A top-class summer of culture

As always, numerous cultural programmes and events are taking place this summer. The highlight is of course the famous Saalfelden Jazzfestival, which will take place for the 44th time in August. Further musical entertainment is provided by various concerts in the Kunsthaus Nexus, at Lake Ritzensee and at the ALM:KULTUR and TONspuren event series on the Asitz. The Schloss Ritzen Museum in Saalfelden and the Mining and Gothic Museum in Leogang present interesting special exhibitions on various themes. Culture and music enthusiasts of all ages will find something to suit them in the varied programme of the cultural summer. It's worth coming along! 

44th Saalfelden Jazzfestival from 22 to 25 August 2024
Once again this year, the mountain landscape of the Steinernes Meer and Leoganger Steinberge mountains will provide the backdrop for experimental jazz sounds as the 44th Jazz Festival takes place in Saalfelden Leogang. Once again, artists from all over the world come to perform and bring their music to the town and the mountains. Over four days, guests and locals will be able to welcome musicians such as Daniel Erdmann, James Brandon Lewis, Kris Davis, Mona Matbou Riahi, Oli Steidle and many more. The concerts will take place in the Congress Saalfelden, the Kunsthaus Nexus and the Otto-Gruberhalle, as well as outdoors, in nature or on musical hikes in the surrounding mountains. This year there will be the opportunity to purchase vouchers for the festival and thus bring joy to jazz enthusiasts. Of course, more than half of the concerts at this edition of the Jazzfestival are again free of charge. 
 

ALM:KULTUR: Tradition meets modernity 
ALM:KULTUR is taking place this summer from 12 July to 6 September under the motto ‘Tradition meets modernity’. The series of events as part of the Salzburg Alpine Summer offers guests and locals the opportunity to take part in weekly art and cultural projects. These will take place on various Alpine pastures around Saalfelden and Leogang with breathtaking views. Concerts and workshops invite you to join in and enjoy, turning the Alpine pastures into cultural hotspots between tradition and music of the future. The events are free of charge and pre-booking is not necessary.  

TONspuren on the Asitz
A combination of fantastic views, magical sunsets and harmonious music can be experienced at the TONspuren on the Asitz. From 27 June to 8 August, participants can enjoy music and marvel at sunsets on five Thursdays, all at an altitude of 1,870 metres. 

Kunsthaus Nexus 
Kunsthaus Nexus is once again putting on a colourful cultural programme this year, making it an important part of the Pinzgau art and culture scene. There will be plenty of concerts, a Gschnagga theatre for children, an arthouse cinema and numerous literary lectures and cabarets. The bands ‘Libertango’ and ‘Die Band die keiner kennt - Jo Eh’ will be performing in May. Another highlight is the ‘Bandkarussell’ series of events. International artists such as the Portuguese singer and songwriter ‘Bié’ perform at the Kunsthaus. Nexus also becomes a stage during the jazz festival to offer visitors a space to party. 

The FREIRAUM cultural association, an art trail with fantastic views and chamber music in the valley
The FREIRAUM cultural association and the Leogang mountain railways promote established and new local culture and offer artists the opportunity to develop their talents. One project is the annually redesigned art trail on the Asitz. The beautiful forest path begins below the Asitzbahn mountain station and leads to the Sinne Park at the Asitzbahn middle station. Works by artist and photographer Toni Niederwieser can be found every 30 to 40 metres. The works of art entitled ‘BERG.SPIEL’ will be on display from 16 June 2024 until mid-October. Further highlights of the FREIRAUM cultural association include the concert ‘Conny und die Sonntagsfahrer’ on 3 August 2024 at the Sonnrain leisure centre, a reading with Charly Rabanser on 20 September 2024 and ‘Kammermusik in Hütten’ at the Leogang Mining and Gothic Museum from 8 to 10 November 2024. 

Theatre for young and old
This year, the ecce theatre, an independent group of theatre makers from Salzburg, is once again staging exciting productions in Saalfelden Leogang. On five Tuesdays, from 14 May to 11 June 2024, there will be the ‘Volxtheaterwerkstatt Saalfelden’. From 17 to 30 October 2024, ‘Mio mein Mio’ based on Astrid Lindgren is on the programme in the circus tent. Before that, from 12 - 21 September, there will be a project called ‘Obscene Fables’ by Dario Fo in Saalfelden, but the venue has not yet been announced. 

Leogang Mining and Gothic Museum 
The Leogang Mining and Gothic Museum is a worthwhile excursion destination. The exhibition provides an insight into the heyday of mining in Leogang. The museum also houses sacred art, such as the ‘Beautiful Madonna’, a Gothic statue of a saint from 1410. This year's special exhibition ‘Red Gold - The Miracle of Herrengrund’ was created in collaboration with the Grünes Gewölbe Dresden and the Slovakian National Gallery in Bratislava and is dedicated to historical mining treasures from the Slovakian Ore Mountains. There are also numerous other events for young and old. You can look forward to the ‘Adventure Minerals’ event for children aged 8 and over, the ‘St Anne's Day’ and the ‘In the Footsteps of the Mining Saints’ event.  Music enthusiasts can look forward to the ‘Rupert & Virgil’ concert on 28 September and the ‘Chamber Music in Hütten’ from 8 to 10 November. Tip for all those who want to see the interesting exhibitions at the Mining and Gothic Museum: admission is free on 26 May 2024 due to the Salzburg Museum Weekend. 

Leogang show mine 
If you want to follow in the footsteps of the old miners even further, you should visit the Leogang show mine. A guide will take you through narrow tunnels and an extensive mine workings. A mine railway, which once transported miners and mined treasures, now takes the youngest visitors through an artificially created tunnel. The Leogang show mine is one of the oldest mines in SalzburgerLand. From the 15th century, silver, mercury, copper, cobalt, lead, magnesite and nickel were mined in the mine, which is now a listed building. Guided tours of the show mine are offered from May to October, sturdy shoes and warm clothing are required.  

Ritzen Castle Museum in Saalfelden
The museum is located in one of the four remaining castles in Saalfelden and gives its guests an insight into the history of the town on the Steinernes Meer. There are also special exhibitions on interesting topics such as the history of hunting ‘Of Monkeys, Flowers and Forks’ and ‘Sleeping Brother’ - death and the memory of it and the deceased. This summer, Museum Schloss Ritzen is also showing its musical side. Concerts and monthly Pinzgau singing sessions are being organised. 

Mountains on fire: Solstice celebrations in Saalfelden Leogang
On 22 June, Saalfelden Leogang once again celebrates the astronomical start of summer. In Saalfelden, the traditional bonfire display is accompanied by the Saalfelden town band at the Ritzensee lake. In the evening hours, the mountain ridges around Saalfelden light up with numerous fires and a large edelweiss glows on the Steinernes Meer. This unique spectacle can also be marvelled at on the Asitz in Leogang during the ‘Fest am Berg’.  

Summer sounds around Saalfelden Leogang 
Musical entertainment is provided during the summer months of July and August: every Tuesday at 8.00 pm, the Saalfelden "railway town band" invites you to a lake concert at the Ritzensee museum square in July and the Saalfelden "civic music" in August. In Leogang, there will be a mountain concert by the Leogang band on the Asitz on 19 July. This will be followed by further concerts by the band in special Leogang locations. 

Tasty harvest festival
In Saalfelden, the weekly market takes place every Friday on the town hall square, where you can buy vegetables, bread, old crafts and local specialities right through to the farmers' autumn.