Smallest city mountain in Salzburg
It is located in the middle of today’s Riedenburg district.
With its height of 511 meters and an area of around 10 hectares, it is the smallest city mountain in Salzburg after the Bürglstein.
In the west it borders the Mönchsberg.
The striking hill was originally called Riedenburg (“a rupe que Ritinburc appelatur”, 1139) or Hohe Riedenburg or Ofenlochberg.
In the late 19th century, the name Riedenburg was transferred to the district that was rapidly developing in the north, west and later also in the south of the mountain.
The academic high school is now located in the area of the former large quarry to the south.
The steppe slope on the Rainberg with its heat-loving flora and fauna has been under protection since 1868, and since 1986, with the declaration of a natural forest reserve, the Rainberg plateau forest has also been protected.
The forested higher parts of the mountain are not accessible to the general public.
Since 1941, the Rainberg has been protected as a cultural monument.
Hilltop settlement for 4000 years
The hilltop settlement, which has existed since the oldest Neolithic period, was for a long time the most important prehistoric settlement site on the Salzburg city mountains.
This settlement existed uninterrupted for over 4,000 years. It wasn’t until the year 15 B.C. After Roman legions invaded under Emperor Augustus and the Celtic alums living on the city mountains had to relocate to the newly founded city of Iuvavum, the settlement was abandoned.
During the quarry work between 1870 and 1940, but also during other work, a considerable number of ceramics and metal objects from the La Tène period (vessels, brooches, tools, jewelry) were recovered.
The most important find on the mountain is a small bronze boar statuette from the 1st century BC. BC: which was considered a sign of strength and courage at the time.
Since the beginning of Roman rule under Emperor Augustus, the mountain has only served as a grazing area for goats, as a defensive fortification in front of the city and, last but not least, as a quarry.
In 1525, the rebellious farmers set up camp on the Riedenburger Berg during the siege of Hohensalzburg Fortress. In 1680 the court official Christoph Rein leased the mountain. After this tenant, the name Rainberg gradually became established. Today there are also several caverns designed as air raid shelters, some of which are still used today, and a former water reservoir for the former community of Maxglan.
Mönchsberg and Rainberg are equally built from conglomerate rock.
The Rainberg has been used as a conglomerate quarry since the early Middle Ages. The mountain was increasingly mined after 1680 and in the later 19th century.
