Hohenwerfen Castle

Hohenwerfen Castle is an impressive fortress in the Salzach valley of Austria, flanked by the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennen Mountains. Hohenwerfen Castle was built by the Archbishop of Salzburg in the 11th century, making it a “sister” of the city’s Hohensalzburg Fortress and Burgruine Petersberg in Friesach. Hohenwerfen Castle was built by the Archbishop of Salzburg in the 11th century, making it a “sister” of the city’s Hohensalzburg Fortress and Burgruine Petersberg in Friesach.

While the castle’s original fortifications were probably made from wood, Hohenwerfen had by the 15th century developed into a vast stone structure. The castle was used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries. It experienced a period of disuse in the early 19th century, before being restored by the romantic Archduke Johann between 1824 and 1833. It was mainly used as a hunting base until Archduke Eugen purchased the castle in 1898 and transformed the building into a stately home.

What had been an old Roman castle was transformed with a palace and chapel, then further defensive walls. Over time, the fortress was reinforced and equipped with newer technologies. The castle belongs to the state of Salzburg today, and the fortifications of Hohenwerfen Castle have been used as a tourist attraction since 1987. Hohenwerfen is near the region of the Salzkammergut, Austria’s lake district which includes historic sites such as Hallstatt, the Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl, and castle ruins like Burgruine Wartenfels.