Mozart Residence (Mozart Wohnhaus), Salzburg (must see)

A large painting of the family shows the prodigy with his father on the violin and his sister at the piano, while the mother – who had sadly died two years earlier in Paris – is portrayed separately above the threesome. Elsewhere, you'll see three circular targets high on the wall and – in the glass case nearby – the air rifle that the Mozarts used to shoot at them. These are just some of the marvelous artifacts in the rooms, to which the Mozart family moved in 1773 as their place in Hagenauerhaus was no longer adequate for their needs. It was here, in the spacious apartment on the first floor, that the Mozart family would host social gatherings appropriately and where Wolfgang himself stayed until he moved to Vienna in 1781. Damaged during a WWII air raid and consequently restored, the building was converted into a museum by the Mozart Foundation and opened to the public in 1996.

Highlights include a screen presentation of Mozart's extensive travels in Europe initiated by his father, who was convinced they were essential to enlighten and humanize his prodigy son. In another room, you might be interested in the audio guide's explanation of how Leopold helped to immerse Wolfgang in playing music and later promoted his talented son. The last room has extensive information about how the "Mozart" name has been used for profit, and the one before it shows fraudulent portraits of Mozart throughout the years.

Daily: 9am–5:30pm (Sep–Jun); 8:30–7pm (Jul–Aug)
Last admission 30 mins before closing