First things first: the hotel stands on the famous Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s answer to the Rue Saint-Honoré, and even on this street the Blaue Gans occupies a prime spot. Its walls, dating back to the 14th century, are at the heart of the action, with the Festival Hall, the Museum of Modern Art and Mozart’s birthplace just around the corner.
The owner, Andreas Gfrerer, who runs the house in the fifth generation, has turned the Blaue Gans into a creative oasis filled with artworks and installations, striking a fine balance between tradition and modernity.
The Gastronomy
The centerpiece is the restaurant on the ground floor, or rather, the three of them. First, there is the dining room with white chairs, classic chic and Wiener schnitzel on the menu. Next door is a bar-brasserie-bistro where you can sip homemade lemon-ginger lemonade at a standing table. And down in the cellar is the wine archive, where guests are deliberately seated close together at a long table called La Tavolata. Think Fellini. The room can also be rented for private occasions such as birthdays. In summer, Salzburg’s creative crowd gathers outside in the Schanigarten, the sidewalk terrace, for snacks, jazz and bright red Campari drinks.
The Art
Narrow historic passageways with low door beams lead to the hotel’s 35 rooms. It pays to linger along the way: works from the owner’s private collection hang everywhere, and anyone lucky enough to get a tour from him will hear the story behind every piece. Originals by Joseph Beuys, Gilbert & George or Tobias Rehberger are not something you find in every hotel.
The Rooms
All the rooms and suites are furnished with understatement rather than ostentation: fine parquet floors and furniture by Moroso, MDF Italia and Fredericia, or made in-house, since the walls and floors of a house more than 650 years old do not take kindly to off-the-shelf pieces. The design principle: rooms facing the Getreidegasse reflect its history as a merchants’ thoroughfare, while those facing Karajanplatz, the “courtly” side of Salzburg, have a more cosmopolitan air. Most important, you quickly feel at home. The highlights, of course, are the suites. The Master Suite, which has hosted not only heads of state but also festival stars such as Elīna Garanča, is worth a splurge for a special occasion, and it costs about as much as a standard room in New York.
Ideal for
Any visitor to Salzburg looking for a place to live rather than just a hotel.
Special
In the inner courtyard, illuminated raised beds hold 20 different herbs, which naturally turn up on your plate in the restaurant downstairs.
Prices
Double rooms from 177 euros; outside the festival season, suites cost from 367 euros per night.
Booking & Contact
Arthotel Blaue Gans
Getreidegasse 41-43
5020 Salzburg
Austria
