What it is
Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus had Hellbrunn built between 1612 and 1615 as a summer residence for day visits. Its water gardens are full of hidden jets, grottoes and water-powered automata, including a mechanical theatre with nearly 200 figures; they are shown on guided tours during the season. The palace rooms have frescoed walls and ceilings.
The large park is free to walk through. It contains the glass gazebo from The Sound of Music, the stone theatre carved into the rock and, on the hill above, the small Monatsschlössl with a folk museum. Salzburg Zoo lies just to the south.
Getting there by bus
Bus 25 runs from the city centre (Rathaus and Mozartsteg/Rudolfskai stops) along Hellbrunner Allee to Schloss Hellbrunn, stopping about 150 metres from the palace courtyard; the ride takes around 20 minutes. The same line continues to the zoo.
The tree-lined Hellbrunner Allee is also a pleasant walk or bike ride of about an hour from the old town.
