What it is
Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau built the palace in 1606 for Salome Alt, the mother of his many children; it was rebuilt in baroque style by Lukas von Hildebrandt in the 1720s. The palace is now the seat of the mayor, and its Marble Hall is used for weddings and chamber concerts.
The gardens are free to enter and among the most photographed places in Austria: the Pegasus Fountain, the dwarf garden with its baroque stone figures, the hedge theatre and the rose garden all appeared in The Sound of Music, where the children sang Do-Re-Mi on the steps.
Getting there by bus
Mirabellplatz, directly outside the palace, is one of the busiest stops in town, served by lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 21, 22 and 25 among others; Kongresshaus and Makartplatz are also close. The main railway station is about ten minutes' walk north along Rainerstraße.
From the gardens, the Makartsteg footbridge leads across the Salzach into the old town.
