Hotels near Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg)

Perched 506 metres above the Old Town on the Festungsberg, Hohensalzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) is one of the largest fully preserved medieval castles in Europe. Construction began under Archbishop Gebhard in 1077, and successive Prince-Archbishops kept adding towers, state rooms, and defensive walls for the next six centuries. The castle was never captured, which is why the frescoes, the gilded Golden Hall (Goldene Stube), and the late-Gothic Prince's Chamber survive so well. Inside the walls you will find three small museums covering the fortress history, the marionette collection, and the Rainer Regiment. The panoramic terrace looks straight down onto the Baroque domes of the Old Town and out toward the Untersberg massif. Most visitors arrive on the FestungsBahn funicular from Festungsgasse, which has run since 1892. Allow two to three hours if you plan to see the museums and walk the ramparts. Pro Tip: Buy the combined ticket that includes the funicular return and all interior exhibits at the lower station, and go at opening time (09:00 in winter, 08:30 in summer) to beat the tour groups arriving from Munich.