Hiking in Zell am See-
Kaprun
You want to hike in Zell am See-Kaprun and have lots of fun at the same time? Well, then you are at the right place. We recommend excellent hiking areas and fun activities in these hiking areas. For everyone who is looking for the ultimate holiday experience in Austria, the region Zell am See-Kaprun is perfect. You hike up the Kitzsteinhorn, visit the Krimml Waterfalls and conquer the Schmittenhoehe. The Zell am See Kaprun region offers unforgettable moments to all those who love hiking.
Your homebase for hiking adventures
The Hotel Falkenstein is your hotel in Kaprun as a starting point for wonderful hiking excursions. The hotel is located at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn. If you have discovered the top of the Kitzsteinhorn, then you can proudly say that you were on a 3,000-meter peak. We recommend great restaurants for each hiking area on this page. Zell am See Kaprun also offers various entertaining activities in the hiking areas, which we have of course noted down for you. You should always have the Zell am See-Kaprun Summer Card, which you receive free of charge as our guest, with you, because you enjoy many advantages with it …
Hiking paradise
Zell am See Kaprun
Put on your hiking boots and you’re ready to go! The Schmittenhoehe offers hiking and walking trails for all hiking levels. The cozy mountain huts and restaurants with the most beautiful view in Austria offer great snacks. Get excited about other highlights, such as the Schmittenhoehe herb and pleasure hike, the wooden sculpture park, the Jaegersteig feel-good trail or the Sissi circular hiking trail. For flight enthusiasts, tandem paragliding from the Schmittenhoehe is an unforgettable experience. Those who prefer to breathe in the mountain air slowly and relaxed should definitely try yoga on the mountain.
If you can’t decide between golf and frisbee, why not give discgolf a try. On the Schmittenhoehe you swing a frisbee instead of a golf club. It is important to hit them in a basket with as few throws as possible. You move “downhill” from 1850 meters to 1400 meters above sea level. An exciting 18-basket course is waiting for you and your loved ones. Fun for kids and grown-ups.
Our family tip: Visit the children’s paradise Schmidolin’s Adventure World or do the 4-lake hike and the “on tour in nature – family hike”.
- Summer card advantages: all lifts in operation are free of charge, Schmittenhoehebahn to the summit 1x free, guided hikes free of charge (as a guest of Das Falkenstein Hotel Kaprun you get the Zell am See Kaprun Summer Card free of charge)
- Special features: Schmidolin’s Adventure World, paragliding and panoramic tandem flights, yoga on the mountain, playing disc golf
- Culinary: Areit Lounge, Franzl, Sonnkogel Restaurant, Blaickner’s Sonnalm, Eder Hut, Jaga Alm, Pinzgauer Hut, Schmiedhof Alm
Exploring the
Sigmund-Thun Gorge
A special experience for your vacation in Zell am See Kaprun is the Sigmund-Thun Gorge Kaprun, only a 5-minute walk from the Falkenstein Hotel Kaprun. The water masses have dug their way into the gorge up to 32m deep for centuries. Highlights worth seeing are the gorge lights illuminated at night and the legendary night of the water with stories and guided tours. A special place of strength in Kaprun with the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area is the “Klammsee”, which supplies the gorge with water. The Spartan Race also makes some exciting stops along the gorge every year. Canyoning is another activity that you can do in the Sigmund Thun Gorge.
- Ideal for jogging, Nordic walking and walking the dog; Canyoning spot
- Culinary: Gasthof zur Muehle, less than 1 km away
Walking on
the Maiskogel
Our local mountain Maiskogel guarantees a relaxing holiday for nature lovers and families. With the new 3K K-onnection cable car you can comfortably get up the mountain from the village center of Kaprun. Here you can enjoy the surrounding mountains, indulge in alpine life or enjoy the Austrian delicacies in numerous rustic huts. Explore alpine grassland and hut hiking trails through the untouched landscape. Also a paradise for mountain bikers.
Fun guaranteed: The Maisiflitzer
NEW: with the new 3K K-onnection cable car, you float on to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area, even in winter! Our family tip: The Maisiflitzer Alpine roller coaster is a thrill for the whole family. You will find easier hiking trails for the whole family and a children’s play paradise at the valley station in the village center.
- Advantages with your Summer Card: Cable cars can be used as often as you like free of charge
- Special features: All year round toboggan run Maisiflitzer, children’s play paradise at the foot of the Schaufelberg, downhill mountain bike trail Jetzbachsteig, free guided hikes, wonderful family ski area in winter
- Culinary delights: Glocknerblick, Maiskogel Alm Ranch, Stangerbauer snack station, Unteraigen snack station
Kitzsteinhorn for your
hiking holidays
The Kitzsteinhorn, Austria’s first glacier ski area, is perfect for holidays at any time ot the year. Not only are impressive hiking trails waiting for you, but also an amazing view is guaranteed. A summer experience for all the senses and the whole family. In winter, the Kitzsteinhorn becomes one of the best ski areas in Austria.
Enjoy a movie on the mountain
What is there to see? Summit world 3000 at the mountain station with a panorama platform, a film about its high alpine nature and a 362 m long national park gallery with a connecting tunnel to another viewing platform, tire slide also in summer, Austria’s oldest cinema, Cinema 3000.
