Fortress Hohensalzburg

The Festung Hohensalzburg is a picture-perfect ideal of a medieval castle. With its many turrets and towers, broad walls and fluttering flags—all standing proud atop the forest-clad Festungsberg mountain—it begs to be snapped. The castle's towers soar another 30 metres above the 240-metre mountain, dominating the skyline of Salzburg's Altstadt (or Old Town quarter). This is a fortress that looks impregnable. And it probably was. It only ever came under serious siege by irate townsfolk, in 1525, during the German Peasants War. They failed to breach the Festung Hohensalzburg, and the 'High Salzburg Fortress' survives to this day, undefeated, and relatively unscathed by war.

Despite its fairy-tale looks, though, it wasn't a king or queen that lived here, but the famous Prince Archbishops of Salzburg. Part-prince, part-bishop, they ruled the city for a thousand years, making Festung Hohensalzburg more splendid with each passing century. Even though it's perched precariously high above town, the castle can be reached fairly easily—an adapted cable-railway ferries visitors up the steep mountain. Once on the summit, you'll feel as if you've entered another town entirely, its white-washed courtyard, chapel and twisted, old linden tree completely encircled by high walls.

The 15th century Golden Hall is one of the highlights of the castle. Its ceiling is criss-crossed by wooden beams and struts, with each cross-point marked by a gold button. In the flickering light of candelabras, the ceiling would have looked like a sea of stars. The smaller Golden Chamber is even more richly decorated, with carved benches revealing the shapes of vines, grapes, and animals. There's also a museum here, with ancient arms and medieval musical instruments, and a tiny—but beautifully furnished—chapel to huddle into.

But it is the very top of the tallest tower that most visitors are drawn to (even if it means a long slog up a dark and steep stairwell). The views from the highpoint of the Festung Hohensalzburg are truly breathtaking. They take in the whole of Salzburg, its 'other hill' of Kapuzinerberg, as well as the broad sweep of the Salzach River and the Alps to the south. Time to get out the camera, and take those perfect pictures.