Höllrigl in Salzburg

Austria’s oldest bookshop now shines anew

Managing Director Wolfgang Rick on the historic staircase. It was preserved during the renovation.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Morawa invested half a million euros in the renovation of the traditional Höllrigl bookshop. To mark the opening, well-known authors read for several days in the bookshop in Salzburg City.

The traditional Höllrigl bookshop in Salzburg City celebrated its reopening on Wednesday with a world premiere of a crime novel. "The book I'm reading from at the opening isn't even printed yet. It won't be published until the summer," reveals author Manfred Baumann.

Author Manfred Baumann signs a book. There will be more readings at Höllrigl in the coming days.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

The long-time ORF journalist and now crime novelist knows how to build suspense, not only in terms of marketing, but also in terms of content: Inspector Martin Merana investigates a thrilling murder case in "Salzburgwut". A young man is found dead at Sebastian's cemetery. Clues lead to a far-right party and the Franciscan monastery.

Brighter, more modern and still full of exciting books: the renovation took six weeks(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Not quite as old as the venerable religious order, but still a historical eye-catcher in the newly renovated bookshop: the large wooden staircase in the middle of the store. "In addition to the staircase, we also preserved and restored the original stucco ceiling. Everything else is new," explains Wolfgang Rick, Managing Director of the Morawa Group, to which the Höllrigl bookshop belongs.

Half a million euros was invested in the redesign. The renovation work in Austria's oldest specialist bookshop took six weeks. Younger customers are particularly interested in the look. And not just in the interior design: "Colorful books with bright covers are selling particularly well at the moment," says Wolfgang Rick.