Mozartplatz (Mozart Square), Salzburg (must see)

Mozart Square (Mozartplatz), in the historic Old Town of Salzburg, is named after the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was born in the city (just a few blocks away from this place, in fact) and spent most of his first 25 years here (from 1756 to 1781).

This area was redeveloped in the early 17th century by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau and was originally known as Michael's Square (Michaelsplatz), featuring a baroque fountain with a statue of Saint Michael. The latter was eventually replaced by the Mozart Monument (Mozartdenkmal) in 1842 to mark the 50th anniversary of the composer's death.

The monument was unveiled in the presence of Mozart's two surviving sons. The Roman mosaic found on the site during the construction is seen at the base of the statue, bearing an inscription about happiness and protection from evil. The marble pedestal of the statue was a gift from King Ludwig I of Bavaria. This monument was the first sign of public recognition the great composer had received from his hometown since his untimely passing. The music festival held that year sowed the seed for what would later become the world-renowned annual Salzburg Festival.

The square is bordered by several notable buildings. On the north side (adjacent to part of the old city wall dating back to the first half of the 1600s) is the Imhofstöckl edifice housing the city's tourist information office. The New Residence (Neue Residenz) at Number 1, which hosts the Salzburg Museum, together with several 17th-century houses with uniform facades, line the other sides of the square. Notably, one of these houses was the residence of Mozart's widow, Constanze Mozart-Nissen. The square also features the Salzburg Christmas Museum and Café Glockenspiel, sharing space at Number 2.

The on-site Resistance Memorial commemorates the transnational resistance against Bavaria's Wackersdorf reprocessing plant in the late 1980s. Inaugurated in 2000, it features a section of the original fence and a green radiation sign and honors over 420,000 objectors who influenced Austria's anti-nuclear policy.

Tip:
Those looking to buy tacky souvenirs should check out the Zum Mozart shop located at one of the corners of the square.