Falknerei Hohenwerfen (Hohenwerfen Falconry)

Snapshot

Daily free-flight bird-of-prey demonstrations at Festung Hohenwerfen, featuring eagles, falcons, and owls against the backdrop of the Salzach gorge. Included in the fortress ticket. One of the best falconry shows in Austria.

The Story

The setting does most of the work. A falcon launched from a gloved hand inside a medieval fortress courtyard, rising against cliff walls and mountain sky, is already a strong image. The falconry team at Festung Hohenwerfen has been developing this particular show for decades and knows what the location can do.

Eagles, falcons, and owls are flown in free-flight sequences in the courtyard and on the open slopes below the walls. The Salzach gorge is directly below. The Tennen and Hagengebirge peaks fill the view in every direction. The birds work within a landscape that was made for exactly this kind of spectacle, even if the fortress was built for something less theatrical.

The falconry display is included in the standard Festung Hohenwerfen admission ticket. For visitors unsure whether the fortress museum alone justifies the 40-km drive from Salzburg, the falconry show is the answer. For visitors who were going to skip Werfen entirely, the falconry show is a reason to reconsider.

Visiting

Demonstrations run daily in summer, typically May through October. Show times are fixed; check the current schedule at burg-hohenwerfen.at before travelling. Included in the fortress admission ticket. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the show. Werfen is approximately 40 km south of Salzburg. Reach it by car via the A10 motorway or by direct train from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (approximately 40 minutes), then 15 minutes on foot to the fortress base.