Hellbrunn Palace, Baroque palace and museum in Salzburg, Austria.
Hellbrunn Palace is a large early Baroque villa built 1613–19 by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus von Hohenems to designs by Santino Solari, incorporating a late Gothic noble seat. Its closed ceremonial courtyard is flanked by symmetrical outbuildings, and the festival hall is painted throughout with allegorical scenes, probably by Donato Arsenio Mascagni. The gardens contain late-Renaissance water games with grottoes and moving figures.
Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, elected Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg in 1612, had Santino Solari build the villa suburbana between 1613 and 1615, incorporating a late-Gothic noble residence. Solari was also entrusted with rebuilding Salzburg Cathedral. The palace was conceived as a summer day residence, so it has no bedroom.
Markus Sittikus, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, had the water games built as practical jokes for his guests: stone seats at a stone dining table spray water when the mechanism is activated, and hidden fountains surprise visitors on the tour. The guide always stands on the one spot that stays dry, where the archbishop once sat.
Guided tours are available in several languages during the warmer months from spring through fall. Wear comfortable shoes since the grounds are large and walking covers multiple paths through gardens and fountains.
The palace is famous for hidden water fountains that have surprised and splashed visitors for 400 years. These playful water devices were part of the original design and still operate using the same principles today.
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