Mirabellgarten, French formal garden and castle park in Salzburg, Austria.
Mirabell Garden is a French Baroque garden with geometric flower beds, fountains, and marble sculptures that surrounds the palace. The layout flows through distinct areas, each organized around focal points like water features and statue groupings that guide visitors through the space.
Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau founded the garden in 1606, and it was redesigned in the 1690s by architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. This transformation established the site as one of the major Baroque gardens in the German-speaking lands.
The palace halls once hosted concerts and social gatherings that reflected the musical life of Salzburg's nobility. The gardens themselves became a stage where the city's wealthy and powerful displayed their status through refined entertainment.
The garden opens early each day and closes at sunset, with free access to the entire grounds year-round. Wear comfortable walking shoes since the paths are paved, and visit in the morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds.
The Zwergerl Garden displays marble figures of court dwarfs who lived and worked for the Prince-Archbishops during the early modern period. This rare collection is one of the oldest and most complete examples of a European dwarf garden.
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