The fortress sits in majesty on a mountain above the city, the emblem of the State of Salzburg. Fortress and cathedral are an expression of the worldly and ecclesiastical powers which were unified in the hands of the Archbishops.

Historical documents never refer to Hohensalzburg as a "castle". Three other names were used: until 1516 it was spoken of as the "Bishopric Fortress and Castle Salzburg"; from 1522 onwards the archbishops called it the "Main castle (of) Salzburg", and the name generally used today stems from an inventory from around 1727: "Fortress Hohensalzburg."