In an earlier post about my visit to Salzburg, I mentioned the magnificent Golden Hall (Goldener Saal) and the Golden Chamber (Goldener Kammer) of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg in the fortress of Hohensalzburg. These served as the private reception hall, meeting room, and residential chamber for the Prince Archbishops. In an otherwise austere, military fortress, these two rooms stand out for their Gothic style, colours, and design. There is also a large, ornately designed stove made from the Italian-style tin-glazed Maiolica pottery in a similar Gothic style -in line with the overall style of the room and its furnishings.

The upper 3/4th part of the blue walls of the Golden Chamber are decorated with Gothic designs coloured in gold to be highlighted in the flickering candlelight at night. (Dec. 2014)

Here some more pictures of this really impressive work of Gothic design – hope you enjoy them.

The ceiling of the Golden Hall is painted in blue with golden rivets. As the daylight comes in through the windows on the left, you see the difference in the colour of the roof on the left and right side of the main beam. At night, it was meant to resemble the midnight sky with stars. (Dec. 2014)

This is probably evident in this dark corner of the hall – if you look up at the ceiling with its golden rivets shining in the scant light. (Dec. 2014)

The doors were actually quite low – you had to bend to get in and out – wondering whether it was on purpose. It is not uncommon to have low doorways in religious places that forced people to bend down while entering – a symbolic sign of submission to the higher authority. Nothing was mentioned in the audio guide – I am just guessing this to be a possible reason. (Dec. 2014)

The coat of arms (in the center) of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg has a turnip on it – legend has it that the uncle of the Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach once hit him on the head with a turnip to “get some sense” in to him.

The Golden Chamber – the private rooms of the Prince-Archbishops – are more ornately decorated in the Gothic style, but keeping the same combination of dark blue walls and ceilings overlaid with gold-covered work. (Dec. 2014)

The upper 3/4th part of the blue walls of the Golden Chamber are decorated with Gothic designs coloured in gold to be highlighted in the flickering candlelight at night. (Dec. 2014)

The Maiolica stove, dating from 1501, in the Golden Chamber with its Gothic-inspired design. (Dec. 2014)

Unlike in the Golden Hall where the ceilings had simple rivet, the Golden Chamber has golden rosettes on its ceiling – in line with the more ornate decoration of the chamber. (Dec. 2014)

It isn’t difficult to make out how intricate and detailed the work is. And not much imagine to imagine how the room would look like in dimmed light or in candlelight (the spotlights installed everywhere there seemed like a bad idea for a moment). (Dec. 2014)