart and Constanze lived here for a short period
• Mozarthaus - the only surviving Mozart house in Vienna
• Café Frauenhuber – Mozart performed here a few times, and on March 4, 1791 he gave his last public concert here
• The Steffl department store – Once the residence of the Mozart family and where he died
• Kruzifixkapelle – Mozart’s coffin was brought here to be blessed before being brought to St. Marx Cemetery
• Michaelerkirche – It was here that the Requiem was played just a few days after Mozart’s death
• Mozart Memorial
• Theater an der Wien – This theatre was only opened after Mozart’s death, in 1801.

The walk ends at St. Marx Cemetery where Mozart was buried in a common grave.

What you Need for your Mozart Walk

• You should equip yourself with a city map which can be obtained from the Vienna Tourist Office.
• The Vienna Card will also be a useful companion on your Mozart walk as it includes 72 hrs. of free travel on public transport, as well as 210 special offers for museums and sights, theatres and concerts, shops, cafés, restaurants and wine cellars.
• For more information about the sights and the events in Mozart’s life in connection with these locations, print a copy of the Mozart Walk in Vienna HERE.

Mozart Concerts in Vienna

For Mozart fans, one of the most enjoyable things to do in Vienna is to experience a Mozart concert in the city where he lived. See the range of Mozart concerts HERE.

Hotels in Vienna

Visitors to Vienna have over 400 hotels to choose from, ranging from the palatial and luxurious to family-run pensions. For the complete list of Vienna hotels, see HERE.

Map of Vienna:

Mozarthaus in Vienna - GJansoone/Wiki

Mozarthaus at Domgasse 5 in Vienna’s Aldstadt is the only one of Mozart’s apartments in Vienna that still exists today. Mozarthaus was not the first of Mozart’s residences in Vienna. When he moved into this luxurious apartment on 29 September 1784, he had already been living in Vienna for three years, and had been married to his beloved Constanze for two.

A Prolific Time at Mozarthaus

When Mozart moved to Vienna, he had worked his way up from an unemployed artist to a respected and prosperous pianist, composer and music teacher. His time at Mozarthaus is thought to have been his happiest and most productive part of his Viennese period. He lived here in grand style to 1787 and Mozarthaus was certainly the longest place that he had ever lived at.

It was at Mozarthaus that Mozart composed eight important piano concerti, chamber music works, a horn concerto, the “Masonic Music”, the Goethe song “Das Veilchen”, the cantata “Davide penitente”, the comedy “The Impresario” and the famous opera “The Marriage of Figaro”. On top of this, Mozart also gave numerous concerts, threw wild parties and hosted illustrious colleagues.

Mozart’s Vistors at Mozarthaus

Some of the famous visitors and friends who visited Mozart at this building included:

• His friend and mentor Joseph Haydn
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel  who lived in the apartment for several months, as Mozart’s pupil, an experience which was to have a lasting impact on his career as a musician and composer.
• The 17-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven travelled from Bonn to take lessons from his great role model.  Unforutunately before this could happen Beethoven’s mother fell ill and he had to hurry back home.

Visiting Mozarthaus

Mozarthaus is not far from St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna’s Aldstadt. Visitors to Mozarthaus can learn all about this much-loved composer during the time when he lived in this building, his most important works and get to know the family, friends and foes who surrounded him in late-Baroque Vienna.  His life and works are presented on four levels of exhibition space and on the first floor you will be able to visit the actual apartment where he lived.

Mozarthaus is managed by Wien Museum and there is a range of special exhibitions, educational programmes and museum tours and events that visitors can enjoy here.

You can pre-book your Mozarthaus entrance ticket, which includes a visit the House of Music, HERE.

Opening Times: Daily 10 am – 7 pm

Address:
Mozarthaus
A-1010 Vienna, Domgasse 5, 1st district
Website: www.mozarthausvienna.at

Map of Vienna:

St Peters Abbey by A.Bossi/Wiki

One of the oldest Benedictine monasteries in Austria and perhaps in the German-speaking nations is St. Peter’s Abbey (Erzabtei St. Peter) in Salzburg.

St Peter’s monastery was originally founded by St Rupert, a Franconian missionary, who came to Salzburg around 696 AD. The central attraction of the monastery is the St Peter’s Church.  The present church building was constructed during the Romanesque period and then completedly renovated in the Baroque style in the 17th and 18th  centuries.

