Hohensalzburg Fortress

I first discovered my love and fascination with castles and similar fortifications in my childhood. It began with forts made of blankets, moved to strategy games of medieval castles and warfare, and finally has brought me when traveling to pursue and strongholds I can find.

From the Kumamoto and Himeji castles of Japan to the Saint George Castle in Lisbon, I've seen more castles already than most people will ever see. The Hohensalzburg Fortress in Salzburg, Austria is the latest addition to my list.

Not only does the beautiful castle show the history of all its expansions over hundreds of years but it's also extremely well-preserved for its age, especially when compared to many walls and forts I've seen before. Our tour of the castle was particularly interesting because our guide, Andrew, took us almost exclusively to places that are permanently locked to the public. This included a massively deep oven in a bakery and smokehouse, the hollow inside of a bastion that showed the reinforcements put in over the last century to prevent its collapse onto the city below, and even a wine cellar that was drank dry by Napoleon's occupation and later a temporary prison for National Socialists (Nazis).

It's all absolutely fascinating to me and I'm thankful for yet another stunning castle.