Hiking holiday in Austria with the kids

Hiking on the Dachstein

The Gosau-Zwieselalm hiking region will amaze you with its fascinating views, craggy rock faces and gently curving mountain ranges. Above all the summits tower the jagged ridges of the Gosaukamm, home of the legendary Dachsteinkönig. To discover the hiking trails of Gosau, drive 10 minutes from the hotel into the Gosau valley and park at the Gosaukamm cable car station.

Guided hiking tours during your family hiking holiday in Austria can be arranged with our partner Checkpoint Sport, who is located directly in the hotel lobby.

Family walks in the Salzkammergut

Heilbronn Circular Trail

Duration: approx. 3 hours | Difficulty: easy

The family-friendly Heilbronn Circular Trail is particularly suited for family hiking holidays with children who enjoy walking. This well-developed route is easy to walk and there are lots of things for young walkers to explore along the way.

Short description: Take the Krippenstein cable car up the mountain from Hallstatt – go over the karst nature trail to the Heilbron Memorial – take a quick detour to the ‘cattle footprints’ (the mountains were once the floor of the ancient Tethys ocean) – carry on walking towards the Hirzarkogel until you reach the base station for section III of the cable car and return to the Krippenstein.

Zwieselalm circular route

Duration: approx. 2 hours | Difficulty: easy / medium

Short description: take the Gosaukamm cable car to the top – take trail no. 49 to the Gablonzerhütte – carry on walking until you get to the Breininghütte (10 minutes) – then move on to the Sonnenalm (20 minutes) – climb up to the Zwieselalmhöhe (30 minutes) – about 40 minutes later you’ll arrive at the Zwieselalmhütte – then take the Herrenweg trail (no. 611) back to the Gosaukamm cable car station.

Hikes suitable for buggies

Duration: approx. 1½ hours | Difficulty: easy

Off-road buggies are available to rent free of charge at the Gosaukamm cable car station on the mountain.

Short description: take the Gosaukamm cable car to the top – then take trail no. 49 to the Gablonzerhütte – carry on walking until you get to the Breininghütte (10 minutes) – move on to the Sonnenalm (20 minutes) and then make your way back. You have the option, if you want to, of carrying on walking for a further 30 minutes to the Zwieselalmhöhe.

Grosser Donnerkogel

Duration: approx. 2 hours | Difficulty: medium

Short description: take the Gosaukamm cable car to the top – then take trail no. 49 to the Gablonzerhütte – carry on walking until you get to the Breininghütte – turn left onto the Austriaweg (no. 611) – climb up to Obere Törleck at the foot of the small Donnerkogel – head downhill to Unterer Törlecksattel – go left at the fork (going right will take you to the Stuhlalm) along the steep and, in parts, exposed, trail no. 628 to the summit – walk through an area of green alders and mountain pines, then over rocky ledges, scree, steep rocky steps and through a short gorge towards the summit (approx. 1½ hours) – then go back the same way you came.

Hike to the Rottenhofhütte

Duration: approx. 1½ hours | Difficulty: easy / medium

Short description: take the Gosaukamm cable car to the top – take trail no. 49 to the Gablonzerhütte – carry on walking until you get to the Breininghütte (10 minutes) – move on to the Sonnenalm (20 minutes) – climb up to the Zwieselalmhöhe (30 minutes) – about 40 minutes later, you’ll arrive at the Zwieselalmhütte – then, at the Herrenweg/Russbach/Annaberg crossroads (trail no. 611) – head towards Riedlkar/Rottenhofhütte.

The Gosaukamm cable car

The Gosaukamm gondola cable car takes you up to the Dachstein West hiking region in just 4 minutes. It runs daily from mid-May to the end of October every 15 minutes, starting at 8.15am. From here, you can enjoy a fantastic view of the Gosausee lake across to the Dachstein glacier. The last trip back down to the valley is at 4.50pm or, from mid-June to mid-September, at 5.20pm.

Places to rest

If you need a welcome break from hiking on the Dachstein during your family hiking holiday in Austria, there are plenty of great places to stop for refreshments on the mountain pastures. Here you can enjoy a tasty snack, while the views of the natural surroundings will delight people of all ages.

Breininghütte
The Breininghütte, near the Gosaukamm cable car mountain station, serves home-style cooking. Telephone: +43 6136 8506

Sonnenalm
The Sonnenalm serves homemade pastries and traditional fare from mid-June to October, with sun terrace, winter garden and cosy indoor seating.

Zwieselalmhütte
The Zwieselalmhütte is a rustic mountain hut serving traditional dishes with a great view. Telephone: +43 6136 8389

Rottenhofhütte
The Rottenhofhütte is open daily from mid-May until mid-October, with a wonderful range of homemade products.

Gablonzerhütte
From May to October, the team at the Gablonzerhütte serve visitors freshly-prepared traditional and local dishes.
More info …