- Summer Card advantages: tickets for ascent and descent free of charge
- Special features: Gipfelwelt 3000, National Park Gallery, summer and winter skiing, guided walks to the summit
- Culinary delights: Summit Restaurant, Gletschermuehle Restaurant, Krefelderhuette, Salzburger Huette
Visit the High Mountain
Reservoirs in Kaprun
Visit the imposing High Mountain Reservoirs in Kaprun with the Mooserboden and Wasserfallboden reservoirs at an altitude of around 2000m. Get to know the functions of the dam on a guided tour. Then, enjoy the wonderful view of the Hohe Tauern on the sun terrace from Mooserboden and discover the unique flora and fauna of the Hohe Tauern along the herbal educational trail. Visit the children’s educational trail “Tobi Turbi” and learn more about nature and technology.
- With your Zell am See Kaprun Summer Card: free entry, free transportation to the High Mountain Reservoirs and back
- Special features: Imposing view, dam wall tours (inside), herbal nature trail, rustic stop at the Fuerthermoaralm with homemade bacon and cheese, adventure world electricity & ice on Mooserboden, hike from the Kitzsteinhorn to the reservoirs
- Culinary: Alpenhaus Kesselfall, Fuerthermoaralm, Mooserboden mountain restaurant
Explore the Ferleiten
Wildlife Park
The Ferleiten Wildlife & Adventure Park is located directly at the Ferleiten toll station on Glocknerstrasse. Take a leisurely hike through the wildlife park and observe the local fauna and game species. Afterwards, relax on the sun terrace of the rustic Wildpark Alm. The golf caddy tour through the adventure park is an exciting experience. The new highlights in the wildlife park: The lynx family is adorable, and the Wolf & Bear communal enclosure has been completed. 🐻🐺
- Advantage with your Summer Card: Free entry to the wildlife park. Games and fun in the amusement park for free on 20,000 square meters.
- Special features: free adventure play park, free entry to wildlife park, life under water, 250 extremely interesting wild animals
- Culinary: Restaurant Ferleiten with panoramic terrace
Hike to the
Krimml Waterfalls
The Krimml Waterfalls are the highest waterfalls in Europe. With an impressive height of 380 m, they are the fifth highest waterfalls in the world. Experience the refreshing drizzle and the impressive power of the water in the Hohe Tauern National Park.
- With your Zell am See Kaprun Summer Card: free entry
- Special features: fifth highest waterfalls in the world, drop height 380m. Great natural spectacle, well-developed path
- Culinary: Hanke’s Cafe Restaurant, Gasthof Schoenangerl, Reinis Pizzeria
Hohe Tauern National Park:
Hiking paradise
Where can you find 550 lakes at once? Exactly – in the Hohe Tauern National Park.
Zell am See Kaprun borders directly on one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. The summit of the Kitzsteinhorn itself is already in this wonderful, wild region of the Alps. In the Hohe Tauern National Park, all major alpine ecosystems are extensively preserved and undisturbed. Above it are 266 peaks over 3,000 m. 1200 km² of the area of the national park are in untouched natural landscape. The sanctuary is home to 130 km² of glaciers, over 550 lakes and 279 streams. The Salzburg part of the protected area is 805km².
Explore interesting plant species
At the same time, the Hohe Tauern National Park is the oldest of Austria’s national parks and more than a third of all plant species and more than half of all amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that occur in Austria can be found here. The Hohe Tauern National Park has been internationally recognized by the IUCN as a Category II (“National Park”) protected area and has thus been included in the family of the very large national parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, etc.
National Park excursions
During the summer and winter months, the national park administration offers excursions on a wide variety of topics for anyone interested. From Tauern crossings in the “footsteps of the mule packers” to wildlife observation, geological excursions or snowshoe hikes in the snow-covered Tauern valleys. The national park rangers are reliable and specially trained excursion guides. They bring visitors – young and old – closer to the uniqueness of the protected area in an exciting way.
- With your Summer Card, the entry to the Hohe Tauern National Park Center is free!
- Special features: geological excursions in Austria’s oldest national park
Tips for your
perfect hike
It is always advisable to have as little luggage as possible with you. Sure, that’s easier said than done. Because you have to be prepared for all weather conditions. In the mountains in particular, the weather can quickly change. Nevertheless, we recommend that you have a maximum of 8 kilos of luggage with you when you set off on a day hike. A 20-25 liter backpack is ideal for this. But what is best to pack now? We recommend a breathable weather protection that is wind and waterproof. Overpants and a functional jacket are therefore suitable items of clothing.
In addition to protective clothing, you also need safety equipment. The standard equipment includes a mobile phone for emergency calls, a small first aid kit and a sleeping bag (to protect yourself from the weather and to protect the injured). In addition to protective clothing and safety equipment, what else belongs in the hiking backpack? In any case, liquid for drinking and snacks – Ideally, you should choose drinks containing electrolytes. The minerals are important for your body when you are on your way.
In any case, you should always have sunscreen and lip protection with you. A high sun protection factor starting at 30 is ideal. What is also often useful is a pocket knife. You can also pack a headlamp. If you are on the road for a long time and it gets dark, you will definitely be happy about the headlamp you brought with you. Of course, you can quickly have a digital hiking map ready on your smartphone, but we also recommend a paper hiking map. Oldschool yes, but if the cell phone fails, the good old paper walking map is helpful!
With more than 15 kilos in the hiking backpack, hiking sticks are great auxiliary tools. They will help you balance the weight. The general rule is that you carry heavy weight as close to your body as possible. In a 50 liter backpack, you carry snacks, water bottle, tent, etc. (everything that is heavy) as close to your back as possible (on the inside of the backpack). The functional jacket and the sleeping bag can be packed in the bottom compartment of the backpack. It is best to attach additional items of clothing to the top of the backpack.
