Waagplatz 3, Salzburg, Medieval town house in Altstadt, Austria
Waagplatz 3 is a three-story building in the heart of Salzburg's old town with a facade redesigned in the 19th century. The structure has a long, narrow footprint and displays typical features of a medieval town house adapted over time.
The building was originally the seat of Salzburg's court before later serving as a storage place for grain scales. This role as a weighing station shaped the character of the location until the 1800s.
The square takes its name from the Waage, the public weighing scale once housed in this building; goods sold at the market were weighed here for a fee. The house later carried the name Café Glockenspiel, after the carillon of the nearby Glockenspiel tower. The square is still crossed by pedestrians moving between Residenzplatz and the Salzach.
The building sits in the center of the old town and is easy to reach on foot since it stands right on a main square. Visitors should know that the narrow streets around the square can be steep, so sturdy footwear is helpful.
Beneath the building lie cellars with remnants of Romanesque architecture from the 12th century. These remains come from an earlier prince's palace and provide a window into much older layers of Salzburg's past.
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