Photos courtesy of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron
In 1736 the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg, Leopold von Firmian, commissioned master builder, Bernhard Stuart, who was a Scottish Benedictine monk, to build Schloss Leopoldskron. In part, the Archbishop hoped a grand, new schloss would revive his family’s social position and the economy of Salzburg after he ignominously expelled some 22,000 Protestants from Salzburg, enriching himself in the process.
In 1744 Leopoold gave the property to his nephew, Count Laktanz Firmian. An art connoisseur, the count amassed an incredible collection of art by Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, and Dürer. He also became one of the first sponsors of the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Succeeding generations sold off the art collection and Leopoldskron fell into decline until rescued in 1918 by Max Reinhardt, the famous theater director and co-founder of the Salzburg Festival. He completely restored the schloss and even held plays within its salons, moving his audiences from set to set.
The Nazis seized Schloss Leopoldskron in 1938, deeming it a “Jewish property.” Reinhardt, who fortuitously was in Hollywood at the time, never returned, dying before the end of the war. The schloss was damaged when a bomb went off in the garden, sending shrapnel into the wall murals of the Chinese room. Bits of this damage can still be seen today.
Since 1947 the palace has been home to the Salzburg Global Seminar.
Pamela’s Perspective
The schloss is private property and open to hotel and conference guests only. If you're a hard-core Sound of Music fan, don't expect to get in. Tour buses can only glimpse the property from the other side of the lake. A few times a year the general public may come and explore.
Rooms are not air conditioned.
The schloss has no onsite restaurant. There are a few restaurants a short walk away, but for the most options, consider eating in Salzburg before returning to the hotel.
Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron
An 18th-century palace
Contact
Leopoldskronstrasse 56-58
5020 Salzburg
Tel: ++43 (0)662 83983-0
Hotel website
Reserve with Booking.com
Fast facts
55 rooms in Meierhof building
12 suites in historic palace
2 townhouses
Single rooms: 135–270 euros
Double rooms: 165–380 euros
Suites: 390–1000 euros
Rates include breakfast
Open: all year
Getting there
The palace is located just 2 km south from the center of Salzburg. It's a 25-minute walk or 12 minutes to the closest bus stop.
What to do
On site: bicycling (complimentary bicycles); fitness center; mini-golf; seasonal swimming pool; library; jogging track around the lake.
Nearby: Salzburg; Sound of Music Tour; Hallein Salt Mines; Eagle's Nest; Berchtesgaden; Salzkammergut; golf
Weddings
Yes–Civil Weddings. Inquire hotel for details
If you're a movie fanatic, you might recognize the absolutely gorgeous setting of this schloss: over 50 years ago filmakers shot several outdoor scenes along the lakefront for the movie The Sound of Music. And nothing has changed. The views still look across the lake and straight up to the mountains.
This rococo-style palace is now a national historic monument. Hotel staff are lovely and more than helpful, but this is not a full-service hotel. It is an estate where you are free to wander and lounge about in the various rooms, including one of the most gorgeous libraries you'll ever hope to see. A stroll around the lake will take you about half an hour.
Single and double guest rooms are in an adjacent building named the Meierhof. Reception and a small cafe are located there as well. Guest rooms are modern, clean, comfy, and functional.
The main palace holds twelve individually designed suites, accented with antique furnishings. Views are of the Hohensalzburg fortress, park, lake and mountain. A spacious premium suite was once the former private quarters of theater impresario Max Reinhardt himself.
Breakfast is served in a magnificent marble and gilded dining room that must be seen to be believed. Close your eyes and you’ll feel you're in a ballroom from another era. Simply stunning.
Something Special
Several outside scenes from the 1964 movie The Sound of Music were filmed here.
“Shakespeare in the Park” performances are held during the summer months.