SALZBURG the city of Mozart - is overlooked by Fortress
Hohensalzburg, one of the largest existing 11th
century fortress complexes in Europe. This imposing
monument is a remarkable sign of the desire for
recognition expressed by the prince bishops - and a
demonstration of the political authority and power
they held. The fortifications were built to protect the
prince bishops and the principality itself from attack.
Actually, the fortress never faced a real siege. Most
of the time the prince bishops lived in the palace at
the heart of Salzburg town, known as the 'Residenz'.
The steep cone-shaped rock had already been seen
as a strategically beneficial vantage point on the
northern edge of the Alps for centuries. In 1077 the
archbishop of the time, Gebhard I of Helffenstein,
ordered the erection of a castle above the city of his
residence.
Fortress Hohensalzburg was constructed in three
main phases, responding to the development of
powerful weaponry with ever-greater ranges by
further fortifying the castle. A funicular carries
tourists up to the ramps from where a steep circular
set of steps takes one to the observation tower. The
panoramic view of the city is worth the effort.
Comments