Hohensalzburg Castle

Construction of the fortress began around 1077 under Archbishop Gebhard with a residential tower, a church, and a residential building, surrounded by a ring wall. Due to his exile during the Investiture Controversy, the construction was only completed under his successors, Archbishop Berthold of Moosburg and Konrad of Abensberg. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the complex was expanded with an outer fortress ring, largely defining its current extent. Under Burkhard II von Weißpriach in 1462, the ring wall was reinforced, and the eastern ascent and southern side were fortified. Bernhard von Rohr raised the ring wall from 1479 and had the Schlangengang built. Johann III Beckenschlager expanded the “Hoher Stock” into a four-story residential building and added the first armory and the granary. Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach significantly shaped the fortress between 1495 and 1519, expanding the Hoher Stock, erecting the Stockhaus, and transforming the fortress into a magnificent seat of government. During the Peasants' War of 1525, the fortress withstood a siege under Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg. Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau was later imprisoned here. Paris von Lodron integrated the fortress into his extensive defensive structures for the city during the Thirty Years' War. Under Max Gandolf von Kuenburg, the mighty Feuerbastei was built in 1681. During the Napoleonic Wars, the fortress was surrendered without a fight, thus remaining preserved. After a fire in 1849, extensive restoration work was carried out. In 1861, Hohensalzburg was abandoned as a fortress but continued to serve as a barracks and depot. Around 1900, the funicular railway was built for tourism purposes.

Hohensalzburg Fortress is located in Salzburg, in the district of Salzburg Stadt, in the state of Salzburg, Austria. It stands at an elevation of approximately 524 m above sea level.

Today, Hohensalzburg Fortress can be visited and is one of Austria's most frequented attractions.

• Archiepiscopal Palace (Residence), approx. 0.2 km away
• Berchtesgadener Hof (Residence), approx. 0.3 km away
• Salzburg Cathedral (Sacred Building), approx. 0.3 km away
• Palais Chiemseehof (Residence), approx. 0.4 km away