Modernity finally has found its way into Salzburg

Overlooking the old town of Salzburg

Modernity has finally arrived to Salzburg. To explain to foreigners and Viennese people: Salzburg is a provincial town in the northwest of Austria (south of Munch if that helps) which mainly lives from the fact that Mozart once was born there. Mozart also is the main product of this town - from chocolate and liqueur to the summer festival. You can really consume Mozart in any way: the skiing area close to Sazburg is called Amadee and last week another coffee place has been named - absolutely original and new – Mozart´s. Mozart himself of course and completely understandable has fled this mid-size town as soon as he could and throughout his life has preferred to live in Vienna and Prague.

Welcome,

...to the Museum der Moderne

Now I have to acknowledge that besides of music Salzburg has still a lot to offer to the tourist and has even been declared once as the most beautiful city of the world. That of course is a matter of taste but Salzburg is definitely not ugly and even owes some sort of Italian charm with its places, coffees and historic monuments. The old town seems really untouched from those old times although spruced up at its best. This actually may reflect something like the principle of this city. Everything is shiny, conserved but old-fashioned; a city underneath a bell jar where modernity hardly enters: beautiful to visit but boring to live in. No wonder that everything modern like the Zeitfluss music festival or the Guggenheim museum has bee turned down. The latter should have been built inside the Mönchsberg rock but after numerous protests from the provincial people inhabiting this place was finally realized in Bilbao, Spain where it now runs successfully. A huge chance had been missed and the Salzburg people outed themselves not only as traditional and conservative but also as economically stupid (in reality they are arrogant, “What do we need a Guggenheim when we have the Salzburg Music Festival?”).

...offering dangerous contemporary art

....and a great view

But now finally it seems that some modernity has found its way underneath the jar and manifestet itself in form of the Museum der Moderne (Museum of Modernity) that sits- although not inside but at least - on top of the Mönchsberg. A widely visible modern cubus is now sitting on the most prominent spot overlooking the town. And it houses not only a three level platform for modern art exhibitions but also a wonderful terrace with the most breathtaking view over the old town. That’s how it should be: a modern art spot from which you can overlook the beauty of the old and historic art. Go for it! Or better said: go up to it....

Choose yourself