On the way to Salzburg Fortress, one will see a wrought iron gate leading into Petersfriedhof – the cemetery which surrounds the Church of St. Peters. It’s one of the two oldest graveyards in the city and is located right at the foot of the Festungsberg, with burials dating as far back as 1288. It was closed down in 1878 until 1930, when new burials were admitted at the site. Mozart was said to have debuted his Great Mass in C Minor in one of the churches and his sisters’ tomb is located here, along with the tombs of numerous other famous figures from Austrian history such as the painter Georg Pezolt, architect SantinoSolari, politician HanzLechner and numerous others. This cemetery is also the basis for the one that appears in the movie Sound of Music.

There are catacombs carved into the rocks and include two beautifully decorated chapels, the Maximuskapelle and the Gertraudenkapelle. A third chapel, called the Margarethenkapelle, is located smack in the middle of the graveyard. The cemetery is known for its beauty, especially during Christmas. The people of Salzburg traditionally visit the graves of their loved ones, with a miniature Christmas tree and candles in hand. The wrought iron headstones are masterfully crafted with little planted gardens on top of each grave.

This cemetery is unique to Salzburg, as only people or families born in the city are buried here. Many of the graves are large family plots of land, with dates and details highlighting the history of each plot. Another interesting fact is that in Austria, grave sites are not purchased but are rented, which leads to new graves popping up every time someone’s family forgets to pay rent!

Monuments and paintings add colour to the graveyard. This is a charming fact about this graveyard since all these features make it feel warm with love instead of macabre as cemeteries are famous for being. The churches are ornate and well decorated as well. A sense of peace prevails in the area, making it a great place to escape to when in need of some quiet time. This peaceful atmosphere and the surrounding loveliness make this one of Salzberg’s most loved tourist spots.

• During Christmas, you’ll see small Christmas trees at every grave, very pretty.
• You can visit the final resting places of the great and the good of Salzburg to the U.S. General in charge post-WW II and even a memorial to the Axis soldiers who fell in that conflict.
• Recommendations: Tombs built high up on the cliff face which you can access and are hollowed out looking like Giant Foot wells, very unusual.

• Free admission to cemetery.
• Catacombs 1€ ($1.60) adults, .60€ ($1) children ages 6-15.

Cemetery timings:

• April and May: 6:30 am to 8:00 pm 
• June to August: 6:30 am to 9:30 pm
• September: 6:30 am to 7:00 pm
• October to March: 6:30 am to 6:00 pm

Catacomb timings:

• May–September: 10:00 am–6:00 pm (Daily)
• October–April: 10:00 am–5:00 pm (Daily)

• Bus 270 at Salzburg Mozartsteg (Rudolfskai) bus station.
• Rent/hire a car or taxi.

• St. Peterstifskeller
• Festungsrestaurant
• ZipferBierhaus
• Restaurant K&K 

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