Dachstein circular hiking trail

the hut tour
7 days / 6 nights
  • Arrival daily possible

“World heritage region”: the mighty Dachstein – 2995 meters high – has been decorated with this award in 1997. The impressive mountain landscape along with Hallstatt and the region Dachstein Salzkammergut were named world heritage region by UNESCO.

Highlights

  1. from hut to hut around the Dachstein
  2. unique nature experiences

The course of your hiking tour:

Day 1: Individual arrival in Gosau am Dachstein

Handover of travel documents at the hotel.

Overnight stay in Gosau.

Day 2: from Gosau to the Hofpürgl hut

Starting at the wonderful lake Gosausee you use the cable car to get to Zwieselalm. From here you hike a long the Gosaukamm range. Pass the impressive Donnerkogel and the Bischofsmütze and finally you arrive at the Hofpürglhütte. Overnight stay at Hofpürglhütte.
~ 10 km, 4-5 hrs, altitude difference ascent 850 m / descent 860 m

Day 3: from the Hofpürglhut to the Dachstein south face

From the Hofpürglhütte todays hike leads you along the timber line and through limestone landscape. At this high altitude hiking trail you walk around the valley above Filzmoos and finally reach the Dachstein Südwandhütte. Overnight stay Dachstein Südwandhütte
~11 km, 5-6 hrs, altitude difference ascent 762 m / descent 586 m

Day 4: Hike to the Guttenberghaus via 2 variants

Variant 1:
Walk through the valley. From the Südwandhütte the trail leads you to the valley station of the cable car and further on to Ramsau. You head on via the Anton-Baum-trail, cross the timber line again and ascent to Guttenberg lodge. Recommended in cloudy and foggy weather conditions.
~15 km, 4-5 hrs, altitude difference ascent 1048 m / descent 785 m

Variant 2:
Ascent by cable car to the Dachstein glacier (to be paid on spot). High altitude hike on trail 674 to Guttenberg lodge
~9,5 km, 4-5 hrs, altitude difference ascent 264 m / descent 861 m

Overnight stay at Guttenberg lodge.

ATTENTION: If you decide to take the route via the Dachstein Glacier it is very important to make a reservation for your gondola ride here: www.derdachstein.at/en - at minimum 1 week in advance. Otherwise the gondola could be fully booked.
For the reservation guests are responsible for themselves.

Day 5: across the "am Stein" plateau

The next stage takes you from the Guttenberghaus across the high plateau Am Stein and through a wonderful karst landscape towards Krippenegg and in the end to the Wiesberghaus. Overnight stay at Wiesberghaus

~ 16 km, 5 hrs, altitude difference ascent 185 m / descent 466 m

Day 6: Descent via Hallstatt

Today´s route leads you from the Wiesberghaus towards mount Plassen. Here you pass the oldes salt mines world wide (some 7000 years old). Next you pass the historic Rudolf´s tower and follow the serpentines down to the UNESCO world heritage town Hallstatt. After you enjoyed the famous town center, use the bus to get back to the starting point in Gosau. Overnight stay in Gosau
~ 12 km, 5-6 hrs, altitude difference ascent 278 m / descent 1519 m

Day 7: Individual departure

or additional nights

Requirements and General Information

The tour mainly covers alpine terrain. You will need appropriate mountain equipment and basic stamina. Necessary mountain equipment: ankle-high boots, functional clothes, rucksack, food and water, rain and sun protection, first-aid kit, mobile phone, possibly hiking sticks, … Even in the midsummer there could be a drop of temperature, so please make sure that you have warm clothing with you including gloves and cap.

Your route is recorded for posterity when you enter your name in every hut logbook in the Dachstein Mountains. The routes are well signposted, although the signs could partly be covered by snow. Hence, it is imperative that you take your maps and the Dachstein hiking book with you. An experienced guide is available to accompany you upon request.

The carrying out of the tour is dependent on weather conditions! Alternative walking routes are always possible.

Arrangement

6x
(2 x ***inn/hotel, 4 x hut – communal bunks, hut sleeping bags* mandatory)
1x
welcome video with explanations and information that you need for the tour
1x
cable car ride to Zwieselalm
1x
bus ride Hallstatt - Gosau
1x
Dachstein hiking guide book + extra tour map (1 x per room)
+
Daily service hotline from 08.00 – 18.00 (also on weekends)
+
A tree for your booking – we plant a tree for your booking

Rates per person and arrangement in €:

  01.07. - 02.10.2024
***hotel/inn in double room (communal bunks in hut) 480,--
Supplement half board (min. 2 course dinner in inns/hotels and partly also in huts otherwise 1 course hikers-meal in huts) 209,--
Supplement 2 x single room (communal bunks in huts) 105,--
Mountain guide on request
Day of arrival daily

The local tax, also known as visitor's tax, is payable locally to the landlord; the amount depends on the resort and is between €1,00 and €4,00 per person per night. Children up to the age of 15 are usually exempt.

Notes on staying at an Alpine lodge:

  • *Hut sleeping bag: blankets are available in the huts; necessary but mandatory is only a lightweight cotton/silk sleeping bag liner
  • Due to their location, not all huts can offer running water, hot water or showers. In some cases there is also no flushing system in the toilets.
  • On most huts, card payment is not possible. Take enough cash with you for food and drinks.

Become a sponsor of Austrian mountain rescue and enjoy the comprehensive rescue protection: www.bergrettung-ooe.at/en/foerderer-werden

The standard terms and conditions of the Salzkammergut Touristik GmbH apply in the current version.

Rates and operating hours / timetables are subject to change

Our recommendations:
Get a travel cancellation insurance.

Informationen

For environmental reasons, we recommend arriving and departing by public transport (train/bus). We are happy to help you organise your train journey within Austria. Talk to us!

"A tree for your booking" – Cooperation project with Austrian Federal Forests

For every bike or hiking tour in the region booked with us, a tree is planted in the Weißenbach valley – near Bad Ischl. With this campaign we want to generate awareness for climate-friendly travel and take responsibility for a world worth living in.

The ‘Dachstein circular hiking trail’ opens up the scenic beauty and diversity of the Dachstein, the "showpiece of the northern limestone Alps", in 8 daily stages. In manageable daily stages, without rope and climbing equipment, with walking times between four and seven hours, the scenic diversity of the mountain range can be experienced hiking.

Level of difficulty
Daily stages with up to 1800 metres of ascent - Ø 8-18 hours walking time - extremely difficult terrain: Trails with very large obstacles. Only for trained hikers.

For questions we are available.

Salzkammergut Touristik GmbH

Götzstraße 12

4820 Bad Ischl


Tel.: 0043 (0)6132 24000-51

office@salzkammergut.co.at