Hohenwerfen castle stands above the Austrian town of Werfen in the Salzach
Valley, approximately 40 km in south of Salzburg. The castle is surrounded by
the Berchtesgaden Alps and the adjacent Tennenbridge mountain range. The
fortification is a sister of Hohensalzburtg Castle both dated from the 11th
century.
The former fortification was built between 1075 and 1078 during the
Imperial Investiture Controvesery by the order of Archbishop Gebhard of
Salzburg as a strategic bulwark a top a 155 m high rock Gebhard, an ally of Pope
Gregory VII and Rudolf of Rheinfelden had three major castles extended to secure the
Salzburg archbishopric against the forces of King Henry VII Hohenwerfen, Hohensazburg and petersburg castle.
Nevertheless Gebhard was expelled in 1077 and could not return to Salzburg
until 10866, only to die at Hohenwerfen two years later.
In the following centuries hohenwerfen served Salzburg’s rulers, the
prince – archbishop, not as amilitary base, but also as a residence and hunting
retreat. The fortress was extended in the 12th century and to a
lesser extent again in the south of Salzburg moved towards the city, laying
fire and several damaging the castle.
Alternatively it was used as a stae prison and therefore had somewhat
sinister reputatio. Its prison walls have witnessed the tragic fate of many
criminals who spent their days tehre maybe their last under inhumane
conditions.
In 1931 the castle owned by Archiduke Eugen of Austria since 1898 was
again damaged by a fire and though largely restored, finally had to be sold to
the Salzburg Reichsgau administration in 1938. After Second World War it was
used as a training camp by the Austrian Gendarmerie. Nowadays the bastion
enlarged and renovated several times over the centuries, functions as an
adventure castle for its visitors. Among the numerous attraction offered by castle
are guided tours showing its extensive weaponscollection, the historical
Salzburg Falconry with the Falconry Museum as well as fortress tavern.