Mozart at St Peter’s

Mozart often directed the orchestra and choir at this Abbey and played its organ. He premiered his famous Mass in C Minor at St Peter’s in 1783, with his wife Constanze singing the lead soprano role. As part of the Salzburg summer music festival in August the Mass in C Minor is traditionally performed here.

Mozart’s most renowned Piano Sonatas can be enjoyed in this historic church  throughout the year.

What to see inside St Peter’s

Visitors to St Peter’s will see a blend of architectural styles inside the abbey church. The basilica’s three aisles reflect  its Romanesque architecture but it is the ornate Rococo decoration of the 1770s that dominate.  Behind the Rupert altar is the Felsengrab, where St. Rupert is believed to be buried.

Some of the art treasures in the church include altar paintings by Kremser Schmidt.  In the left chancel is the Salzburg Madonna from the early 15th century and in the side chapel by the entrance one can see the Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents.

St Peter’s Cemetery and Stiftskeller Restaurant

The famous St. Peter’s Cemetery is in the grounds of the Abbey.  Next to the Abbey is the legendary St. Peter Stiftskeller. Founded a thousand years ago by the abbey’s monks, it serves traditional Austrian food at reasonable prices and is another place where visitors can enjoy Mozart Dinner Concerts.

Opening Times:
Daily 8:00am-noon and 2:30pm-6:30pm (No visits permitted during mass!)

Address:
Erzabtei St. Peter
St. Peter Bezirk 1.
A-5010 Salzburg

Map of Salzburg:

St Peter's Cemetery - Salzburg

Cemeteries are not usually places that one would include in travel itineraries, but St. Peter’s Cemetery in Salzburg is an exception. Set in the grounds of St Peter’s Monastery, it is said to be one of the most beautiful and oldest cemeteries in the world and it is also an important part of Salzburg’s history. This Salzburg cemetery is also a Sound of Music site that fans of this movie will be interested in.

Final Resting Place of Salzburg Personalities

St. Peter’s Cemetery is the final resting place for a number of Salzburg citizens associated with Mozart and the music world.    Mozart’s sister Mannerly (Nannerl) Mozart is buried here as are Lorenz Hagen Auer (the Mozart family’s landlord and friend) and Sigmund Haffner (alderman, mayor and friend of the Mozart family).  The Haffner Serenade and Haffner Symphony were compositions by Mozart for the Haffner family.  Michael Haydn, composer and younger brother of Joseph Haydn is also buried here.

Some of the other Salzburg notable personalities buried here include Santino Solari (the architect and builder of Salzburg Cathedral), Harry Collins (the last commander of the American occupying forces who later lived in Salzburg and became one of the city’s honorary citizens) and the Furst family.

Sound of Music Site

Many visitors come to Salzburg to see the famous landmarks and sites associated with the Sound of Music movie.  For those doing Sound of Music tours, St. Peter’s Cemetery is a place of interest.  Many will recognize the chapel where the Von Trapp family hid before their escape from the Nazis.

The Catacombs

At St Peter’s Cemetery are also the Salzburg Catacombs, one of the special attractions here. Carved out of the Mönchsberg rock, they are said to be of early Christian origin.

See more photos of St. Peter’s Cemetery at Travelsignposts Salzburg photo gallery.

Address:
Erzabtei St. Peter & Friedhof
St. Peter Bezirk 1/2
5010 Salzburg

Map of Salzburg:

Photo Courtesy Salzburg Tourism

Winter in Salzburg has its very special charm especially at Christmas. The hectic summer festivals are replaced with Advent music, Christmas markets and other traditional Christmas celebrations.

Advent Music

The Christmas season starts with the traditional Salzburg Adventsingen at the Great Festival Hall which started over 60 years ago.  Other traditional Advent concerts and events include:

• the widely regarded Advent Concerts at the magnificent 900 year-old Festung Hohensalzburg
• Advent Serenades in the historic St Blasius Church
• Salzburger Advent at Kirche St Andra

Salzburg Christmas Markets

Christmas in Salzburg offers a very magical atmosphere. The Salzburg Christmas Markets, whose tradition can be traced back to the 17th century, are some of the most atmospheric in the world. All kinds of handicrafts such as Christmas tree decorations, nativity crib figurines, toys and gingerbread are sold in the vicinity of the imposing Cathedral.

