Ski tours in the Salzkammergut Mountains
Upper Austria, Austria
The Salzkammergut mountains are part of the northern Eastern Alps and stretch from Salzburg to Upper Austria. The most important sub-mountain range is the Osterhorn group, to which most of the peaks belong. Many of them are particularly suitable as ski touring destinations, the most popular being the Schlenken, the Zwölferhorn and the Gamsfeld. But there are many more worthwhile ski tours in this wonderful corner of Austria between mountains and lakes.
The 10 most beautiful ski touring routes in the Salzkammergut Mountains
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Open the Route PlannerEasy to moderately difficult ski tours
If you are just starting out on a ski tour, we recommend that you first attend a course to learn the most important safety rules and techniques from a professional. For the first self-guided tours, ski touring trails are a good option. These usually lead along simple routes and teach safety-relevant topics on display boards.
In the Salzkammergut mountains, the ski touring trail on the Loibersbacher Höhe is recommended. The ski tour starts in Tiefbrunnau, from where it leads over forest paths at the beginning and later over steep terrain to the 1,456 metre high Loibersbacher Höhe.
A second popular ski tour, which is ideal for beginners, starts in Gaissau and leads up to the Wieserhörndl. For those who want to improve their skills, we recommend the ski tours that start in Hintersee, such as the Regenspitz or the Hoher Zinken.
Ski tour with lake view to the Zwölferhorn
What makes ski tours in the Salzkammergut mountains so special are the views from above. From many peaks you look down on the lakes in the valley and in the background the Dachstein and the Tennengebirge mountains present themselves in all their glory. The ski tours around Lake Wolfgangsee, especially the Zwölferhorn
, are known for their great views of the valley.The 1,566 metre high Zwölferhorn is one of the most popular ski tours in the Salzkammergut for several reasons. There are several routes to the panoramic summit. If the snow conditions are good, you can start directly in Sankt Wolfgang and then have around 900 metres of ascent ahead of you. The ascent from Tiefbrunnau is shorter at around 750 metres of altitude. From the summit of the popular excursion mountain there is a fantastic view of Lake Wolfgang and far into Upper Austria. There is also a restaurant next to the summit that is open in winter.
Ski Touring Classics: Schlenken and Trattberg
The western part of the Salzkammergut Mountains is bordered by the Salzach Valley. Here, too, there are several ski tours where the view of the Lammertal and the Berchtesgaden Alps is particularly beautiful. The most popular tours are the Trattberg and the Schlenken. Both ascents are not too long and often offer very good snow conditions.
Ski tour to the Gamsfeld, the roof of the Salzkammergut mountains
At 2,027 metres, the Gamsfeld is the highest peak in the Salzkammergut mountains and is also popular in winter. Starting from Russbach at Pass Gschütt, the route begins along the toboggan run up into a beautiful cirque. After a steep step you reach the summit. Here you should take a longer break, because the panoramic view is particularly impressive. Thanks to a high starting point, the nearby Postalm also offers a high degree of snow reliability and numerous ski tours that are also suitable for beginners.