Castle Hohensalzburg (Festung Hohensalzburg)
The Hohensalzburg Castle, the largest fully preserved fortress in Central Europe (c. 1077), was built to protect the prince-archbishops who ruled Salzburg from any external enemies and, if necessary, from their own parishioners. Prince-Archbishop Leonhard von Keuchach greatly enlarged and fortified the castle in 1500 (his coat of arms featured a turnip – you will see the image of a turnip in the castle many times).
General information
The territory of the castle is open to the public. You can wander through the spacious courtyards, walk along the narrow streets, climb the fortifications. The fortress is a small town. It has its own bakery, blacksmith shop, arsenal, barn and stables. A tour of Hohensalzburg Castle begins with a tour of seven historical models. You will learn how a wooden fortress turned into a mighty stone bastion. Next we enter the torture chambers, the prison tower, the official halls and the Golden Hall. In the Golden Hall, note the column damaged by a cannonball during the peasant uprising of 1525. There are two small museums in the fortress. The Reiner Regiment Museum tells the story of one regiment over several centuries. The small museum of the castle houses various historical exhibits. The most interesting ones are related to the life of the powerful prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau, who ended his days in the dungeon of his own castle.
.Festung Hohensalzburg. Monchberg, 34.Open: July – September 8.00-21.00; November – March 9.00-17.00; April – June and October 9.00-18.00.There is a charge for admission.
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