If you have time to spare in Salzburg, you can join a Christmas markets tour and venture a little further afield.  Spend an afternoon visiting three traditional and charming Christmas markets in the picturesque Salzburg country side.

Silent Night Chapel Tour

The Silent Night Chapel

Salzburg takes pride of place in regard to a Christmas carol. The city and its province are home of the world’s most famous and beautiful Christmas carol – “Silent Night”. Not everyone singing this carol today knows that the priest who wrote the lyrics, Josef Mohr, was born in the city of Salzburg. It was sung for the first time on Christmas Eve in 1818 in a church in the tiny town of Oberndorf near Salzburg and from where it was carried to fame around the world.  On Christmas Eve, you can go on a special tour to Oberndorf and join in a touching Christmas celebration at the Silent Night Chapel.

Other Things to Do in Salzburg at Christmas

Whilst in Salzburg at Christmas, why not enjoy a great Christmas time Mozart evening  with a concert and dinner at the Stiftskeller St. Peter.

With the Alps virtually at its doorstep, visitors to Salzburg can easily combine a city stay with skiing in the mountains, especially since the “Salzburg Snow Shuttle” takes the city’s residents and guests to a different winter sports region each day. However, if you’re not in Salzburg to ski, a very popular thing to do in Salzburg at Christmas is to go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride and enjoy the winter scenery.  The horse-drawn sleigh travels along the Salzach River valley, past many of Austria’s ski resort.

Concerts in Salzburg:  See what’s on at Christmas and you can book concert tickets Here.>

Salzburg Tours:  Search for tours and things to do in Salzburg Here.>

Hotels in Salzburg:  Depending on which district you prefer to be based at, there is a good range of hotels to choose from.  You can search, read hotel reviews and book Salzburg hotels Here.>

Vienna Advent Music © WienTourismus / Karl Thomas

There’s nothing like Christmas carols, Advent choirs and the sound of trumpets to get people into the spirit of Christmas. And in Vienna visitors can get in the mood for Christmas with Advent music at some of the city’s most charming venues.

Advent Music in Famous Concert Halls

The Grosser Saal in the Konzerthaus will be the festive setting for Christmas in Vienna. At this gala concert, over 150 musicians from the Wiener Singakademie, the Vienna Boys’ Choir and the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra present traditional Advent music, and a quartet of soloists featuring Ramón Vargas will perform classic arias. The gala concludes with Handel’s magnificent Hallelujah chorus.

The Vienna International Advent Singing Festival at City Hall is a popular Vienna Christmas tradition. From November 25 to December 24, Vienna’s magnificent neo-Gothic edifice on the Ringstrasse plays host to choirs from all over Europe and the USA. Entrance to this concert is free.

Advent Music in Vienna Churches

St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the heart of the city hosts Advent concerts from the end of November onwards. Featuring a mix of chamber music, Advent songs, specially selected readings and performances by the Vienna Girls’ Choir and soloists from the Wiener KammerOrchester, these special evenings never fail to get concertgoers in the Christmas spirit. The program includes pieces by Mozart, Schubert and Bach.

You can also enjoy Gospel-Night with the Brown Sisters from Chicago and the soloist Chwanya Hayes presenting a wonderful performance of Gospel Music.

And the Trompetenzauber series in St. Ann’s Church, also in the historic old town, presents a range of music from classic Viennese pieces to international Christmas carols, all played on the trumpet.

Vienna Kursalon

For classical music lovers, a dream Christmas present would be some tickets to the Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Day Concert – but getting this would be a miracle!  This concert is so popular that to stand any chance of securing tickets, you must firstly register your interest a year ahead and then be one of the lucky ones drawn by lot.

New Year’s Concert at the Vienna Musikverein

The Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day Concert at the Vienna Musikverein is one of the biggest events on the Viennese social calender. This famous concert is televised  around the world and enjoyed by millions who love classical music.

The Orchestra plays a selection of waltzes, polkas and operetta tunes and the music is so uplifting that before too long you’re tapping your feet and waving your imaginary baton to conduct the orchestra. We watch this every year whenever possible and never tire of it.

