Winter hoar frost in the Gosautal
8 DACHSTEINGEBIRGE
Winter hoar frost in the Gosautal
Southeast of Salzburg, on the edge of the Salzkammergut lake district, the Dachstein group forms one of the most easterly massifs in the chain of the Northern Limestone Alps. The central core of the group is dominated by the 2995m Hoher Dachstein, the second highest of this limestone chain, whose south side is a precipitous wall of rock rising from a vast scree apron, and whose north flank contains several glaciers that drain down to forested lower hills and the mirror-like waters of the Gosausee and Hallstätter See. Encircled by roads, with a few cableways giving access to select high places, the district is liberally supplied with walkers’ trails, mountain huts and alm restaurants. At the western end of the Dachsteingebirge, the bewitchingly attractive group of the Gosaukamm is sometimes referred to as the Salzburg Dolomites. Six or seven major summits over 2000m, together with numerous other turrets and pinnacles bursting from scree or pasture, create a scene of jagged Dolomitic grandeur, around which a justifiably popular tour has been created.
By contrast, the Hoher Dachstein contains shrinking icefields and some exciting klettersteig routes, one of which takes an airy and spectacular journey eastward from the Dachsteinsüdwand cableway to the Guttenberghaus; an extravaganza of ladders, fixed cables and rungs, that lead to hours of scrambling among cliffs and towers with hundreds of metres of space beneath your boots.
There are limestone pavements and beautiful alpine meadows grazed by bell-clattering cows. There are larch groves and deep-shaded pinewoods, neat farmhouses hung about with flowers, icy lakes, and in Hallstatt, one of Europe’s most beautiful villages. Seen from afar, the Dachsteingebirge seduces with a hint of mystery, but up close that mystery is replaced by a reality no less seductive or rewarding.
| Location | Shared between the provinces of Salzburg, Upper Austria and Styria, the Dachstein group is bounded by the Ramsau terrace and Enns valley in the south, and the Gosaubach and Hallstätter See to the north. The Tennengebirge forms a buffer to the west, while the 2351m Grimming effectively closes the group in the east. |
| Maps | Alpenvereinskarte 14 Dachstein 1:25,000; Kompass Wanderkarte 20 Dachstein 1:50,000; Freytag & Berndt WK281 Dachstein-Ausseer Land-Ramsau and WK201 Schladminger Tauern-Radstadt-Dachstein 1:50,000 |
| Bases | Filzmoos, Ramsau, Hallstatt |
| Information | Tourismusverband Filzmoos (e-mail: info@filzmoos.at; website: www.filzmoos.at); Tourismusverband Ramsau am Dachstein (e-mail: info@ramsau.com; website: www.ramsau.com); Tourismusverband Hallstatt (e-mail: hallstatt@inneres-salzkammergut.at; website: www.hallstatt.net) |
| Access | By train to Radstädt or Schladming, then bus to Filzmoos or Ramsau.; For Hallstatt, take the train from Salzburg via Bad Ischl. Hallstatt station is on the opposite shore of the lake, but there’s a connecting ferry.; By road take the A10 autobahn south of Salzburg to Eben, then via a minor road to Filzmoos and Ramsau.; To reach Hallstatt by road, follow route 145 south of Bad Ischl to Bad Goisern, then minor road to Hallstatt. |
Filzmoos (1057m) This small but attractive resort village lies on the southern side of the Dachstein group below the 2459m Bischofsmütze, perhaps the most distinguished of the Gosaukamm’s peaks. It has plenty of three- and four-star hotels, gasthöfe, pensionen, apartments and bed-and-breakfast accommodation. The village has modest facilities that include sports shops, a supermarket, post office, a helpful tourist office, and two banks with ATMs. The nearest campsite (Camping Dachstein) is located 8km further east on the way to Ramsau.
Hallstatt is one of Austria’s finest villages
Ramsau am Dachstein (1135m) A seemingly uncoordinated string of hamlets scattered along a broad green terrace at the foot of the Dachstein’s south face, Ramsau appears not to have one centre, but two; Kulm (1083m) and Ort (1135m), neither of which suggests much of a resort. Served by bus from Schladming, Ramsau is popular in winter for nordic skiing, in summer for gentle valley walking and with visitors eager to make the ascent of the Hoher Dachstein aided by the Dachsteinsüdwand cable car. There are cafés, restaurants, a few shops, a bank with ATM (in Ramsau Ort) and plenty of tourist accommodation.
