Local Destination: Hellbrunn Palace

August 30, 2021


A city bus ride away from the school, Hellbrunn Palace is a frequent destination for student activities on the weekends during the fall, winter and spring.  Some of the more popular activities at Hellbrunn are the stone theatre, trick fountains, Christmas market, Hellbrunn Zoo or for a simple day of fun and games in the Hellbrunn park. The video below —inclusive of dramatic drone shots— provides a panoramic view of Hellbrunn Palace and the surrounding grounds.

In the early 1600’s Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Markus Sittikus, had a quarry on Hellbrunn mountain carved into a stone theatre to indulge his passion for music and theatre. The first Italian opera performed north of the Alps was held at this site. Today, it serves as a magical theatre for our students and continues to host concerts and theatre performances. 

Water is a major part of the Hellbrunn Palace landscape with the trick fountains as the highlight for our students. During a tour of the fountains, students meet Eurydice, Neptune, the hunter Actaeon and the Goddess of the hunt, Diana, as they learn about the mechanical technology behind these 17th-century fountains.

A visit to Hellbrunn Palace is often followed by a stop at the Salzburg Zoo, which is only 15 minutes away by foot. The Zoo features 150 species and over 1,500 animals, including the Rhinocerous, Lion, Brown Bear, Jaguar, Lima and Boa Constrictor, to name a few.

As of mid-November, Hellbrunn Palace courtyard is transformed into one of Europe’s most famous Christmas markets which can only be described as enchanting; a winter wonderland come to life. The facade of palace and it’s 24 windows is transformed into a larger-than-life advent calendar and the surrounding courtyard and park features over 400 conifers and 13,000 red baubles and fairy lights.