Vienna’s other premier concert house, the Vienna Konzerthaus, also has a range of New Year’s Eve Gala concerts featuring the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Strauss Festival Orchester Wien and Willi Resetarits. The choice is yours whether you prefer to bring on the New Year with music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Strauss or other famous Austrian composers.

Other Concerts during the Festive Season:

There are lots of concerts all over Vienna during the festive season and some of the popular ones include:

• Vienna Hofburg Orchestra at the Hofburg Royal Palace
• Vienna Imperial Orchestra at the Imperialsaal on Beethovenplatz
• Vienna Walzer Orchestra at the Figaro Hall, Palffy Palace
• Vienna Residence Orchestra at the Auersperg Palace
• Salonorchestra “alt Wien” at Vienna Kursalon

The good news is that you can now book online for many of these classical music events and you can do it from the comfort of your home at any time.  But for the popular events, especially around the Christmas/New Year season, it’s necessary to book early as they sell out quickly.  Classictic allows you to search for hundreds of classical music events in Vienna (and around Europe) and booking online is easy.

New Year’s Eve Outdoor Events

Vienna’s New Year concerts are not restricted to their famous concert halls.  On New Year’s Eve, Vienna’s Old Town transforms into one giant party with all kinds of musical entertainment and refreshment stands.

Locals and visitors to the city of music, can enjoy concerts on the streets of Vienna, dance to classical Viennese waltzes and experience the fireworks.

Where to Stay in Vienna

Vienna has some stunning hotels, some of which look as grand as its imperial palaces. To make the most of your New Year celebrations in Vienna, a hotel in the Innere Stadt would be most convenient.  Hotels such as the Radisson BLU Style Hotel, the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof and the Grand Hotel Wien are all within minutes walk from the Hofburg Palace or the State Opera.  The Hotel Imperial is right in front of the Wiener Musikverein.

For concerts in all Austrian cities, see HERE.

See Travel Signposts Vienna Photo Gallery HERE.

Imperialsaal - Classictic

Vienna’s Imperialsaal (Imperial Hall) is a stunning concert hall at Beethovenplatz 1. It is the home of the the Vienna Royal Orchestra Orchestra whose musicians are the very best in the city.

The Imperial Hall was built by Friedrich Schmidt, the same builder and architect of the Vienna Rathaus. This elaborate concert hall impresses not only with its architecture but also with its excellent acoustics.

Concerts at Imperialsaal

Imperialsaal has been hosting concerts by well known musicians since its inception. These select musicians of the Royal Orchestra are drawn from the most famous Vienna orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the Vienna Symphony and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

With its pool of talented musicians providing musical interpretations reminiscent of the times of master composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Strauss, music lovers are sure to be thrilled.
See what’s on at the Imperialsaal HERE.

But even if you are not into classical music, the Imperialsaal is worth visiting to appreciate its magnificent Neo-Gothic architecture.

How to get to Imperialsaal by Public Transport:

By Train – Take the U4 subway train to station Stadtpark.  Exit towards Johannesgasse and walk down Lothringerstrasse – the Beethovenplatz will be on your right-hand side.

By Tram – Take tram No. 2 or No. 71 to station Schwarzenbergplatz (Schwarzenbergstrasse), walk down Schubertring and take a right at Christinengasse, which will lead you directly onto Beethovenplatz.

Address:
Imperialsaal
Beethovenplatz 1
1010 Vienna

Map of Vienna:

Christmas Concerts in Vienna by Classictic

Christmas is a special time in Vienna and in the four weeks leading to Christmas much of the city’s deeply-rooted Christmas traditions are played out in the living rooms and kitchens of homes and in colourful events around the city.

Christmas markets are a a long-standing Austrian tradition as are the  famous Vienna classical concerts.  At Christmas time the city’s churches and concert halls put on the best of their Advent concerts.

If you are spending Christmas in Vienna, you too can enjoy one of the many traditional Christmas concerts in the city.

Popular Vienna Attractions

Many of the concerts are held in venues which are themselves very popular Vienna attractions such as the St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Liechtenstein Museum.

Below are some of the special Christmas concerts in Vienna.  You can book your Vienna concert tickets on-line by clicking on the link:

For the list of all Classictic concerts in Vienna, see HERE.