Fortress Hohensalzburg

There are some places of interest in Salzburg, which are a must-see. Otherwise you have not seen the town at all. The fortress Hohensalzburg is without any doubt one of those. Convenient: From the Hotel Stadtkrug it only takes 20 minutes by foot to reach the gates of the fortress, which towers above the town as its symbol. It was built by archbishop Gebhard in 1077, which had been about 300 years before the first foundation stones for the Hotel Stadtkrug in the Linzergasse were laid. By the way the fortress does not only look impressive: It has been the largest completely preserved fortress in Central Europe after it was comprehensively expanded by the archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach (1495-1519).

Fortress Hohensalzburg

The medieval prince room and the fortress museum are especially popular with the visitors. Persons who shun the steep climb up, do not need to worry: There has been a cable car which leads up to the fortress since 1892. The cable car ride starts in the Festungsgasse (street name). Persons who walk up the hill can later recharge their batteries with an exquisite meal in the restaurant of the Hotel Stadtkrug Salzburg. By the way at the reception desk the guests can gather lots of information about the current events at the fortress – after all the employees of the hotel are not only experts for room booking, they are also well informed about the cultural life in the town Salzburg.

The personnel can also tell much about the history of the fortress. After all the roots of the fortress date back to the year 1077. At that time archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg initiated the construction of the fortresses Hohensalzburg, Hohenwerfen and Friesach in his territory. In the 15th and 16th century this action paid off. At that time the effects of the Hungarian war reached Salzburg and the archbishops were able to flee to the fortress. This is still traceable  for the visitors today, for the fact that the Palas (great hall), the Zeughaus (arsenal) and the Schüttkasten (granary) were erected at that time. Due to the mighty “Khuenburgbastei“ (Khuenburg bastion) the last significant change to the fortress took place. Today the fortress is above all a cultural meeting place, which can be visited during the whole year. For example the courses, which are organized by the International Summer Academy, attract artists from all over the world. Other highlights in the cultural offer are events like the fortress concerts.