Blaue Gans

Abstract and Austrian contemporary art, creative on-the-edge installations and a heritage of almost 700 years take a leading design role at the famous Arthotel Blaue Gans in the old town Mozart heartlands of Salzburg. Patrons have frequented its bar, tavern and dining rooms for centuries – a once coaching inn, drinking hotspot and foodie haunt; the Blaue Gans continues this legacy with insanely popular eateries, restaurants and al fresco terraces. A landmark institution at the historic junction of Getreidegasse – first mentioned in the year 1150, and the Große Festspielhaus, the hotel with its distinctive porcelain white-blue facade, is part of Salzburg's historic fabric. 

Art fiend Andreas Gfrerer is the art-loving and passionate restorer behind the Blaue Gans Hotel. He is its custodian as much as he is famed for his passion for contemporary artists. His personal mix of more than 200 artworks from over 60 Austrian artists is a playful nod to culture while being a serious contender to any eastside gallery. This is not just an art hotel but a love letter to creativity. Celebrating Austrian contemporary arts, you will find sketches, prints, photography, oils on canvas and collages, joined by a whimsical commentary, like a puppet rabbit that performs. There's the iconic red Emergency Phone by Tim Etchells, David Moises' Vertigo Rocket, which stands proud in the atrium gardens and Shannon's Hand  by David Moises never ceases to amuse. 

As Gfrerer puts it “Art installations bring another dimension to the hotel, sometimes almost disruptive in nature, other times provocative and others look like they were meant to be there. What better space than a hotel and restaurant to engage with people, impassive in a sense, and I like it.”

Inside, a mélange of twisted beams, hand-painted frescoes (including the Blue Goose at play in the restaurant), flagstone flooring and chunky walls begin to tell the building's long story. The passageway into the hotel's guest quarters is a music-inspired mural by artist and musician Niklaus Troxler. 

A Cautious Co-Existence Of Old And New

Architect Christian Prasser, a fellow art lover, and hotel owner Andreas Gfrerer have continually been edging the Blaue Gans into the modern era whilst hanging dearly on to its past. Prasser's opening line was "a cautious co-existence of old and new." In such an incredibly old building, the architect's clever manipulation of light and the classically Austrian whitewashed walls expand the spatial dimensions of the original inn's rooms and suites. Christian's humorously literal interpretation of furniture also adds to the architectural and design impact of the place, as he regarded each piece of furniture as a solitaire – a gem unto itself, and so, highly respected and fiercely considered, each piece is terribly functional as well as, of course, incredibly stylish. Modern quarters decked in soft tones are textile-rich, complemented by wooden floors and chunky walls. The suites are a marriage of heritage and modernity. In the CityFlat, Wittmann, Austrian handcrafts since 1896 - was the logical furnishing partner. Antique baroque doors, marble-floored entrance halls and ornamented ceilings transport guests to the grandeur of centuries past. Wittmann furniture in cool blue, yellow and orange, and the Wings beds with handmade Wittmann mattresses promise the highest levels of comfort. An interior that will truly give you goosebumps.

Ultimately, as the architect established, within Blaue Gans' walls, there is no neutral design. "The further the tension between tradition and modernity, the more the space becomes free for inspiration."

In pursuing this aim and designing to this tune, Blaue Gans has a freeing, exciting, inspiring atmosphere. Clever architectural and design devices parallel the old and the new to extreme yet complementary dimensions.

Classic Oma Likes An Italian Too

Eating and socialising at the Blaue Gans is a natural kindred pastime and has been a foodie legend since the times of Mozart - a then-regular patron of the house. Whilst hotels often struggle to bring in the locals, it is not the case here; in fact, dining here is insanely popular. Imagine savouring a Schnitzel beneath a medieval fresco or mopping up the sauce with the final morsel of fresh pasta in the ancient wine cellars. Life here is slow, good and incredibly delicious. Knödel(Austrian dumplings) or perhaps the freshly made in-house pasta will grab your taste buds. For those of you a little more daring in taste, the place is also acclaimed for its speciality offal dishes, including fried calf's brain or the famous little knuckle of deer. Plant lovers fear not; the menu has you covered with an array of veggie headliners. As you would expect from a house of notoriety, the wine cellars are also epic.

“TOP PRODUCTS FROM THE SALZBURG SURROUNDING AREA AND FROM OUR FRONT GARDEN, FROM FRIULI AND VENETO, PREPARED FOR NEW THINGS WITH LOVE FOR TRADITION AND CURIOSITY; PLUS A PINCH OF SOUTH AND A KNIFE TIP OF LIGHTNESS: THIS IS MY KITCHEN!" 

Maximilian Sampl is the culinary talent behind the scene and celebrates the tastes of Austria and neighbouring Italy; the key here is elegant simplicity with earthy local plates, regional specialities and "Oma" inspired dishes. The vaulted restaurant echoes this ethos, serving a "Gastro-Stube" array of tasty delights, while the bar infused with jazz offers light cafe bites and the outdoor olive andfig-potted terrace is the in-spot of town - especially during the Festival days.

Socialising in Salzburg is at the heart of the Blaue Gans and what makes it the insider hotspot of town with a history of more than 670 years - you can only imagine what these cosy nooks, vaulted ceilings and original panelling have witnessed since 1350.

Mozart Was Born Steps From Here

Arthotel Blaue Gans has arguably the best location in Salzburg, on the famous medieval cobbled streets of Getreidegasse in Altstadt - Old Town, a World Cultural Heritage Site and only a short walk from Mozart's birthplace and the Salzburger Dom.

The hotel is opposite the world-famous Salzburger Festspiele - home to two annual classical music festivals and sided by the Mönchsberg Mountain. Close by, must-dos are the Trinity Church at the top of Makartplatz, Mirabell Palace (where Maria and the Von Trapp children sang Do-Re-Mi in the Sound of Music), Hohensalzburg Castle, Helbrunn Palace and the catacombs of Petersfriedhof. Too much culture? Then do the Sound of Music Tour (disguised, of course).