Name and Location

The Reckturm can be found at address Mönchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria, in the town/municipality of Salzburg, state/region of Salzburg (Bundesland), and country of Austria. Its coordinates are Latitude: 47.7949869 and Longitude: 13.0465045.

Location

The Reckturm was constructed during the Medieval to Early Modern period, although the exact date is not documented in publicly available sources. It is part of the historic fabric of Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of Europe's best-preserved hilltop castles, and is protected as a historic monument under Austrian heritage law.

Construction and History

The Reckturm is built using local limestone masonry, typical of Mönchsberg fortifications. Its architectural style is military/fortress architecture with a simple, functional form and a battlemented parapet. The architect is unknown, likely built and modified by successive Archbishopric military engineers.

Architecture and Materials

The Reckturm was never a navigational beacon and does not have an active light installation. It originally served as an observation and defensive watch-tower within the fortress system.

Light and Navigation

• The Reckturm is accessible on foot via the fortress walkway from the Festungsgasse elevator or via the Reckturm stairway off the main courtyard.
• Salzburg Festungsbahn funicular also provides access to the fortress plateau. Opening hours and admission are included in regular Hohensalzburg Fortress hours.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Reckturm offers panoramic vistas over Salzburg's Old Town, the Salzach River valley, and the Northern Limestone Alps on clear days. On a clear day, one can see the Gaisberg and Untersberg peaks.

Notable Views and Landscape

• Although labeled as a "lighthouse" in some mapping data, there is no recorded history of Reckturm ever serving as a beacon for river or road traffic.
• Local legend holds that watch-keepers once signaled approaching dignitaries with banners and lanterns; however, no contemporary documentation survives.

Anecdotes and Folklore

The Reckturm has no wheelchair accessibility due to steep fortress stairways. Public accessibility is included in general Hohensalzburg Fortress admission ticket.

Technical and Operational Details

For more information on the Reckturm and surrounding attractions, visit the official website of Hohensalzburg Fortress or consult Wikipedia for further reading.

Further Information