Hohe Tauern National Park: the largest wilderness in the Alps

Understanding the scale of the Hohe Tauern

The Hohe Tauern National Park covers 1856 km² — roughly 30 times the area of Manhattan, or for European reference, roughly twice the size of the city of Vienna. It is the largest national park in the Alps and the largest in Austria. The park spans three Austrian provinces: Salzburg in the north (the largest share), Tyrol in the west, and Carinthia in the south. More than 300 peaks exceed 3000 m within its boundaries, and the park holds the highest point in Austria: the Grossglockner at 3798 m.

For visitors approaching from Salzburg, the practical significance of this scale is that you cannot “do” the Hohe Tauern. You can enter it through specific gateways — the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, the Krimml Waterfalls, the Kaprun glacier system above Kaprun — and experience a carefully managed portion of what is a vast, largely wild landscape. The park’s interior mountain terrain requires multi-day hiking from hut to hut or guided climbing to access properly.

This guide covers what is accessible to independent travellers without mountaineering experience — which is substantial and genuinely spectacular.

The park’s geography: three provinces, three characters

Salzburg side (Pinzgau): The main visitor corridor is the upper Salzach valley from Zell am See westward to Krimml. This area — the Pinzgau — combines accessible valley infrastructure with dramatic access to alpine terrain. Zell am See and Kaprun sit at the eastern edge of this zone; Krimml Waterfalls are at the western end. The Großvenediger (3657 m), the second-highest peak in Austria, lies in the northern section of the park, accessible via the Matreier Tauernhaus starting point in Tyrol.

Carinthian side (Mölltal): The southern approach via Heiligenblut gives access to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and the Pasterze glacier from the south. Heiligenblut village itself (1288 m) has a remarkable gothic church and is a genuinely beautiful village rather than a resort. The Carinthian approach is slightly longer from Salzburg but offers different scenery and a less-crowded experience than the northern Grossglockner side.

Tyrolean side (Iseltal, Virgental): The Tyrolean section is the least visited by Salzburg-based travellers due to distance. The Matrei in Osttirol area is a centre for mountain guides and serious hiking. The Venediger group is the main draw.

The five major visitor experiences

1. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road

The most accessible and most visited entrance point into the park. The toll road from Ferleiten (north) to Heiligenblut (south) runs directly through the park, with Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2369 m) as the central visitor destination. The Pasterze glacier, the longest in the Eastern Alps, is visible from the main viewpoint and reachable by a short gondola descent.

Entry cost: toll approximately €38/car. Open May–October. The road passes through genuinely wild terrain; the section between Hochtor tunnel and Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe in particular has very few structures and delivers the feeling of altitude and remoteness despite being driveable.

See the dedicated Grossglockner High Alpine Road guide for full detail.

2. Krimml Waterfalls

Krimml Waterfalls — 380 m drop in three tiers — are within the park boundary on the Salzburg side. The waterfall walk is one of the best half-day nature experiences accessible to any level of fitness. Entry: approximately €7 per adult. Open year-round; upper path closes in winter.

3. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun

Technically within the park boundary, the glacier above Kaprun at 3029 m is the most accessible point on an active glacier in the region — a gondola from the valley delivers you there. The year-round operation (summer glacier skiing) makes it the one High Tauern glacier experience available outside the traditional summer season.

4. Valley hiking trails

Dozens of marked hiking trails access the park’s lower alpine zones from valley car parks. The Pinzgauer Spaziergang (ridge walk above Zell am See toward the Krimml direction), the Nationalpark-Almenweg trails from Kaprun, and the Felbertal (Matreier Tauernweg) walking route from the Salzburg side are all accessible without technical equipment. Most park valley trails are graded T1–T2 (Swiss hiking scale) — suitable for walkers with basic fitness and appropriate footwear.

The Hohe Tauern hiking guide covers these routes in detail, including hut-to-hut options for multi-day walkers.

5. Wildlife observation

The Hohe Tauern holds one of the densest populations of ibex (Steinbock, Capra ibex) in the Alps — the result of successful reintroduction from 1959 onward, starting with animals from the Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy. Current population within the Austrian park is estimated at over 1000 animals.

For ibex viewing, the most reliable areas accessible to day visitors include: the rocky terrain around Stausee Mooserboden above Kaprun, the slopes above Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe on the Grossglockner road, and the open hillsides above the Krimml gorge. Ibex are not shy of humans; encounters at 10–20 m are possible. Marmots are present throughout the park’s alpine meadow zone (1800–2500 m) and hear before you see them — their shrill whistle is the park’s characteristic soundtrack.

Golden eagles (Steinadler) breed within the park; the Grossglockner area holds several territorial pairs. Bearded vultures (Bartgeier) were reintroduced from 1986 and their population is now established — a large soaring bird with a wingspan over 2.5 m, distinctive rusty-orange chest. The high thermals above Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe are worth scanning with binoculars for 10–15 minutes on any visit.

Chamois are ubiquitous; you will see them unless conditions are very poor. Red deer inhabit the lower forest zones, most active at dawn and dusk.

