A trail that will make you feel like singing "the hills are alive!" as you reach the peak

Statistics

2 - 3

hrs

1,426

m

1,415

m

20

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Moderate

Description

The hills are alive with the sound of “so schön,” “mega geil” and music, as runners and hikers top out and gaze their eyes on the panorama of distant snow-capped peaks.

Famous well before the opening scene from the Sound of Music was filmed here, Untersberg has been at the heart of many a legend and is the closest and by far the most popular peak-to-bag outside of stunning Salzburg.

The impressive view of this mountain from Salzburg's city centre beckons you.

Situated on the border of Germany and Austria and topping out at 1853 meters at its highest point – the Salzburger Hochthron – is the perfect after-work sunset session or a fine destination for a long run, easily adding up to over 1000 meters of vert.

Beginning from the parking place in Glanegg, take a left over the stream at the trail head and move on up until you reach the summit.

This side of the loop has some beautiful runnable sections and is a little more extreme, including a portion of the trail that traverses a rock wall below the summit.

The path here has been carved out of the rock by goat herders, well before our time.

As you ascend the steeper portions of the trail, you’ll find stairs and fixed ropes.

Take a left at the first Gipfelkreuz (summit cross) and continue the uphill grind, tagging the second false summit before bagging the real one.

Now you can enjoy a breath and the incredible view over Salzburg.

There’s a chance also to stop for drinks and snacks at the Zeppezauer Haus. Stay left on the descent and take the steeper trail that drops quickly back into the trees and carves its way through the forest via a plethora of stairs.

There’s a tranquil stream at the finish to dip the feet in after your solid effort.

The trail is fairly narrow so if you’re aiming for a fast lap, take a weekday trip or go for dawn or dusk to avoid the influx of crowds that flock within the tourist-hours of the weekends.

Sunrise up here is mint.