The Perfect View of Salzburg

Every time I am in Salzburg I have to take a lot of pictures of the city. Its panorama with many roofs, church towers and domes and with the Hohensalzburg fortress which sits on a hill like a royal crown on a velvet pillow is just amazing – at any time of the year, come rain or sunshine…

You just need to set panorama mode on your mobile, then one click with your finger, a slow movement from left to right, one more click, and a panoramic image of the city flies to the other pics into the album on your phone.

However, once, it was not that easy. To create such a picture for which only two clicks on a phone are necessary, Johann Michael Sattler (1786-1847), an Austrian painter, needed 4 years! In addition, two more painters were helping him: Friedrich Loos (landscape) and Johann Joseph Schindler (figures).

The panoramic image of the city of Salzburg and its romantic environs – from the fortress – was ordered by the emperor Francis I. Sattler started his work in 1825. After the painting of 125 m² had been finished, local citizens could enjoy it on the present square Makartplatz for several weeks. After that, Sattler took his work and started up a 10-year-tour together with his wife and two children displaying it in many big European cities like Munich, Prague, Berlin, Leipzig, Brno, Copenhagen, Oslo or Amsterdam. It is amazing, isn’t it? People from those cities admired the gorgeous panorama of Salzburg and I am sure many of them dreamed to visit that beautiful city one day. What a fantastic promotion for that time it was!

The gigantic painted cyclorama (5m high and 26m long) was displayed in a special round pavilion made of wood.

In 1875, the mobile panorama was again displayed in Salzburg. Around the pavilion, there were always 26 (of 119) so-called cosmoramas – perspective pictures of the most interesting places and their sights in Europe, Africa and Middle America – from Sattler’s son Hubert. You just peeped inside a peephole and suddenly you felt like in a distant exotic world.

Today, you will find the panorama in the Panorama Museum in Salzburg. Telescopes allow visitors to take a closer look at some details and figures. Always, there are also some of the cosmoramas.

Looking at the almost 200-year-old painting and comparing it to my pictures of the present Salzburg, I would say that not so much had changed in the historical centre of the city.

It may be because 50 years ago, the first Austrian Preservation Law was enacted in Salzburg, but especially because the historic centre of the city of Salzburg was adopted into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites 20 years ago. A special exhibition “Inherit Culture. Preserve the City!” in 2017 explained the exacting task of both conservations of the architectural and cultural heritage and urban development is devoted to both anniversaries.

In the room around the panorama, you can also see some paintings from different painters depicting the silhouette of the city of Salzburg from different points. I especially liked one of them. It is also from Hubert Sattler (1875) and it is a view onto the city from the north-west – from the Klausentor gate.

In the exhibition, they called it “the perfect view” of Salzburg. Yes, I fully agree. Anyway, I think it does not matter where in Salzburg you are standing. A wonderful, unique and perfect view will always open in front of you! And it does not matter at which time of the year you are there…

The address of the Panorama Museum and more information: here

Free guided tours every first Thursday of the month at 6 pm!

DISCOVER SALZBURG

Where to Stay: Last time I was accommodated in the Guest-house of the Priesterseminar (Seminary) Salzburg – I really recommend it: a complete renovation in 2012, quiet inner yard, breakfast, no overestimated prices, central location and easy access to most tourist attractions. There is no TV in the rooms, but there is wi-fi.

Bonus: you can enter the beautiful Baroque Holy Trinity Church (built by the famous Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach) any time you want. Do not miss the dome fresco by Johann Michael Rottmayr portraying the crowning of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Trinity. There also are concerts in the church every Saturday evening during the season!

The address and more information: here

Where to Eat: This time something very special: a combination of history, elegant interiors, higher service, delicious food and excellent wine – St Peter Stiftskeller – the oldest restaurant in Europe – since 803! Many prominent guests have dined here since then, they even say that also Mozart and Christopher Columbus visited the restaurant! You have to consider that it is a rather expensive restaurant. But the amazing dessert – Salzburger Nockerl – is on their menu as well!

The address and more information: here

General Tips:

You can receive detailed information about Salzburg, its sights and current events on Tourism Salzburg.

Our thanks to Tourism Salzburg for organizing the visit to the Panorama Museum.

Text: © Copyright Ingrid, Travelpotpourri
Fotos: © Copyright Ingrid, Travelpotpourri