Cable Car
The Untersbergbahn is a cable car that climbs 1,320 metres of vertical in eight to ten minutes from the valley floor at Grödig to the Geiereck, the Austrian summit station of the Untersberg massif at 1,776 metres. It is one of the steepest cable car ascents in Austria and the main gateway to a mountain that has defined Salzburg’s southern horizon for centuries.
The cable car opened in 1961 after a construction project that had been attempted and delayed since the early 20th century. Political tensions between Austria and Bavaria, the mountain’s unforgiving geology, and the logistics of working at altitude all complicated matters. The eventual company was founded in 1958 with backing from the City of Salzburg using Marshall Plan credits, and construction required auxiliary lifts just to get workers and materials up the face.
The result connects Salzburg to a 70 km² high plateau that straddles the Austrian-Bavarian border. At the top, the Geiereck station serves as the starting point for trails that cross the plateau, descend toward Berchtesgaden, or trace the edges of the cliffs for panoramic views toward the Salzkammergut and the Chiemsee on clear days.
The Untersberg itself sits deep in Salzburg’s cultural imagination. Local legend holds that Charlemagne or Frederick Barbarossa sleeps inside the mountain, waiting to emerge. Whatever the mythology, the physical experience of riding the cabin up over the limestone cliffs, with the valley falling away below at a 79% incline at its steepest, is immediately and genuinely impressive.
Valley station at Dr.-Friedrich-Oedl-Weg 2, St. Leonhard bei Grödig, reachable by bus lines 25, 28, or 840 from Salzburg. Opens at 08:30 in summer, 09:00 in winter; runs every 30 minutes. EUR 34 round-trip adults (EUR 22 single). Allow at least half a day. Mountain walking shoes recommended.
Do it here
These experiences include this place in their authored route.
Visitor pass: free entry to most major attractions + free public transport. 24/48/72-hour versions. Covers Hohensalzburg Fortress, Salzburg Museum, Haus der Natur, DomQuartier, Hellbrunn Palace, cable cars. Note: the Salzburg Museum is closed for renovation until approximately spring 2027, so it does not count toward the card's value until it reopens.
The Untersberg Day Hike combines the Untersbergbahn cable car to the Geiereck at 1,776 m with self-guided walks on the open limestone plateau above Salzburg. The summit gives views across the German border into the Berchtesgaden valley and back over the city.
