rajverma3111 Salzburg Diaries: Salzburg - the city of Mozart - is overlooked by Fortress Hohensalzburg, one of the largest existing 11th century fortress complexes in Europe. This imposing monument is a remarkable sign of the desire for recognition expressed by the prince bishops - and a demonstration of the political authority and power they held. The fortifications were built to protect the prince bishops and the principality itself from attack. Actually, the fortress never faced a real siege. Most of the time the prince bishops lived in the palace at the heart of Salzburg town, known as the 'Residenz'. The steep cone-shaped rock had already been seen as a strategically beneficial vantage point on the northern edge of the Alps for centuries. In 1077 the archbishop of the time, Gebhard I of Helffenstein, ordered the erection of a castle above the city of his residence. Fortress Hohensalzburg was constructed in three main phases, responding to the development of powerful weaponry with ever-greater ranges by further fortifying the castle. A funicular carries tourists up to the ramps from where a steep circular set of steps takes one to the observation tower. The panoramic view of the city is worth the effort.