At a Glance

The New Residence in Salzburg – located on Residenzplatz opposite the Old Residence – is one of the most important Renaissance and early Baroque buildings in Salzburg. Originally built by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau at the end of the 16th century as a representative and guest building, the imposing building ensemble now serves as the headquarters of the Salzburg Museum. With its famous carillon in the tower, the magnificent state rooms and its multifaceted permanent exhibitions, the New Residence combines Salzburg’s architectural history with modern cultural education and is one of the central highlights of Salzburg’s old town.

Historical development and architecture

The construction of the New Residence began in 1588 under Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, who broke up the medieval city structure in order to transform Salzburg into a spacious, Italian-influenced center of power:

• Original purpose: In contrast to the Old Residence, the building was not intended as a permanent residence, but as a representative palace for the foreign guests and relatives of the Prince Archbishop.
• Expansion under successors: Markus Sittikus von Hohenems and Paris Lodron continued the construction work. Markus Sittikus had the north wing completed in 1618 and expanded the complex to include the magnificent tower with the characteristic dome.
• The Salzburg carillon: In 1702, the famous carillon was installed in the tower under Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst von Thun. The 35 historic bronze bells from the workshop of the Antwerp foundryman Peter Hemony still ring three times a day (at 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.) with changing melodies over the Residenzplatz.

State rooms and artistic highlights

The wing of the New Residence houses art-historically important halls on the first floor, which bear witness to the craftsmanship of the late Renaissance:

• Kuchelsaal (Prince’s Room): Impresses with its richly decorated wooden ceiling carvings and coffered structures from the time it was built.
• Ständesaal: Once served as a meeting room and impresses with its elaborate stucco work and allegorical wall and ceiling pictures.
• Glass Cabinet: An intimate, sumptuous room designed with fine mirrors and baroque ceiling stucco.

Today’s use: The Salzburg Museum

Since 2007, the New Residence has been the heart of the Salzburg Museum (formerly the Salzburg Museum Carolino Augusteum). The award-winning city and culture museum presents the history, art and culture of the city and state of Salzburg on around 3,000 square meters of exhibition space:

• Permanent exhibitions:
  • Myth of Salzburg: Illuminates the romantic discovery of Salzburg by painters, poets and scientists in the 19th century.
  • Salzburg personally: Portraits famous and influential personalities from science, art, politics and society.
• Art hall under the inner courtyard: An underground, pillar-free art hall under the closed inner courtyard of the New Residence offers space for changing special exhibitions of international size.
• Panorama Passage: An underground connection leads visitors directly from the New Residence to the Panorama Museum on Residenzplatz (with the gigantic, historic Sattler panorama from 1829).

Significance in the urban fabric

Together with the Residenzbrunnen, the Salzburg Cathedral and the Old Residence, the New Residence forms the urban development framework for the Residenzplatz. As a link between the political past of the spiritual principality and the modern museum business, the building is a central contact point for those interested in culture from all over the world.

salzburgmuseum.at/en/location/neue-residenz/

+43 662 620808-723

Due to major renovation and site expansion work (including for the new “Belvedere Salzburg”), the Salzburg Museum’s main location at the Neue Residenz will remain closed until autumn 2027 (tentative).

Due to major renovation and site expansion work (including for the new “Belvedere Salzburg”), the Salzburg Museum’s main location at the Neue Residenz will remain closed until autumn 2027 (tentative).

By Car

Since direct access to Residenzplatz is closed to private traffic, it is best to use nearby parking garages:

• Altstadtgarage (Mönchsberg):
• Address: Hildmannplatz 1, 5020 Salzburg (e.g., CONTIPARK underground garage Altstadtgarage).
• Directions: Drive through the Sigmundstor (Neutor) tunnel directly into the garage located inside the mountain.
• Walking route: Use the Toscaninihof or Hofstallgasse exits; it is a walk of approximately 5 minutes past the Cathedral to Residenzplatz.
• Note: If you visit shops or cultural institutions in the Old Town, your parking ticket can be validated for the reduced Old Town rate.

By Public Transport

Salzburg’s trolleybus and bus network connects the main train station and the outskirts directly to access points for the Old Town:

• From Salzburg Main Station (Hauptbahnhof):
  • Take trolleybus lines 1, 3, 5, 6, or 10.
  • Get off at the Rathaus or Ferdinand-Hanusch-Platz stop.
  • From there, you can reach the Neue Residenz in about 3 to 5 minutes on foot via Kranzlmarkt and Residenzplatz.
• Alternative stops:
  • Mozartsteg / Imbergstraße (Lines 3, 8, 27): Cross the Mozartsteg footbridge; after a walk of approximately 3 minutes, you will be directly in front of the Neue Residenz and the

Mozartplatz.