Hallstatt (508m) Beautifully set on the western shore of the Hallstätter See, Hallstatt has an historical pedigree dating back to at least 800BC when salt was first mined there. With a precipitous cliff behind it, the village projects over and almost into the lake, and is understandably popular as one of Austria’s major tourist attractions. Accommodation can be found in a few hotels, gasthöfe, private rooms and a youth hostel, and there’s a campsite on the southern outskirts. The tourist office can provide full details.
Adamek Hut (2196m) Built in 1908 by the Austria section of the ÖAV below the now-receding Grosse Gosau glacier, this large Category I hut has 25 beds and 71 dormitory places, and is staffed from the end of May to the start of October (tel 0664 5473481 www.adamek.at).
Austria Hut (1638m) Also owned by the Austria section of the ÖAV, this hut dates from 1880, and is easily reached from Ramsau Ort (just 20mins from a bus stop at the Türlwand Hut). It’s a Category II building, staffed virtually all year except November, and has 35 beds and 25 dormitory places (tel 03687 81522 www.alpenverein.at/austriahuette).
Dachstein-Südwand Hut (1871m) A privately owned hut built on a spur projecting from the south flank of the Dachstein, it can be reached in 30mins by an easy path cutting round the mountainside from the Türlwand Hut roadhead. It has 20 beds and 40 dormitory places, and is staffed from mid-May to the beginning of November (tel 03687 81509 www.alpenverein.at/huetten).
Gablonzer Hut (1522m) Standing at the northern end of the Gosaukamm, just 300m from the top station of the Gosaukammbahn, the Category II Gablonzer Hut is owned by the ÖAV’s Neugablonz section from Enns. Staffed most of the year, except May and November, it has 30 beds and 42 dormitory places (tel 06136 8465 www.gablonzerhuette.at).
Guttenberghaus (2147m) Built 1912–14 at the eastern end of the Dachstein massif, and reached by a walk of about 3½hrs from Ramsau Kulm, this Category I hut belongs to the Austria section of the ÖAV, has 25 beds and 45 dormitory places, and is manned from June to the end of September (tel 03687 22753 www.alpenverein.at/guttenberghaus).
Hofpürgl Hut (1705m) From Filzmoos, this hut may be reached by a walk of about 2½hrs. Having a wonderful close view of the south face of the Bischofsmütze, good rock climbing nearby, and access for walkers to the circular tour of the Gosaukamm, it is understandably popular. Originally built in 1902, this Category I hut belongs to the Linz section of the ÖAV, has 40 beds and 70 dormitory places, and is fully staffed from the end of May to mid-October (tel 06453 8304 www.alpenverein.at/huetten).
Schlicherhaus (1739m) A privately owned hut on the Gjaidalm south of the Hallstätter See, it is easily reached by cableway from Obertraun, so is very popular with day visitors as well as walkers exploring the limestone Dachstein plateau. It has 57 beds and 30 dormitory places, and is open most of the year except May and November (tel 06131 596).
Seethaler Hut (2740m) This small Category I hut, located between the Hoher Dachstein and Dirndl, may only be used in an emergency. It was built by the Austria section of the ÖAV in 1929, has just 8 places in its dormitory, but is manned from June to mid-October (tel 03687 81036 www.alpenverein.at/seethalerhuette).
Simony Hut (2203m) Standing at the foot of the Hallstätter glacier, the Simony Hut dates from 1878. With 30 beds and 90 dormitory places, it is fully staffed throughout the year, except for the period November to Christmas (tel 0664 9184174 www.simonyhuette.com). Owned by the ÖAV’s Austria section, the Category I hut is reached by a walk of about 6hrs from Hallstatt, but 2½hrs from the Gjaidalm station of the cableway from Obertraun.
Theodor-Körner Hut (1466m) Nestling among trees below the Gosaukamm, this small, homely Category I hut was built in 1924 for the ÖAV’s Academic section from Vienna. With 6 beds and 33 dormitory places, it is staffed from June to mid-October (tel 0664 9166303 www.koerner-huette.at).
