Saint Peter's Monastery

Monastery & Cemetery of St. Peter

Since the monastery of St. Peter's Cathedral was founded in the 7th century, the church and convent is the spiritual center of the city of Salzburg. Besides the striking Christian architecture, the cemetery and crypt are also must-visits for "Sounds of Music" fans.

A highlight of the St. Peter is a crypt hewn straight into the Mönchsberg mountain and dates back to antiquity. Mystic caves serve both hermitages as well as burial sites. These early Christian catacombs can be visited year-round. The entrance is located at the graves of Mozart's sisters, Nannerl and Michael Haydn. After 48 steps you find the "Gertrauden Chapel", since 1178. 36 more steps is the "Chapel of Maximus".

Historical background

Saint Peter's Church and Convent, founded by evangelist Frank Rupert. Of particular note is the fact that the fraternity of that time still exists, making it the oldest monastic order in the German-speaking world today. After several fires, the church and monastery were restored in a number of different eras, the architecture now incorporating Romanesque, Renaissance and Rococo elements.

In the 17th century, the Abbey of Saint Peter built the "Long Gallery" at the request of Prince-Archbishop Guidobald von Thun to house a collection of paintings. In the Italian style, the hallway has windows on one side and a continuous wall for painting on the other side. Today, the "Long Gallery" is accessible to the public as part of a DomQuartier tour.

With a unique setting, St. Peter's Cemetery is one of the oldest and most beautiful cemeteries in the world. Around the Chapel of St. Mary's Church with the late Gothic architecture at the center of the cemetery, the many headstones and burial vaults contribute to the charming atmosphere. Famous personalities, artists, scholars and merchants have found their final resting place here, including Nannerl, Mozart's sister.

International visitors know the cemetery and catacombs as a famous setting for the Hollywood movie "The Sound of Music". Chased by the Nazis, the Trapp family flees through St. Peter, find a safe hiding place in the dark rock hole before finally escaping safely to Switzerland.

Opening hours: Catacombs:

May-September: daily 10am-12:30pm, 1pm-6pm

October-April: daily 10am-12:30pm, 1pm-5pm

(last admission 15 minutes before closing)

Closed: January 1, December 24-26, December 31

Possible changes, please see notice

Dogs are not allowed

Saint Peter's Monastery Church:

Daily 8am and 2:30pm-6:30pm

No visit during mass time!

Saint Peter's Cemetery:

Summer 6:30am-7pm (winter 6:30am-5:30pm)

Fare:

Tomb:

Adult € 2.00

Children/teenagers (6-18 years old) € 1.50

Students, seniors, groups of 10 or more adults each 1.50 €

Disabled people € 1.50

Classes €1.00

Visitors with Salzburg Card: 1 visit free of charge