Alte Saline Pernerinsel, Hallein
The old saltworks on the Pernerinsel was built in the mid-19th century. Since 1992, it has become world famous as an event venue for the Salzburg Festival.
The Pernerinsel is actually named after Christoph Perner zu Rif, the man who installed many features designed to protect the banks of the River Salzach and who passed away in 1568. The old saltworks on the Pernerinsel served as a central salt refinery in the mid-1800s. In fact, salt extracted from the Dürrnberg near Salzburg was processed here until 1989. In 1992, the plant underwent a major remodeling, transforming it into a theatrical venue with a special flair.
Back in the salt-mining days, this island in the River Salzach was utilized primarily as a recreation area for officials from the saltworks. Since it was remodeled in the 1990s, the Alte Saline has provided a stage especially for experimental theater and concerts of contemporary music. The Salzburg Festival also uses this listed industrial monument as an annual event location with a particular focus on stage plays.
