In 1773 the Mozart family left the cramped apartment on the Getreidegasse and moved across the river to a far more comfortable home on what is now Makartplatz, in the building known as the Tanzmeisterhaus, or Dance Master’s House, after a former owner who gave dancing lessons in its large hall. Wolfgang lived here until he left for Vienna in 1781, and his father Leopold stayed on in the house for the rest of his life. It is where the family held its music evenings, played card games and shooting games, and wrote the long, funny, affectionate letters that make Mozart’s voice so vivid today. The house was badly damaged in the Second World War, was rebuilt, and reopened as a modern museum run by the International Mozarteum Foundation. Where the Birthplace shows the child prodigy, the Residence follows the young man: the concert tours across Europe, the years in the service of the prince-archbishop, the growing frustration that led him to leave Salzburg, and the music he composed here. Original portraits, letters and documents sit alongside audio stations that let you hear the pieces being described, and the ticket link takes you to a Mozart Residence ticket.
How to visit
The museum is on Makartplatz, on the right bank of the Salzach, about ten minutes on foot from the old town across the Staatsbrücke or the Makartsteg. It is normally open every day with a short break in the opening hours only on a few public holidays, so check the day’s hours before you go.
A combination ticket covers both Mozart houses and is the cheapest way to see them together, and the Salzburg Card includes one entry to each. An audio guide comes with the visit and is worth using, because it plays excerpts of the music when you reach the relevant room.
What to expect
The layout is more spacious than the Birthplace, with wide rooms, step-free routes and fewer queues, so it is the easier house for visitors with limited mobility, prams or small children. Most of the visit is reading and listening rather than looking at objects, so give it an hour and a half if you enjoy biography and music history.
The exhibition is in English and German, and the audio guide covers several more languages. The rooms are quiet and well lit, which makes the house a pleasant refuge on a wet or very cold day.
Making the most of it
Visit the Birthplace first, in the morning, then walk across the river for lunch and the Residence in the afternoon, so that the two halves of Mozart’s Salzburg life fall in the right order. Afterwards you are a minute from the Mirabell Gardens, where an evening concert in the Marble Hall completes the picture. Anyone who has seen the film Amadeus will enjoy comparing its Vienna with the more intimate, provincial world shown here, where a talented young musician felt that the city and its court were too small for him.
Good to know
The house is a museum of documents and sound rather than a collection of grand objects, so it rewards visitors who arrive curious about the people behind the music. Photography rules vary by room, and bags may need to be left in lockers at the entrance. Café stops are plentiful on Makartplatz and the nearby streets, so you can easily turn the visit into a relaxed half day with lunch, the gardens and an early-evening concert.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided museum in the Mozart family’s later home, with letters, portraits, documents and an audio guide that plays the music as you go.
Best time
Afternoons, once the Birthplace crowds have thinned, or any rainy or very cold day.
How long
About an hour to an hour and a half with the audio guide.
Tips
Buy the combination ticket for both Mozart houses, or use the Salzburg Card, and take the audio guide.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Music lovers who want the story of Mozart as a young adult, not only as a child prodigy.
- Families
- Spacious and easier with prams than the Birthplace, though most of the visit is reading and listening, so it suits older children best.
- Couples
- Pair it with an evening concert at Mirabell Palace, just a minute away.
- Pair with
- Mozart’s Birthplace, the Mirabell Gardens and a Mozart concert.
- Time needed
- One to one and a half hours.
Good questions
Where is the Mozart Residence?+
On Makartplatz on the right bank of the Salzach, about ten minutes on foot from the old town across the Staatsbrücke or the Makartsteg. The Mirabell Gardens are a minute away.
What is the difference between the Residence and the Birthplace?+
The Birthplace on the Getreidegasse covers Mozart’s childhood and shows his violin and clavichord. The Residence, where the family lived from 1773, follows his adult years, his travels and the music he wrote in Salzburg.
Is there a combined ticket for both Mozart houses?+
Yes, a combination ticket covers both and costs less than two separate entries. The Salzburg Card also includes one entry to each house.
Is the Mozart Residence good for visitors with limited mobility?+
It is the easier of the two houses, with wider rooms and more step-free routes. The Birthplace has narrow stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.
How long does a visit take?+
Plan for about an hour, and up to an hour and a half if you use the audio guide fully and like to read the letters and documents.