The glaciers: beauty and honest context

The Hohe Tauern holds approximately 250 glaciers. The Pasterze — accessible from Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe — is the largest, covering about 17 km² (a figure that has shrunk from 24 km² in 1850). The retreat over the past century is visible in the form of bare rock faces below the current glacier edge, with position markers showing where the glacier stood in 1860, 1900, 1950, and subsequent decades.

This retreat is not unique to the Pasterze — all glaciers in the Hohe Tauern have retreated substantially, and the trend is ongoing. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun now covers approximately 3.5 km² compared to roughly 5 km² in the 1970s. The practical skiing area on the glacier has contracted accordingly.

For travellers, this context matters in two ways: practically, it affects what you see (the landscape at altitude is partly raw moraine and bare rock, not continuous ice), and intellectually, it gives the experience of visiting a working glacier a resonance beyond tourism. The visitor centre at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe documents the change clearly and without sensationalism.

National park rules: what you need to know

The Hohe Tauern operates a strict protection model for its core zones. Key rules that affect independent travellers:

No drones. This is actively enforced. Park rangers will confiscate equipment. The rule applies throughout the park, not just at specific sites.

No off-trail movement in the core zone. The core zone (Kernzone) covers the highest and most sensitive terrain. Marked trails in this zone must be followed; leaving them is prohibited. Most visitor-accessible areas are in the buffer zone where normal hiking rules apply.

No fires. Open fires are prohibited throughout the park.

Dogs must be leashed. In the wildlife protection areas (most of the park above treeline), dogs must be on a lead. This is for the protection of ground-nesting birds (including the ptarmigan, whose camouflage makes them nearly invisible and extremely vulnerable to dogs).

Wildlife approach distances. A 100 m approach limit applies to ibex, chamois, marmots, and nesting birds. In practice, ibex near the road will approach closer on their own terms — but moving toward wildlife (rather than waiting for it) is discouraged.

Practical visitor information

National park visitor centres: There are several throughout the park. The most useful for Salzburg-based travellers:

• Nationalparkzentrum Mittersill (village of Mittersill, on the B168 between Zell am See and Krimml): well-curated exhibits on park ecology, free entry, good pre-trip orientation.
• Franz-Josephs-Haus at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe: integrated into the main Grossglockner road visitor complex, free.
• Nationalparkgemeinde Krimml: small exhibition adjacent to the waterfall entrance.

Park fees: There is no general park entry fee. You pay for specific access points: the Grossglockner road toll (€38/car), Krimml waterfall entry (€7/person), Kitzsteinhorn gondola (~€42 non-ski). All other access to the park — including all hiking trails — is free.

Mountain huts (Schutzhütten): The park and surrounding Alpenverein (Austrian Alpine Club) huts provide meals and dormitory or room accommodation. Rates for half-board typically run €50–75 per person per night in dormitory; private rooms higher. Booking in advance is essential in July and August. The Hofmanns Hütte (near the Grossglockner glacier base) and the Rudolfshütte (above the Weissee lake, accessible by gondola from Uttendorf) are the most visited.

Getting around the park: the transport reality

The Hohe Tauern has no internal public transport network linking its access points. A car is effectively required if you want to visit more than one gateway in a day. The distances are manageable:

• Zell am See → Krimml: ~45 minutes (B165 valley road)
• Zell am See → Grossglockner toll (Ferleiten): ~30 minutes
• Krimml → Grossglockner toll: ~35 minutes via Mittersill
• Grossglockner toll → Kaprun: ~25 minutes

Without a car, each of these gateways needs to be visited as a separate day trip from Salzburg: train to Zell am See plus Pinzgaubahn to Krimml, or a guided Grossglockner day trip. Guided tours from Salzburg exist for the Grossglockner road specifically — a worthwhile option for those not comfortable driving mountain switchbacks.

Itinerary suggestions: making the most of the park

One day from Salzburg: Grossglockner High Alpine Road — the most concentrated single-day experience of the park. See the salzburg-to-grossglockner guide for timing.

Two days: Add Krimml Waterfalls on day two (or combine with Zell am See and Kaprun on a loop). The salzburg-lakes-mountains-5-days guide suggests the full circuit for those with five days.

Three to five days (High Tauern focus): Base yourself in Zell am See or Kaprun with a car. Day 1: Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Day 2: Grossglockner. Day 3: Krimml. Days 4–5: hiking in the park from valley trailheads. The Hohe Tauern hiking guide covers the best multi-day trail options.

For the 5-day Salzburg itinerary, the Hohe Tauern area occupies days 3–4, with the first two days in Salzburg city and Werfen, and day five reserved for a Salzkammergut lake.

The Hohe Tauern and the Hallstatt comparison

Many travellers to the Salzburg region face a practical choice: go south to the Hohe Tauern (Grossglockner, Krimml) or east toward the Salzkammergut (Hallstatt, Dachstein). These are different types of experiences. Hallstatt is a village experience with a dramatic lake setting and a cultural heritage angle; the Hohe Tauern is pure wilderness and geology at altitude.

If you have four days or more in the Salzburg region, do both. If you have only two days of excursions, the choice depends on what you prioritise: the iconic village photograph (Hallstatt) or the alpine driving and glacier walk (Grossglockner). The best day trips from Salzburg guide addresses this comparison directly with honest notes on both.

