Chapter Square

The Kapitelplatz

The Salzburg audio-guided tour stops you on the Kapitelplatz, a square that cannot be missed. Dominated by the impressive Hohensalzburg fortress, it is also bordered by the cathedral, the university and part of St Peter's Abbey.

The enigmatic Sphaera

The square is decorated with a singular work, located very close to one of the towers of the cathedral. Perched at nine metres in height, at the summit of an enormous golden ball, a bronze figure of more than three hundred kilos seems to dominate the world, the face perfectly neutral. Nothing is known of its history or its thoughts: it could be anyone. This work of the German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol, installed in 2007, answers another of his creations, a woman with an equally impassive face, standing in the hollow of a rock.

What there is to see

The Kapitelplatz offers one of the finest panoramas over the Hohensalzburg fortress, which overlooks it. An artistic, historical and cultural square, it combines the contemporary work of Balkenhol and the major buildings that frame it. It is a lively meeting point and an essential passage of the visit of the old town.

Practical information

The Kapitelplatz is at the foot of the fortress, in the heart of the old town of Salzburg. It is a public space freely accessible at all hours and on the level. The Sphaera work and the panorama over the fortress can be contemplated freely.

What is the golden statue of the Kapitelplatz?

A work of the German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol, installed in 2007: a bronze man at the summit of a golden ball, at nine metres in height.

What can you see from the Kapitelplatz?

One of the finest viewpoints over the Hohensalzburg fortress, as well as the cathedral, the university and St Peter's Abbey.