Salzburg Fortress Hohensalzburg

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Salzburg Fortress: Salzburg’s most important attraction is castle on the hill…You do not want to miss a visit to this citadel, which is claimed to be the largest and best-preserved medieval castle in Europe. It is not enough to just simply look at it from down below -- you need to go up and walk through the grounds, and perhaps pay the admission to visit inside on a guided tour. Called the Hohensalzburg Fortress, this castle is so big that it feels like you are walking through a medieval village -- one of those spectacular old walled towns, with courtyards, neighborhoods and different types of buildings scattered about. The existing castle was begun in the 11th century and still retains this feeling of the ages. It was originally built as a refuge for the archbishops who sided with the Pope in church battles against the princes of South Germany. These archbishops ruled Salzburg for 1,000 years, using the tremendous wealth they mined from the salt deposits to build a city unlike any other, full of churches, palaces and mansions by the best designers and builders of each era. The castle was frequently enlarged and remodeled, becoming a comfortable residence for the bishops and their court. Construction finally was finished by the end of the 17th century, with the addition of towers, staterooms, bastions for cannons and barbicans, and the construction of magazines and arms depots. All together, the complex we see today took six hundred years to build. You can see exhibits about the various archbishops and the history of the region inside the castle museum, which also has plans and prints showing the growth of Salzburg, and a military museum with suits of armor and ancient weapons. Inside you will also see the intricate Gothic wood-carvings and ornamental paintings that decorate the Golden Hall and the Golden Chamber. Many evenings there are chamber music concerts here that take advantage of the excellent acoustics and small size of the Princess Room.