Hohensalzburg Fortress

Salzburg Fortress is one of the largest preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. In 1077, Archbishop Gebhard I of Salzburg built a Romanesque castle, of which only the foundations remain today. After that, the castle was rebuilt and reinforced many times, gradually turning into a powerful fortress. Around 1500, the world's first funicular, the Reiszug, was built at the castle, for the purpose of transporting goods. Hohensalzburg acquired its current appearance in general at the beginning of the 16th century thanks to the efforts of Prince-Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach. One of the castle's attractions is the Salzburg Bull, an organ installed in 1502 and which still retains its sound today. Hohensalzburg was besieged only once, when a group of miners, farmers and townspeople tried to overthrow Prince Matthaus Lang in 1525, but were unable to penetrate the castle; those hiding behind the wall held out after a 61-day siege. During the Thirty Years' War, Archbishop Paris Lodron (1619–1654) strengthened the city's defenses, including the Hohensalzburg fortress. He added several parts to the fortress, such as the Powder Tower and the guard house. During the Napoleonic Wars, the fortress surrendered without a fight. The castle was used as a barracks, warehouse and prison in the 19th century before becoming a military outpost in 1861. Hohensalzburg Fortress has been renovated since the late 19th century and has become a tourist attraction big calendar with the opening of the Festungsbahn cable car in 1892.