Salzburg is a baroque jewel that was shaped in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by the prince-archbishops of the Austrian Empire who built churches, buildings and gave the city beautiful gardens.
Salzburg is mainly known for being the city of Mozart and its ancient fortress.
Hohensalzburg Fortress, symbol of Salzburg is the largest fully preserved fortress in central Europe and its construction dates back to the eleventh century.
The construction of the Hohensalzburg Fortress began in 1077 when the Archbishop of Salzburg began the construction of a tower, a church, a residential building and a city wall and the current appearance was given to the Fortress only between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries when the outer walls were built and the towers were built in 1462.
In the following centuries the fortress was further enlarged and strengthened with towers and defensive walls that connected the fortress with the city of Salzburg and the Mönchsberg. In 1681 the bastion of fire (Feuerbastei), 30 meters high, was erected on the north side.
During the Napoleonic Wars Salzburg did not resist and the Fortress, fortunately, was not demolished. In 1849 a fire damaged the structure that had to be substantially renovated, while in 1861 Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria officially decreed the end of the use of Hohensalzburg as a fortress.
The interiors of the Fortress are sumptuous: the inner part of the entrance door is covered with stucco. Other particularly famous rooms are the Golden Hall and the Golden Stube Room.
From the top of the fortress, you can enjoy a beautiful landscape over the entire city of Salzburg.
The Fortress can be reached via the funicular that was built in the early 1900s.
