Mozart concert in the fortress
Chamber music by Mozart and his contemporaries in a hall of Hohensalzburg Fortress, with the funicular up and down included.
On the programme
A programme of Mozart and his contemporaries
The extract on the booking page names these composers. Programmes change, so read the list as the kind of evening to expect and not as a setlist.
- Mozart
Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, completed in Vienna on 10 August 1787. Four movements survive, though Mozart's catalogue entry describes five.
- Mozart
A piano quartet
He wrote two: No. 1 in G minor, K. 478, from 1785, and No. 2 in E-flat major, K. 493. Each pairs a piano with violin, viola and cello.
- Haydn
A string quartet
Joseph Haydn, 1732 to 1809, is known as the father of the string quartet: two violins, a viola and a cello talking as equals.
- Mozart
The Clarinet Quintet
K. 581, written in 1789 for the clarinettist Anton Stadler. One clarinet joins a string quartet, and the roles are shared out evenly.
- Schubert
The Trout Quintet
The Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667, composed in 1819. Its fourth movement is a set of variations on Schubert's song Die Forelle, The Trout.
- Dvořák and Strauss
Waltzes and a polka
The printed extract ends with waltzes by Dvořák and waltzes and a polka by J. Strauss, the dance music that closes the list.
Nothing here is promised for a given night: the organiser reserves the right to modify the programme. The dates behind each work come from Wikipedia.
Behind the concert
The fortress behind the concert
A castle begun in 1077
Work on the present fortress began in 1077 under Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein, and the prince-archbishops of Salzburg kept enlarging it for centuries. Wikipedia puts it at about 250 metres long and 150 wide, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.
State rooms built to impress
Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach fitted out the late-Gothic state rooms around 1500. The Golden Hall has a coffered ceiling studded with gold buttons for stars, and the fortress's own visitor page calls the whole suite unique in Europe.
Mozart's own city
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and was a court musician here at seventeen. The concert plays him next to Haydn, Schubert, Dvořák and Strauss, the pairing the organiser's printed extract shows.
A hill with its own railway
The FestungsBahn funicular opened in 1892 and is the oldest in Austria, according to the fortress. A goods railway, the Reisszug, was first documented in 1515, and Wikipedia calls it probably the oldest operational railway in the world.
Settle these before you pick a date
Six facts to check before you reserve
The booking page spells these out. They decide whether the evening suits your party.
The hall follows the date
Each range of dates is tied to one of three halls: the Golden Hall from late April through October, the Arms Hall across much of the colder season and the Castle Hall around Advent and New Year. Your confirmation names yours.
Stairs, and no lift in one hall
The concert is listed as unsuitable for people with limited mobility. The Golden Hall has many steps and no elevator, so check the hall for your date first.
The funicular window
Riding up is allowed from one hour before the concert and not earlier on this ticket. The ride down is included too.
Smart casual
Smart casual is the dress code. The booking page bans shorts and sleeveless shirts and rules out T-shirts.
Seats are assigned
Seats are allocated in advance, so arriving early wins you the view from the walls and not a better chair. Guests say the chairs are on a flat floor, with the front rows costing more.
Food and drink are separate
The ticket covers the concert and the funicular. A glass before the music, bought outside the hall, is an extra, and the dinner version is the way to add a meal.
Concert alone or with dinner
Three ways to take the evening
| Option | What it is | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Concert only | About 90 minutes of chamber music, with the funicular up and down included. | Drinks and food are extra, so plan any meal in the Old Town around the one-hour funicular window. |
| Concert with dinner | A three-course dinner in the fortress's Panorama Restaurant, then the concert. Classic and VIP menus. About 3.5 hours. | The ascent opens 30 minutes before dinner. Menus change, and allergy requests go straight to the restaurant staff. |
| VIP and Golden VIP dinner | The VIP menu and seating, with drinks included when the Golden VIP option is picked. | The booking page places VIP seats in the middle or side section when the Castle Hall is in use. |
The hill, the halls and the Old Town
Hohensalzburg Fortress, its funicular and the Old Town below
Photographs of the fortress, the funicular and the city at dusk. Only the interior shows a room inside the fortress, and the room for your date may be a different one.
Five ways to fill a Salzburg evening or day
The concert and four other ways into Salzburg
The first card is the concert this page describes. The others are the dinner version, a daytime ticket to the fortress, a river boat and a guided walk through the Old Town, each with its own booking page.
