Village / Austria
3 places
Golling is where the Salzach squeezes between the Tennengebirge and Hagengebirge, and the result is one of the most dramatic gorge landscapes in the entire Tennengau. The Gollinger Wasserfall, a 75-metre two-stage waterfall, sits ten minutes from the village centre. Most visitors who stop here are genuinely surprised it is not more famous.
The Romans stationed watchtower garrisons here in the fourth century because this narrows was the natural control point on the road between Iuvavum (Salzburg) and the Alpine provinces. That same logic explains Burg Golling, a castle first documented in 798 that grew from a simple wooden fortification into the stone landmark that still dominates the skyline. The Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg replaced the older structure with a proper stone castle in the 13th century, and today the museum inside holds a fossil collection drawn from local limestone quarries, and what is reportedly Austria’s second-largest collection of antique clocks and watches.
Behind the village, the Bluntautal opens into a protected valley carved by glacial melt. The Bluntausee lake at its head glows a cold, clear green. The valley is bounded on three sides by the Hagengebirge cliffs, and swimming is not permitted, which keeps the place quiet and intact. The main loop trail is around six kilometres. The Gollinger Wasserfall sits at the entrance and takes a short, steep path to reach its base.
Golling also has a claim to serious culinary standing. The Döllerer family has run a restaurant on the market square for over a century, and the current generation, under Chef Andreas Döllerer, has built it into a two-Michelin-star address. The kitchen’s focus is the immediate landscape: trout and char from the Bluntautal, mountain herbs, and highland dairy. The wine cellar reportedly holds over 3,700 labels. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, Saturday lunch only.
Golling is 30 kilometres south of Salzburg on the A10, around 25 minutes by car. It is also reachable by regional train on the Salzburg-Bischofshofen line. From the village centre, the Gollinger Wasserfall is a short walk; the trail climbs about 95 metres to the upper falls. The Bluntautal trailhead is a few minutes’ drive or a longer walk from the parking area at the edge of the village. Burg Golling is open Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 15:30 (closed in winter months, verify before visiting). For a day out from Salzburg, Golling combines naturally with Hallein to the north. It also makes a logical first stop on the drive south toward Werfen, the Pongau, or the Tauern passes.
Mapped places
Every card is assigned directly to this destination or one of its canonical child destinations.
The Bluntautal is a narrow gorge valley above Golling an der Salzach in the Tennengau, where the Bluntaubach stream has carved through the limestone Hagengebirge into a wooded valley that ends at a series of turquoise pools and small waterfalls.
Founded 12th century
Burg Golling stands above the village of Golling an der Salzach in the Tennengau, at the southern end of the Salzach gorge where the river cuts through the Hagengebirge limestone.
A 76-meter waterfall in a forested gorge near Golling, one of the most accessible waterfall walks near Salzburg. A short trail (20 minutes) leads to viewing platforms at the base and middle of the falls. Less crowded than Krimml and reachable as a half-day trip from Salzburg.
