Multi-Day-Hike around Hallstatt - in 5 days around Dachstein and Gosaukamm

The Salzkammergut offers many wonderful opportunities for hiking. Our five-day hike starts in the beautiful town of Hallstatt on Lake Hallstatt and takes us around the Dachstein massif and Gosaukamm. The tour offers beautiful views of Dachstein glacier and Gosaukamm and of course really good food at the huts!

The first day of the hike takes us from Hallstatt over 1500 meters in altitude up to the Simonyhütte hut. The next two days we walk in higher mountain areas below the Dachstein peaks to the Adamekhütte. From there you have a great view of the summit of the Dachstein and the Gosau glacier as well as the Gosaukamm and Gosausee. The next two days we go back to lower regions and the hike leads along the Gosaukamm. We spend one night at the Hofpürgelhütte and the last night at the Gablonzer Hütte. The last stage leads down to the beautiful Gosausee and across the Plankensteinalmen back to Hallstatt.

Parking

The tour starts and ends in Hallstatt. A good starting point is the Echerntal parking lot. The first stage of the tour also starts directly from there.

Map

The tour consists of 5 stages and 4 nights each at the Wiesberghaus/Simonyhütte, the Adamekhütte, the Hofpürglhütte and the Gablonzerhütte. The huts and the individual stages can be taken from the map below.

Day 1: Hallstatt Parking Lot - Wiesbberghaus/Simonyhütte

For the overnight stay on the first stage the Wiesbergalm or the Simonyhütte offer themselves. Depending on the route of the second stage changes (with approximately the same distance and walking time) and shortens the first stage by about 2h. We have chosen the Simonyhütte, but can also highly recommend the Wiesbergalm. The first day is very demanding with its 1700 meters of altitude and 12km total length. The first part of the tour leads along a road through the Waldbachtal up. In the upper part you have a great view of Hallstatt and the lake. After some time, a turnoff leads to the right in the direction of the Salzberg. We follow the signs in the direction of Wiesberghaus. The path now leads mainly through forest further up. Again and again the view of the Langgangkogel and Vorderen Plassen opens up. Further up, the forest becomes thinner and the path leads through the first karst rocks and mountain pines until you reach the Wiesberghaus. Strengthened with apple strudel, we continued on the trail through a landscape characterized by karst rocks. Soon you can see the Simony hut. After you have climbed the last rock and arrived at the hut, ona clear day a wonderful view of the Hallstatt glacier and the Dachstein opens up.

Day 2: Simonyhütte - Adamekhütte

The second day leads through karst landscape over the Hohe Trog and the Hosswandscharte. From the Simonyhütte we hike first quite flat then increasingly steep up to the Hoher Trog. In some sections some scrambling is needed. From the Hohen Trog the trail is getting quite steep down into a basin. We cross the basin and climb up again at the other end to the Hosswandscharte. From there we get a first view of the Gosaukamm. Past the Schneeloch, the path first leads downhill. Passing the Schreibwandeck, the Adamekhütte hut with the Gosau glacier and the Hohe Dachstein already come into view. You also have a great view of the Gosaukamm ridge as well as the Vorderer Gosausee. After a final climb, you reach the hut and can enjoy a good piece of cake with a view of the glacier and Dachstein. For a great view of the entire glacier and the peaks behind it, I recommend to climb the glacier moraine. Especially at sunset, the little detour is totally worth it!

Day 3: Adamekhütte - Hofpürglhütte

The first part of the trail today leads over the glacier moraine and through the basin of the old glacier tongue, which is marked by the glacial erosion. Very interesting here are also the many fossils (especially the heart-shaped, called Kuhtrittmuscheln mussels) that can be seen again and again along the way. The Linzer Steig then leads with well secured scrambling sections (to 1st degree) up to the Torsteineck. Back down into the cirque and past the small Gosaugletscher and the very striking Eiskarlspitz, the path then leads steeply up to the Hochkesseleck. There you have a great view of the Bischofsmütze and into the valley of the Gosausee. From here it goes steeply downhill past the Reißgangsattel until you reach Schafwiesen with further great panorama of the Gosaukamm and especially the Bischofsmütze. (Attention in the steep gully there is danger of falling rocks, it is best to have a helmet with you). The last section then leads over the Linzersteig with great views to the Hofpürglhütte.

Day 4: Hofpürgelhütte - Gablonzer Hütte

The penultimate day of the tour is mostly quite flat with only short ascents and descents around the Gosaukamm. Below the Bischofsmütze, the trail leads across meadows and small scree fields to the turnoff to the Sulzkarhütte. The trail continues through mountain pines and the slope now becomes increasingly steeper. After a short time you reach the Schwarzkogelsteig, which leads steeply down into the Stuhlloch and back up to the Stuhlalm. At the alp it is worthwhile to take a short break and eat a piece of cake. From the alpine pasture we take the second right fork (watch out for the Angkogelsteig on the far right) and continue through a small piece of forest and along some scree fields. Because this stage is quite short, it is also worthwhile to make an excursion to the Großer Donnerkogel (via the normal route or via Ferrata (Ferrata equipment needed)). It can be reached from the junction in 1 - 1 1/2 hours. From here to the Gablonzerhütte hut we walk on a wide hiking trail about 10 min downhill.

Day 5: Gablonzer Hütte - Hallstatt via Plankenstein Almen

Our last etappe leads over the Gosausee, the Ebenalm and the Plankensteinalmen back to Hallstatt. If you want to shorten the stage a bit, you can take the first cablecar down to the Gosausee in the morning. Alternatively, you can hike down to the lake on the hiking trail for about 1 hour. The Gosausee itself is beautiful and offers especially in the morning and evening a great reflection with the Dachstein. Our tour then leads along the left shore of the lake with a view over the lake to the Gosaukamm.

From the lakeside path, the hiking trail to the Ebenalm branches off after a short while. It first goes steeply uphill in some serpentines to the Ebenalm. From there, it continues on forest roads in the direction of Grubalm. After you have passed the Grubalm, the long awaited hiking trail soon branches off from the forest road and you walk more steeply uphill until you reach the Plankensteinalmen. Here you can strengthem yourself with a good snack and watch the horses grazing. From here, with a view of the Plassen peak, you continue towards Hallstatt. The trail now leads in some sections through beautiful flowering meadows.

Above the salt mine, the hiking trail then meets a steep tarred road, which we continue to follow. At the latest at the salt mine you will meet the first Hallstatt tourist crowds again. On the way down to Hallstatt, you will also pass the Rudolfsturm with its well-known viewing platform. Here you have a great view down to Hallstatt and the lake. Once you reach the lake, it’s worth taking a short dip in the water before heading back to the parking lot.