Concert with dinner in the fortress
A three-course dinner in the fortress's Panorama Restaurant, then the concert. It lasts about 3.5 hours, and the funicular is included in both directions.
Fortress admission for a daytime visit
A self-guided visit to the fortress by day: the Prince's Chambers, the Magic Theatre, the Castle Museum and a panorama tour, with funicular options.
Boat ride on the Salzach
A 40-minute boat trip past the Old Town skyline and the villas south of the centre, with commentary in English and German.
Walking tour of the Old Town
A 2.5-hour guided walk across the New Town and Old Town, with Mozart sites, churches and Getreidegasse, and an optional viewpoint on the Mönchsberg.
More to do around Salzburg
Planning the evening
Before you go
Find the lower station
The funicular leaves from Festungsgasse, in the pedestrian Old Town. The booking page gives Festungsgasse 4 as the meeting point, and no car can reach the old town, so come on foot or by public transport.
Leave bags behind
The dinner version bans luggage and large bags, and the admission ticket suggests comfortable shoes. Travel light up the hill.
Know the walking alternative
The footpath starts beside the lower station and takes about 30 minutes, says the fortress. It is steep, has steps in places and is not barrier-free. The ticket's funicular is the easy way up.
Check for funicular maintenance
The fortress's opening-hours page lists funicular maintenance periods, when the footpath is the only way up. Look there before you fix your dates.
Take the early window
Ride up as soon as the ticket allows. Guests recommend arriving early to walk the grounds and look at the views over the city.
Keep the evening open
The ticket includes the ride down. After the music, the Old Town below is a pedestrian zone, so the walk from the lower station to wherever you eat is on foot.
Read before you book
Six guides to the fortress concert
- The short answer
Fortress Mozart concert
What the Mozart concert at Hohensalzburg Fortress is like: the hall, the music, the funicular up the hill, the seats, and who the evening suits. Read the guide → - Which ticket
Concert or dinner too?
Concert only or concert with dinner at Hohensalzburg Fortress? How the two evenings differ in length, funicular timing, menus, drinks and seats. Read the guide → - Getting there
Getting up in the evening
How to get up to Hohensalzburg Fortress for an evening concert: the FestungsBahn funicular, the footpath, the Old Town approach and what the ticket allows. Read the guide → - The music
The music, explained
The works named in the fortress concert's printed programme, in plain terms: Mozart's serenade and quintet, Haydn, Schubert's Trout, and the waltzes. Read the guide → - The fortress
The fortress and its halls
A short history of Hohensalzburg Fortress, the prince-archbishops who built it, and the three halls that host the concert in different seasons. Read the guide → - Before you go
Dress, seats and access
The practical rules for the fortress concert: dress code, bags, assigned seats, stairs and the hall for your date, drinks, and how cancelling works. Read the guide →
FAQ
Questions before you climb up
What is the Mozart concert at Hohensalzburg Fortress like?
A chamber concert lasting around 90 minutes in a fortress hall, with Mozart at the centre and Haydn, Schubert, Dvořák and Strauss around him. Guests describe a light-hearted evening, musicians who talk to the audience, and a city view before the music.
How do you get up to the fortress in the evening?
By the FestungsBahn funicular from Festungsgasse, which the ticket covers up and down. The ascent opens one hour before the concert. A footpath also leads up, about 30 minutes, steep and with steps.
Is it a full orchestra?
No. A chamber ensemble plays, and the printed extract lists quartets and quintets alongside the serenade and the waltzes.
Which hall is the concert in?
It depends on the date. The booking page ties date ranges to the Golden Hall, the Arms Hall or the Castle Hall, and the confirmation e-mail names yours.
Should I book the concert alone or with dinner?
Pick the concert alone when the music matters most and you plan to eat elsewhere in town. Choose the dinner version for one evening on the hill, about 3.5 hours, with the funicular both ways.
What is the dress code?
Smart casual. The booking page rules out shorts, T-shirts and sleeveless shirts.
Can wheelchair users attend?
No. The concert is listed as unsuitable for people with limited mobility, and the Golden Hall has many steps and no elevator.
Are drinks included?
No. The concert ticket covers the concert and the funicular, and a drink before the music is bought separately. On the dinner version, drinks come with the Golden VIP option only.
An evening of Mozart in a hall of the castle that stands over Salzburg's Old Town.
Book the fortress concert ↗Choose a date and your own currency appears; the seat category and the date both move the fare.