Salzburg Castle is one of the best castles you can see standing in Europe. Since it is located on one of the highest hills of the city, you can have a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view of the Salzach River and the medieval-looking Mozart city from the top. Because it is located on the hill, this castle is called Hohensalzburg, which means High Salzburg Castle. The river side of the city is just as mesmerizing as the other side overlooking the Alps, unless the rain and fog obscure your view.
Salzburg Castle has a history of 900 years. Built in the 11th century, I was quite surprised to learn that it was only an observation tower building in the early days, but it was actually built by the archbishops and was their residence at the same time, and later it was expanded by adding walls around it. It started to reach its current appearance after the 15th century. Especially the outer bastions added in the 17th century were added in case the Turks attacked.
The last change was the addition of the bastion named Kuenberg. At the beginning of the 19th century, the last archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo fled to Vienna as a result of the siege of the castle by French forces during the Napoleonic Wars, which took place under the influence of the French Revolutionary Wars. The castle was used as a military outpost for a while after these events, and in the 1930s, during World War I, it functioned as a prison for Italian prisoners and Nazi activists.
Since it can be easily seen from many parts of the city, it feels good to be able to capture photo frames from different angles of the castle. Because it has a structure that impresses with its beauty and size. But what is the situation inside? Castles don’t usually look like anything from the inside, but this is one of the best-preserved castles of the Middle Ages, with a view of Salzburg.
Since it is not a small fortress, you need to spend some of your time here. It is quite enjoyable to visit Salzburg Castle with the view of the Alps. One of the sections inside the castle is the Marionette Museum, where puppets from the world-famous Salzburg Puppet Theater are exhibited. It is not a big place, you can leave in 5-10 minutes.
There is also an art gallery in the castle where the works of special artists such as Rembrandt and Rubens are exhibited. In addition to these works of art, you can see the grandiose rooms that were once magnificent. You can see the princely chambers covered with vines, grapes, leaves and animal decorations, and you can examine the rooms displaying war materials such as military uniforms, cannons, cannons, bullets and rifles. And you can also visit the room where torture instruments are exhibited, which makes your blood run cold when you think about their functioning.
What are the entrance fee and visiting hours of Salzburg Fortress?
The entrance fees to the castle are as follows: 15,20€ if you buy directly from the castle box office and 11,50€ standard ticket price if you buy online. What do these tickets include? You can enter the ascent and descent with the Phoenician, the princes’ chambers, the theater and the museums inside the castle. If you have a SalzburgCard, you can benefit from all these for free. There is also a type of ticket called Early Bird, you can buy this ticket online for €8.20, the only condition is that you must visit before 10:00. Entrance hours to the castle vary according to the season. In general, it opens between 09:00 – 09:30 and closes between 17:00 – 19:00. It is open every day of the year. You can find out the hours according to the season and month you will visit here.
Where is Salzburg Fortress and how to get there?
The fastest way to get to the castle is to take the phenicular buses that run every 10 minutes to Fortress Hohensalzburg. Austria’s oldest ferries have been transporting visitors to the castle since 1892. While it used to generate power with water, today it runs on a rail system and can take you to the top in 1 minute. Of course, it is also possible to reach the castle on foot in 20 minutes.
