Description of the attraction
Hohenwerfen Castle is located in Austria, 40 km south of Salzburg, 155 meters above the Salzach River, high above the Austrian city of Werfen. The castle is surrounded by mountains.
In 1075, the Archbishop of Salzburg Gebhard decided to protect the lands of Salzburg from possible enemy attacks and built a castle at an altitude of 155 meters. In the following centuries, Hohenwerfen served as a residence and hunting ground for the rulers of Salzburg. The fortress was expanded in the 12th century. In 1525, during the unrest of local peasants, the castle was seriously damaged.
At one time, the castle was used as a state prison and therefore had a somewhat sinister reputation. The walls of the prison witnessed the tragic fate of many "criminals" who spent their last days in inhuman conditions. The prison held not only ordinary people, but also noble rulers, such as Archbishop Adalbert III, who was arrested in 1198 by Count Albert, Governor Sigmund von Dietrichstein, captured by rebellious peasants in 1525, and Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Reithenau, who died here in 1617 after six years in prison.
In 1931, the fortress, which has belonged to Archduke Eugene since 1898, was damaged by fire. After the restoration, the castle was sold to the Salzburg administration in 1938. After World War II, it was used as a training camp for the Austrian police until 1987. The castle currently hosts guided tours and themed events. There is a falconry museum and an exhibition of late Romanesque frescoes and weapons.
