Hohensalzburg Fortress

On the top of Mount Festung stands the fortress of Hoenzalzburg. From here, from a bird's eye view, you can see not only the city, but also its surroundings. This place offers magnificent views of the Alpine Mountains. This is the most powerful fortress in Central Europe, preserved for more than 9 centuries. The castle is a symbol of Salzburg, and is included in the list of the most visited attractions of Austria. Its total area is approximately 30,000 m²., it extends 250 meters in length, and 150 meters in width.

History of the fortress

In 1077, by order of the Prince-Archbishop Gebhard, 3 serfdom was built to protect their lands. Hohenzalzburg Fortress, built on the mountain, was one of them. The need for for fortifications was related to the fact that in the conflict between Pope Gregor VII and the German king and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Henry IV, for the right to appoint a higher clergy, the archbishop followed the pope. As a result, Archbishop Gebhard I fell out of favor, and was forced to go on the run, leaving his principality, and castles. Hohenzalzburg Castle became a defensive structure to protect the spiritual principality from external enemies. In 1500, Prince Archbishop Leonhard von Koichach strengthened and expanded the possession of the fortress to the size and appearance that has survived to this day.

From 1803 to 1816, the ownership of the Zalzburg archbishops passed from one state to another, until they were recognized as the lands of the Austrian Empire. After that, for several decades, warehouses, barracks, prisons were located in the ancient castle, which did not favor the preservation of the external and internal presentable appearance. By the end of the 19th century, the castle was restored and open to visitors. Then a funicular was built, which delivered tourists to the castle.

During World War II, Salzburg was occupied by Nazi forces. The castle was used as a prison for prisoners of war and resistance activists. During the bombing of the sights of Salzburg, including the castle, they were not affected. Soon, the castle became an important historical object of Salzburg, and its appearance was depicted on coins of the Austrian state in different years.

Hoensalzburg Fortress Today

Today, the fortress is a small city in which about 20 buildings are located. It has its own bakery, 8 towers, fire kalanch, forge, church, barn, well and other buildings. Here you can wander around narrow streets and spacious yards, climb fortifications. You can get to the castle in a few minutes on a funicular with wagons, or half an hour on foot on a steep serpentine trail.

Museums of the Hohenzalzburg Fortress

The tour itself begins with the story of how the wooden fortress turned into a stone bastion, and a tour of 7 historical layouts. Further, the route runs through the torture rooms, the prison tower. On the fourth floor there are Princely Chambers, which include the Princely Hall, the Golden Hall and the Golden Chambers. The inner walls are luxuriously decorated with ornamental painting, gilded carvings and Gothic carved products that have been preserved since the beginning of the 16th century. Rich decoration, 4-meter fireplace - all this testifies to the taste of the owners of the castle.

The peace of the archbishop in luxury is not inferior to the Golden Chamber. The furniture in the bedroom is inhabited by expensive fabrics and precious stones, and the walls are lined with protective panels decorated in the upper part with golden buttons. Near the bedroom there is a bathroom and toilet.

There are two museums in Hoenzalzburg Castle: in one of them you can trace the history of the imperial regiment Rainer for several centuries. The museum was founded in 1924. The Fortress Museum stores historical exhibits, weapons, instruments of torture, Roman coins, a heating system, and the first telephone exchange. Of particular interest are the exhibits that are associated with the life of Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau, who spent his last days in the dungeon of his own castle.

The symbol of the fortress is a lion holding in the clutches of a turnip. Today, the castle is not only a place for excursions, but also the territory of meetings of artists during the courses of the International Summer Academy. The castle also includes the Puppet Museum, Memorial Museum, Old Arsenal.