Coffee Above the Squares - DomQuartier Museum Café
The Bischofssaal sits on the third floor of the Alte Residenz, the palace that served as the seat of Salzburg's prince-archbishops for over four centuries. The room's name translates simply as "Bishop's Hall," and today it houses the DomQuartier Museum Café on the third floor of the Residenz.
When the DomQuartier opened in 2014, reuniting the Residenz, Cathedral, and St. Peter's Abbey into a single museum circuit for the first time in over 200 years, the Bischofssaal found a new purpose. The room was converted into the DomQuartier Museum Café and shop area, giving visitors a resting point roughly halfway through the 1.3-kilometer tour route.
The DomQuartier Museum Café's real draw, though, is what lies just beyond it: the Dombogenterrasse. This terrace spans the arched passageway that once physically connected the prince-archbishops' worldly seat (the Residenz) with their spiritual center (the Cathedral). For centuries, this walkway allowed the rulers of Salzburg to move between church and state without setting foot on a public street. Today, it's an open-air viewing platform that offers a direct, elevated look at both Residenzplatz and Domplatz - two of Salzburg's most important public squares.

The view from the terrace takes in the Residenzbrunnen fountain (one of the largest baroque fountains in Central Europe), the facade of the Salzburg Museum in the Neue Residenz, the Glockenspiel carillon, the baroque front of the Cathedral, and the Marian Column on Domplatz. On clear days, the Untersberg and surrounding Alpine foothills complete the backdrop - a panorama that makes the DomQuartier Museum Café one of the most scenic coffee stops in Salzburg.
On Wednesdays, the DomQuartier Museum Café becomes an even better deal for students under 26: reduced admission of just €5 (or €4 during partial-access periods) includes a complimentary non-alcoholic drink. It's one of the most affordable ways to combine culture and coffee in Salzburg's Old Town.
Whether you're pausing between galleries or making the DomQuartier Museum Café a deliberate destination within your museum visit, the combination of the Bischofssaal setting and the Dombogenterrasse views gives this café a character that no street-level spot in Salzburg can match. The DomQuartier Museum Café is open during regular museum hours - daily except Tuesday from 10 am to 5 pm, and until 6 pm in July and August.
The terrace is accessible in fair weather and may close during storms or special events. It's worth checking conditions before planning your visit specifically around the DomQuartier Museum Café and terrace experience.
























