Snapshot

The Hohe Tauern is not merely a national park; it is the Alps distilled to their most extreme. Over 340 glaciers, 266 peaks above 3,000 m, and Europe’s tallest waterfall share a single protected territory stretching across three Austrian states, making this the largest nature reserve in Central Europe and the wild heart behind the Pinzgau landscape.

The Story

Covering 1,856 km2 across Salzburg State, Carinthia, and Tyrol, the Hohe Tauern was established progressively from 1981 onward, with the Salzburg section coming first. It operates under a strict two-zone model: a core zone of 1,213 km2 where agriculture is entirely prohibited and five special sanctuaries receive full protection, and a surrounding fringe zone where limited forestry and alpine farming continue. The logic is preservationist rather than prohibitive: roughly half of Austria’s entire native fauna lives here, including golden eagle, ibex, chamois, marmot, and the reintroduced bearded vulture.

The centrepiece of the Salzburg side is the 3,798 m Großglockner, Austria’s highest peak, reached by the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse via 36 hairpin bends. Below the summit, the Pasterze Glacier, approximately nine kilometres long, is one of the last great glacial tongues in the Alps, though it has retreated significantly in recent decades. At the western end of the park, the Krimmler Wasserfalle drop 380 m in three stages; the roar carries several kilometres, and the therapeutic mist from the falls is studied for its effects on respiratory conditions.

The park has a human history running beneath its wild surface. Around 350 alpine pastures cover 91,000 ha, some in continuous use for 5,000 years. The Habachtal valley holds Europe’s only significant emerald deposit; the mines are private today, but an Emerald Trail offers access. Historic gold-mining valleys, including Rauris, contributed to the phrase “Tauern gold,” and the Hochfeld Show Mine still runs guided tours into former tunnels.

Planning

From Salzburg, the main approaches into the Hohe Tauern are via Krimml at the western end, Kaprun for the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, and the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse for the summit panorama. The Grossglockner road is open from approximately early May to early November; a toll applies (B-grade note: verify current pricing before travel). The park’s 2,080 km of hiking trails in the Salzburg region include themed trails and free ranger-led walks that run several times weekly in summer and winter. High summer (July-August) brings the best glacier and waterfall conditions; spring and autumn offer fewer crowds and dramatic snowmelt flow at Krimmler Wasserfalle. The Nationalpark SommerCard, available through partner accommodation, covers entry to many park sites and includes transport options. Winter access is genuine: snowshoe routes, cross-country tracks near Rauris, and guided full-moon walks operate through the cold months.