Salzburg is dominated by the picturesque fortress of Hohensalzburg, on the southeastern summit of the Mönchsberg.

 The original castle was built in 1077, and much of what's seen today dates from the early 1500s. You can reach the castle by a pleasant 20-minute walk from the Old Town center or via a funicular railway from Festungsgasse. 

The approach to the fortress passes through a number of impressive arched defensive gateways under the 17th-century Fire Bastion to the Reisszug, a unique hoist dating from 1504 once used to haul supplies. I