I honestly tried to sum up Salzburg in my last post- but Hellbrunn is SO special it deserves it’s own page. Let’s review…after visiting Vienna, my hubby took a train back to Salzburg to fly to Montana for work duties. My parents and I of course traveled to Croatia, and then a day or so to play in Salzburg before they flew home. A perfect place to play is Hellbrunn Palace! Yes, another palace- this time a summer palace only a couple of miles from inner-Salzburg. It was the archibishop, Markus Sittikus’s summer palace he decided to throw together in 1613 to entertain guests during the summer days. It’s special charm are the trick fountains that are run without electricity and could just spout off unexpectedly at any moment. It was SO.MUCH.FUN.
I have, of course, blogged about this palace prior, but it was covered in snow and also hosts a 2K cross-country ski loop! See here and here.

First stop, near this pool and we all congregate for an explanation of how dinner might commence 17th century style.

Then, as guests congregate, Markus would turn on the fountains and spray everyone!? That is one way to win friends and influence people.
Please click on the first picture for a fun slide-show…
- Close-up of the first fountain- so much Baroque.
- Then, a little cave with more funky sculptures.
- Back-door, ya walk along a little canal of spring water and there are different stages of figurines…
- The wooden figurines depict occupations and some greek mythology- or something like that.
- More figurines,they all move- without electricity, all water-driven.
- Star-fountain as seen from inside the palace.
- Inside one of the grottos, an icon of Hellbrunn is that face with the tongue sticking out.
- As the water flows, the tongue sticks out further!
- Inside another grotto, these dragon-figures swam around and the entire place was filled with bird sounds made from flowing water…
- And another fountain. Pretty sure we all got wet in this one.
- The village fountain was an incredible display of moving figurines, an entire village moving to music.
- Close-up of the village figurines.
- Eliot may have loved this palace most of all…
- Inside the palace, kinda nice.
- Inside the palace, the music room, with amazing acoustics (we tried it out, sounded like fools).
- View from inside of the palace- last time we were here, this was covered in snow.
- Last fountian. So worth the entry price.
Salzburg Knockerl is a traditional dessert made of a lot of meringue and apricot filling on the bottom.