Quick Info:
- What is Stift St. Peter? the oldest existing monastery in the German-speaking region.
- Where is it located? St.-Peter-Bezirk 1, 5020 Salzburg
- What can you see there? Christian buildings, Petersfriedhof (St. Peter’s Cemetery), and the so-called catacombs.
- What are the opening hours? Varies by building, see description below.
- How much is the admission? Catacombs €2, One-time free entry with the Salzburg Card.
- How much time should I plan? Approximately 1 hour.
General
Stift St. Peter in Salzburg is the oldest existing monastery in the German-speaking region. It was founded in the 7th century and remains a vibrant center for culture and history to this day.
The Monastery Church
The first monastery church of St. Peter was built around the year 696 by Rupert (Hruodpert) when he renewed the existing Romanesque monastic community, believed to have existed since late antiquity. The current church, with its core dating back to 1125-1143 and consecrated in 1147, also includes a mighty church tower from the 9th century, which was raised in the Romanesque style around 1400.
The main organ, built in 1444 by Heinrich Traxdorf, an organ builder from Mainz, is installed on the rood screen. The Gothic ribbed vaults in the antechamber have been preserved to this day. The church itself was transformed in the Renaissance style, vaulted in 1619-20, and equipped with a slender dome in 1622. The distinctive Baroque onion dome was built in 1756. The main altars were mainly designed by Martin Johann Schmidt (“Kremser-Schmidt”). Noteworthy is also the Maria-Säul-Altar with a Madonna from 1425. The interior of the church was renovated in the Rococo style between 1760 and 1766, while preserving the Romanesque architectural structure.
There are two chapels: the Wolfgangkapelle, where the Holy Sepulchre is located, and the Heiliggeistkapelle.
The Katharinenkapelle (attached to the southern transept of the church) was founded in 1215 by Duke Leopold VI and consecrated in 1227. The Rococo stucco work in this chapel dates from 1792 and was executed by Peter Pflauders.
The Marienkapelle, formerly known as St. Veitskapelle, has been integrated into the St. Peter monastery district and has completely preserved its Gothic character. Nowadays, the monks conduct their liturgical prayers here. This chapel is considered to be probably the oldest surviving Gothic structure in the city. Abbot Johannes Staupitz († 1524), who was once an Augustinian in Erfurt and held an important position within Martin Luther’s order, is buried in this chapel.
Music in St. Peter
Mozart and Haydn have strong connections with St. Peter. In 1769, the thirteen-year-old Mozart composed the “Dominikusmesse” for the abbot, and a few years later, Michael Haydn wrote the “Rupertusmesse” for the monastery. Today, the Barocksaal in the Stiftskulinarium St. Peter and the Romanische Saal are regularly used for concert events such as the “Mozart Dinner Concert”.
Opening Hours: Daily 8 am – 8 pm; No visits during church services!
The Petersfriedhof (St. Peter’s Cemetery)
The Petersfriedhof originated during the late antiquity and is thus older than the archabbey itself. It is one of the most significant burial grounds in Austria. Numerous tomb monuments and crypts around the late Gothic Margarethenkapelle (St. Margaret’s Chapel) at the center of the site make the Petersfriedhof so impressive. Famous personalities, artists, scholars, and merchants have found their final resting place here.
Notable figures buried here include Archbishops of Salzburg like Rupert of Salzburg and Konrad III. of Wittelsbach, musicians like Michael Haydn and Franz Xaver Gruber, and artists like Wolfgang Hagenauer and the painter Hans Makart.
Opening Hours: April-September: Daily 6:30 am – 8 pm; October-March: Daily 6:30 am – 6 pm
The Catacombs
The so-called catacombs are caves hewn into the Festungsberg (Fortress Mountain). They are most likely of late antique-early Christian origin and served as early Christian meeting places rather than burial sites. Contrary to our expectations, you ascend stairs to reach the catacombs, offering a wonderful view of the monastery and the cemetery.International visitors may recognize the cemetery and the catacombs as famous settings from the film “The Sound of Music.”
Opening Hours:
May-September: Daily 10 am – 12:30 pm,