"The hidden corners"

Be the first to explore secret rooms, niches and battlements!

Rugged footwear is recommended since the tour of the "hidden corners" – as the name reveals – will not only take you through the inner rooms but also to the cellar and the towers.

We will walk through most of the inner rooms and much of the outer complex usually not open to the public.

The tour of the "hidden corners" starts in the salt store or in the gallery, where the history of the fortress is explained with the help of various models. Next we will stop at the Reck Tower, housing the prison and the torture chamber. The tour continues on to the lookout tower where you will see why rugged footwear is recommended.

The hard climb is rewarded by a breathtaking panoramic view of Salzburg and the surrounding Alps. The "Salzburg Bull" – a barrel organ, will be waiting for you at the end of the long ramparts. One look at the splendid appointments and you'll know you've left the fortifications and have arrived in the royal apartments.

The "Hoher Stock" or keep served as the former living quarters of the prince archbishops. From the bedroom with its secret chamber you will enter the "Goldene Stube" (Golden Chamber) which contains a unique, richly decorated, late Gothic tiled stove.

The "Goldene Saal" (Golden Hall) once served for entertainment purposes and banqueting. After leaving the inner rooms, we will proceed over the marble staircase towards the courtyard. A look at the bakery gives us an idea of how many people had to be fed at the fortress.

St. George's Chapel, now a popular setting for weddings and baptisms, is the next stop on our tour. The courtyard itself was a popular meeting place for talk and gossip. Among other things, you will learn the difference between a cistern and a well.

Yet another question will be answered while you're standing in the courtyard: how was all of the building material transported up to the fortress? The mighty walls of the Kuenberg Bastion can be seen from the city below. You will be amazed at what you'll see behind its walls. Through "Hell's Gate", along the cable hoist you'll descend to the Snake Gate which leads to the Mayor's Tower. This area will give you insight into the construction of the fortifications.