Blaue Gans Arthotel Salzburg

Salzbourg

Atop the Mönschberg hill, the Hohensalzburg fortress, formerly the property of the princes and archbishops who ruled over the city until the early 19^th century, watches over the city of Salzburg. A vestige of this triumphant era when the city prospered thanks to it commerce in salt, marble and copper, is the Baroque architecture of the princely domain, which bears witness to the artistic and cultural wealth of the city that, in the 17^th century, became the meeting point of Italian and German culture. On the west bank of the Salzach, we find the old city, classified by UNESCO as a cultural world heritage, with its labyrinth of large and small streets filled with old houses and workshops. It’s hard to resist the charm of the boutiques along the main commercial street, the Getreidegasse, whose storefronts have retained their old wrought iron signs. A few steps further, we find the façade of the Mozart family house. Open to the public since 1996, visiting the building helps to trace the origins of the ingenious composer and a native of the city. Every year, the streets of Salzburg echo with the sounds emanating from the concerts and operas organized as part of the celebrated Salzburg Festival. In addition to Mozart, the musician of honor, one can hear more contemporary music as well…a true feast for music lovers.

An “arty” hotel

In the heart of Salzburg’s old city, along the famous commercial thoroughfare, the Getreidegasse, a few steps from the Festival Palace, a 14^th century building contains a very unique hotel. More than just a design hotel, the Blaue Gans Arthotel elegantly combines classic architecture and contemporary art works throughout the entire property. Xenia Hausner, Franz Graf and Leif Trenkler and other renowned artists make up a collection of a hundred works of art, regularly exposed under different angles, accentuating the hotel’s different interiors. Anonymous artists or rising stars of the art scene create their works here preceded by an exchange of ideas between the artist and the hotel personnel. “In the framework of our resident artists program, we invite artists to stay in one of our suites for a period of time instead of in their ateliers.” In the 37 rooms and suites, the spacious, sober and luminous interiors respond to this imperative by creating above all, a sense of individualism and freedom.

The Blaue Ganz Arthotel is one of the sponsors of the city’s modern art museum, located at the top of Mönchsberg. Among the many artists on display, we find Klimt, Kiokoschka, Grstl, Boeckl and Franius.