Hohensalzburg Fortress, built in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein, stands atop the Festungsberg mountain at 506 meters elevation and ranks among Europe's largest preserved medieval fortresses. The citadel measures 250 meters long and 150 meters wide, dominating Salzburg's skyline and never surrendered to foreign troops despite centuries of conflict. Expanded significantly in the 16th century by Archbishop Leonhard von Keutschach against Turkish invasion fears, it houses the Fortress Museum with weaponry, Roman coins, and musical instruments. The celebrated Salzburger Stier, a massive 1502 mechanical organ with over 200 pipes, resides in the Krautturm, drawing nearly one million visitors annually via convenient fortress railway access.
