The viewpoint on the Kapuzinerberg slope that faces southwest is where Salzburg's skyline becomes fully legible. This is the composition from thousands of photographs, and it reads better from here than from anywhere in the Altstadt below.
The Story
Most visitors approach Hohensalzburg Fortress from directly below, from the Domplatz or the Kapitelplatz, looking almost straight up at rock and wall. From that angle the fortress is large and close but not fully readable as a silhouette. The relationship between the fortress, the Cathedral towers, and the river only becomes visible from the opposite bank.
The Kapuzinerberg sits on the right bank of the Salzach, due east of the Altstadt. From its lower-to-mid slope the western face of Salzburg opens across the river: the fortress high on the cliff of Mönchsberg, the twin towers of Salzburg Cathedral below it, the dense Baroque roofscape descending to the water, and then the ridge of the Mönchsberg stretching south. This is the composition in the majority of Salzburg photographs, for the simple reason that it is true to the city's actual structure in a way that no other viewpoint achieves.
The path up from Linzer Gasse via the Imbergstiege stairway reaches this view within 15 minutes. There is no infrastructure at the viewpoint, no ticket, no barrier. The hill's forest keeps the climb shaded and the top relatively cool. Morning is the right time: the fortress faces east and takes the early sun directly, making the stonework sharp and warm. At midday and afternoon the light flattens and the silhouette loses its definition.
Visiting
Ascend from Linzer Gasse via the Imbergstiege stairway. The best version of this view is on the lower-to-mid slope, roughly 15 minutes from the street. Free, always accessible. No ticket or infrastructure. Combine with Hettwer Bastei higher on the same slope, or continue to Franziskischlossl and the Kapuzinerberg Summit for a longer walk. Morning light is significantly better than afternoon.