Hotel Goldener Hirsch, Salzburg

In contrast to the overt extravagance of Salzburg at that time, Countess Walderdorff opted for indigenous Austrian furniture and antiques, replacing Persian carpets with traditional rag rugs.

The city began its ascend with the rise of Mozart, who was born a minute's walk from the Hotel Goldener Hirsch in 1756.

The historical Hotel Goldener Hirsch building, first documented in 1407, assumed a public role when it opened as an inn, the G?ldener Hirsch in 1564---a time when the Salzburg?s population numbered just 5,000.

The Hotel Goldener Hirsch was established as the festival?s premier residence following its purchase in 1939 by Countess Harriet Walderdorff.

Little has changed since Countess Walderdorff purchased the hotel; the facades of the original and adjoining building---acquired in the 1970s---remain simple and the interior elegantly eclectic. Its casual yet sophisticated style soon became the model for Western Austrian hotels. After World War II, Countess Walderdorff began her quest to refurbish the interior with simple and contemporary d?cor, creating a country residence in the city center. The Refektoriumtisch, an old table constructed from a monastery?s refectory, is especially popular with regular g, For non-US hotels, rates confirmed in USD may be converted to local currency by the hotel at your time of stay, based on the exchange rate used by the hotel. Guests marvel at the carefully acquired d?cor: a painting, a wooden sculpture, a restaurant constructed from an antique trunk. In 1920, it declared itself a leader of the international music and drama scene by introducing the Salzburg Festival, which has become a city institution and global attraction.

Nicknamed ?The Golden Stag?, the Hotel Goldener Hirsch has become the home-away-from-home to the Salzburg Festival?s most prominent stars as good as international celebrities ranging from Elizabeth Taylor and Pavarotti to the Rothschilds, Gettys, and the Prince of Wales. American ex-president Richard Nixon personally wrote to Countess Walderdorff to thank her for the hotel?s supreme hospitality. Boasting a new pink exterior, the hotel re-opened on April 29, 1948