Description of the attraction
Werfen is a city in Austria located in the Pongau region in the Salzach valley, about 40 kilometers south of Salzburg. Werfen is located in the center of a valley surrounded by mountain ranges.
The settlement arose south of the Hohenwerfen fortress, which was erected in 1075 by order of the Salzburg Archbishop Gebhard to protect the Salzburg lands. In 1278, the Archbishopric of Salzburg received the status of a sovereign principality of the Holy Roman Empire, becoming, in fact, an independent state.
In 1524, a peasant war broke out in Germany, which greatly affected the lands of Salzburg. The peasants raged and looted, laid siege to Werfen in 1525, almost completely destroyed the Hohenwerfen castle. The next on their way was the Hohensalzburg castle, which the peasants did not manage to destroy. The revolt was ended, all the peasants surrendered to Prince Mattois von Wellenburg, who forced them to rebuild the Hohenwerfen castle they had destroyed. Today the castle is one of the main tourist attractions in Werfen.
The second important attraction in Werfen is the Eisriesenwelt ice cave, which is considered one of the largest in the world. The length of the cave is 42 kilometers, located near the Hohenwerfen castle. More than 200,000 tourists from all over the world visit this unique natural landmark of Werfen every year.
In Werfen itself there are several interesting churches - the Baroque parish church of St. James from the 17th century and the Capuchin church of Mariahilfe, built in the 18th century.
