Mirabell Castle

and Mirabell garden 

It was a loving gift that Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau had built for his Salome Alt. In 1606 Altenau Castle was built and it also fulfilled its purpose: 15 children were given to the couple, ten of them remained alive.
After the death of Wolf Dietrich, the castle was renamed “Mirabell” by his successor Markus Sitticus von Hohenems.

The Mirabell garden

The famous garden of Mirabell Palace was rebuilt in 1690 under Prince-Archbishop Johann Ernst Graf von Thun to plans by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and changed significantly by 1790 by Franz Anton Danreiter. The Pegasus Fountain, a work by Kaspar Gras from Innsbruck, was erected in 1913. The four groups of figures around the fountain are by Ottavio Mosto (1690) and symbolize the four elements: fire, air, earth and water.

In the western part of the Mirabell Gardens is the Heckentheater, which – created between 1704 and 1718 – is one of the oldest hedge theatres north of the Alps.

The Dwarf Garden dates back to the time of Archbishop Franz Anton Fürst Harrach. In 1854, the Mirabell garden was opened to the public by Emperor Franz Joseph and continues to be a garden architecture jewel and a popular photo opportunity.