Hohenwerfen Fortress

Last Updated on 01/08/2023

After a crazy visit to the ice cave, we decided that we still have strength for the Hohenwerfen fortress. Moreover, one can climb into it by funicular, and not just on foot. The parking lot at the fortress is large and free.

Part 1 – Eisriesenwelt Cave
Dachstein, Tennengau, Pongau. Map of attractions
High alpine road Grossglockner Strasse
Liechtensteinklamm
Salzburg old town
Salzburg Hellbrunn palace, museums
Krimml waterfalls hike
What to do in Zell am See in summer

How to get to Hohenwerfen Fortress

You can get to Hohenwerfen Fortress with train from Salzburg and then about 20 minutes by foot. You can climb with funicular or by foot.

The evening ticket (after the last bird of prey show) was 10 percent cheaper, although this was not written anywhere.

The Hohenwerfen fortress is combined with a visit to the ice cave OR with the Sound of Music hiking trail, which will take you to the hill where one of the scenes of the movie was filmed overlooking the castle.

Eisriesenwelt Cave
Sounds of music filming locations in Salzburg and Salzkammergut

Hohenwerfen Fortress Museum

The fortress is similar to the fortress in Salzburg. Steep climb (only in Salzburg steeper), courtyard (only in Salzburg it is larger). According to my memory, the fortress in Salzburg is more interesting in terms of museum content.

Courtyard from the gallery on the second floor.

The open area is not very large. You can see some weapons, look into a couple of rooms and watch a show with birds of prey if you get there (2-3 times a day). On the way down, it seems like you can climb into a couple of towers. But we didn’t have the strength to go down. There are a couple of additional activities for children, such as stilts.

The interior can only be visited with a guided tour in German. Foreign speakers go in the same group with audio guides. They work rather poorly – only one of our three worked). There is practically nothing to see. The only interesting moment is the ascent to the tower with a very old, still working clock and even higher to the bell. It is also very unpleasant with children. The staircase to the bell is very steep, like the attic in old village houses.

Below.

Tower with a bell and an old clock. We went up there.

Upstream of the Salzach: where the bridge is, there is a train station, and a little closer to us by the river there is a parking lot, from where buses go up to the cave.

Outside the main fortress. From here, those who walked to the fortress ascend.

This trip turned out to be such a tense one. Werfen is a full day excursion. And, by the way, a very expensive excursion – about 100 euros in total, two attractions, a bus and a cable car for two adults and a six-year-old child. There are problems with “where to eat”. The easiest option is in the restaurant at the upper cable car station after the cave.

Nearby is the Eisriesenwelt cave, Liechtensteinklamm.
All sights are on the map.