Historical milestones
An overview of the venue’s development

Our history

From a traditional festival hall to a modern event centre: Congress Saalfelden is inextricably linked with the history of the town. Having grown with the cultural traditions of the region, the venue reflects Saalfelden's development into a much-sought-after conference location.

This may be why tradition and modernity still blend so seamlessly at Congress Saalfelden today, offering a perfect environment for events of all kinds.

From its beginnings as a venue for local events ...

Until the 1980s, cultural events in the region were held in the function room at Gasthof Hindenburg. Over time, the events outgrew the capacity of the venue, and a new solution was required for hosting events.

After intensive discussions, the decision was made to build a festival hall to continue to be run by Gasthof Hindenburg. The new hall was built on a site which, until then, had served as a car park and storage area - and is now home to Congress Saalfelden.

On New Year's Eve 1980, the ballroom was opened with a grand gala, thus laying the historical foundations for what became the congress centre.

... to a modern event venue.

Numerous events attracted visitors from near and far, and were staged at the festival hall. However, after more than 20 years, even the festival hall had become too small to meet demands of the growing congress and conference tourism industry. 

So, in 2005, the go-ahead was given to convert the hall into a modern congress and event centre. The new building immediately impressed hosts and guests alike with its multi-functionality, flexible use of space and architecturally inspired façade. Congress Saalfelden was ceremonially opened in the spring of 2006 with a large celebration. 

Since then, countless successful events have made the venue a popular hub for Salzburg's event industry.

Further useful information