Visit the Salzburg Marionette Theatre

Where the theatre is

The Salzburg Marionette Theatre stands at Schwarzstraße 24, between the Landestheater and the International Mozarteum Foundation, close to the Salzach. The bus stop the theatre names on its contact page is Makartplatz. For drivers, the theatre points to public garages at Schwarzstraße 19 and 33; at the first, ask the cloakroom staff for a reduced ticket. Check the day's timetable before you travel, because the route that suits you depends on where you are staying. The theatre's contact page also gives a phone number and an email address.

The building and its past

The house was built in the 1890s as a restaurant and function rooms and became a hotel a few years later. It was rebuilt in 1970 so that a large room of the former hotel could serve as the auditorium, and the theatre opened here in 1971 with Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Repair work in the foyer around 2000 uncovered original stucco, and the ceiling has been on view in its original form since the restoration. You watch the show in a room that was built for guests, not for puppets, and the decoration shows it.

Read next: How the Salzburg marionettes work

How long the evening lasts

Running times come from the theatre's own pages. The full Magic Flute lasts 2 hours 10 minutes, with an interval after the first act. The short version lasts about an hour. The Sound of Music lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, also with an interval after the first act. Look up your date in the booking calendar for the start time, which your confirmation repeats, and plan dinner around that rather than around a typical hour. Eat before the show or afterwards, because food and drink cannot be taken into the venue. If you are planning a dinner reservation, book it for before the performance or well after it, and allow for the walk to the theatre.

• The Magic Flute, full: 2 hours 10 minutes with an interval
• The Magic Flute, short: about 1 hour
• The Sound of Music: 1 hour 45 minutes with an interval

Arriving and the foyer

Arrive with time to spare. The foyer is part of the building's story: repair work around 2000 uncovered original stucco, and the restored ceiling has been visible in its original form since 2003. Guests also mention information about the marionettes' history in the entrance hall. A cloakroom is available, and the theatre's terms advise you to keep valuables with you. Late arrivals are not refunded for any part of the show they miss, so being early protects your evening as well as your coat.

Seasons and the calendar

The theatre publishes an annual schedule and a separate winter repertoire. The winter list includes the two shows on this page together with The Nutcracker, Hansel and Gretel in a short version, The Little Prince, Snow White and other titles. Check your date in the booking calendar to see which of them plays and when. Productions rotate, so a title that plays on Tuesday may be absent on Wednesday, and no booking on this page promises a production beyond the one shown for your date.

What you will hear and read

The Magic Flute is performed in German. Explanations in English, French, Spanish and Chinese are projected on the wall near the stage, and you can follow the story without any German. The Sound of Music is performed in English, with explanations in several languages, including German, Italian, French and Spanish. Mozart's opera is a Singspiel, so sung numbers alternate with spoken scenes. Sit where the projected text is easy to read, and let your eyes move between the stage and the wall as you would with surtitles at a conventional opera.

What you see on stage

The marionettes hang from strings held by puppeteers who work from a position above the stage. The control they use, the Salzburg cross, was developed by the company's founder in 1913 and remains the basis of the technique. The puppets and equipment are made in the theatre's own workshops, and every puppeteer also works in the workshop. The stage is a proscenium stage, and the Magic Flute's set designs are by Günther Schneider-Siemssen. Look above the figures and you will see the fine strings; most guests soon stop noticing them. The founder's first figures were only 20 to 30 centimetres tall, and larger figures followed as the company moved to bigger stages.

House rules and comfort

The theatre's terms ban audio and video recording and forbid bringing in or consuming food and drink in the venue. A cloakroom is available, and the theatre advises you to keep valuables with you. A few guests mention that the hall can get warm in summer, so wear layers you can take off. Late arrivals are not refunded for the part they miss, which is a good reason to be in your seat early. The theatre may also make minor changes to the cast, the programme or the schedule. Switch your phone off before the lights go down, since the rules on recording apply to the whole performance.

• No audio or video recording
• No food or drink in the venue
• Cloakroom available
• Minor cast or programme changes are possible

Children and access

The tickets on this page aren't suitable for children under 4. For families, the theatre recommends the short Magic Flute for adults and children from 8 and lists a 35-minute Highlights programme for children from 6. The Sound of Music runs about 1 hour 45 minutes, so judge by your child's patience with an evening show. For information about accessibility, the theatre asks visitors to phone it; the number is on its contact page. If anyone in your group has mobility needs, phone ahead and plan the visit around the answer.

Before or after the show

Makartplatz, the bus stop the theatre names, is also the square where the Mozart Residence stands. In its courtyard is a small wooden hut known as the Magic Flute House, said to be where Mozart composed the opera, although the hut stood in a Vienna garden at the time. It makes a natural short stop on the way to or from an evening with The Magic Flute. Mozart is Salzburg's native son, so the streets around the theatre, with the International Mozarteum Foundation next door, keep the composer's name in view all evening.

Read next: Salzburg Marionette Theatre tickets

Who this isn't for

Pass on this evening if you want a quick sightseeing stop, because even the short Magic Flute takes about an hour plus travel. Nor is it for anyone who needs step-free access confirmed in writing before they go, who wants live singers and an orchestra, or who is bringing a child under 4. And if your only free evening has no performance in the booking calendar, choose another date rather than hoping for a particular production.