The Hallstatt and Dachstein area has its own separate ice cave experience — the Dachstein ice cave with 5 Fingers viewpoint being comparable in some ways to the glacier experience at altitude on the Grossglockner. For visitors uncertain which type of ice experience to prioritise, see the relevant guided option:

The Kitzsteinhorn glacier: year-round access point

The Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun provides the only year-round motorised access to glacial terrain within the Hohe Tauern region. The gondola from Kaprun village reaches 3029 m, above the typical snowline in all but the most exceptional summer years. This makes it uniquely useful for visitors who cannot time a trip for the June–October Grossglockner window: in April, for example, when the alpine road is still closed, the Kitzsteinhorn glacier gondola is already running.

The glacier skiing area, the ice palace carved into the glacier interior, and the high-altitude viewing platform together make a half-day programme that delivers genuine mountain experience without the driving demands of the Grossglockner road. It is also more accessible for families with young children who cannot manage the Krimml two-hour walk.

A note on altitude and physical preparation

Multiple visitor destinations in the Hohe Tauern sit at 2000–3000 m. Most healthy adults do not experience altitude sickness at these elevations, but the following effects are normal and worth anticipating:

• Increased exertion for equivalent effort (roughly 10–15% more effort per step at 2500 m than at sea level)
• Elevated UV exposure (approximately 30% more UV per 1000 m gain)
• Rapid temperature drop in wind or shade (temperature lapse rate approximately 6–7°C per 1000 m altitude gain)
• Increased fluid requirement

The practical response: wear SPF 30+ and a windproof layer regardless of valley conditions, drink more water than you think you need, and pace yourself on any ascent. This applies whether you are hiking from a valley trailhead or simply walking the platforms at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe.

The Hohe Tauern rewards the modestly prepared visitor extremely well. It does not require a mountaineer’s skill set to access the most spectacular terrain in Austria’s largest national park — but it does reward the visitor who comes equipped, informed, and with a day or two to spare.

Park ecology: what makes the Hohe Tauern significant beyond scenery

The Hohe Tauern is not simply a scenic area with a national park label attached. It contains some of the last genuinely unmanaged high-altitude ecosystems in the Alps — terrain where the ecological succession from glacial recession is unfolding without human intervention. The retreating glaciers are revealing new land that is colonised in real time by pioneering plant species: saxifrage, mountain avens, and eventually alpine grasses. These early colonisation zones are visible at the glacier margins on the Grossglockner road.

The park was established in stages between 1981 and 1992, through agreements between the three provinces rather than a single federal act. This political complexity is why the park boundary has an irregular shape that sometimes appears to follow provincial borders rather than ecological logic.

Within its core zones, the Hohe Tauern prohibits hunting, mining, and the collection of plants or minerals. This has allowed populations of bearded vultures (Bartgeier, Gypaetus barbatus) to recover from functional extinction in the Alps — a programme begun in 1986 has produced a self-sustaining population across the Alps, with the Hohe Tauern as one of the core breeding areas.

The park also preserves the largest contiguous area of old-growth alpine forest remaining in Austria. The lower valley flanks on the Salzburg side carry Norway spruce and stone pine (Zirbelkiefer) stands that have not been commercially logged for over a century. Stone pine seeds are dispersed almost exclusively by the spotted nutcracker (Tannenhäher) — a corvid species present throughout the park forests.

Weather patterns and planning your visit

The Hohe Tauern generates its own weather patterns in a way that genuinely surprises visitors unfamiliar with high alpine terrain. The main dynamic:

Morning: Generally stable. The high passes are typically clear from 06:00 to 11:00 in summer. This is the window for best visibility on the Grossglockner road and at altitude on the Kitzsteinhorn.

Afternoon convection: From late June through August, thermal heating of the valley floors sends warm moist air upward from roughly 12:00 onward. By 14:00–15:00, cumulus clouds build over the main ridge. By 16:00–17:00, afternoon thunderstorms are common. These can be violent and arrive quickly. A clear morning does not guarantee a clear afternoon.

Best strategy: Be at altitude before 10:00 and plan to be at or below the tree line by 14:00–15:00. This means early starts from Salzburg (06:30–07:00) for Grossglockner or glacier visits.

September and October: The afternoon convective cycle weakens significantly. Longer clear weather windows, often extending into the afternoon. Lower temperatures (expect 0–5°C at 2400 m in October). Some access roads and mountain huts close from late September.

The Nationalpark Ranger programme

The Hohe Tauern operates one of Austria’s most active national park ranger programmes, with rangers stationed at key visitor areas throughout the summer season. Rangers at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and the Krimml visitor centre speak German and usually English, and they are knowledgeable and approachable. They can advise on current trail conditions, wildlife sightings, and weather forecasts.

Several free guided ranger walks depart from the main visitor areas daily in July and August — check the national park’s official calendar for current programme. These typically run 2–3 hours, free of charge, and cover topics including glacier ecology, ibex behaviour, or alpine botany depending on the ranger and location. They are genuinely better than most paid tours for ecological content.