Salzalpensteig Trail | Eurohike Hiking Holiday

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Basic information about the Salzalpensteig

The Salzalpensteig is a 233km long, cross-border hiking route in Bavaria and Austria. The long-distance hiking trail was opened in 2015 and, with a total of 18 daily stages and a further 26 circular hikes, offers unlimited active pleasure for all stakeholders and hiking enthusiasts. You will experience the most beautiful mountain worlds, forests, lakes, natural landscapes and learn one thing in particular – a lot of interesting facts about the salt deposits, as well as the history of the extraction of the ‘white gold’ in the show mines and historical salt works. The starting point of the Salzalpensteig is in Prien am Chiemsee and the hiking tour leads through the Chiemgau and Berchtesgadener Land in Germany and leads you to the destination of Obertraun on Lake Hallstatt in Austria.

The most beautiful tours and stages on the Salzalpensteig

Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 1

Our hiking tour on the Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 1, 8 days starts at the Chiemsee, the ‘Bavarian Sea’. Your route takes you over old salt paths along the beautiful banks of the Chiemsee to Marquartstein. On the second day’s stage to Bergen, you go up to the Schnappenkirche, where you can expect wonderful views and culinary delights. The third day impresses with a cable car ride up the Hochfelln and later back down to Ruhpolding in the Chiemgau Alps. The next day’s stage takes you to Inzell. The last two stages are again a real treat for the palate and the eye. First you experience the beautiful Höllenbachalm on the way to Bad Reichenhall and the following day to the beautiful views of the Watzmann, the Steinerne Meer and the Hochkönig shortly before you reach your final destination, Schönau am Königssee. The Salzalpensteig 1 has been recognized as a premium hiking trail – you can read more about our hiking tours along the quality and premium hiking trails in Germany on our Eurohike blog.

Hiker on the way to St. Bartholomä am Königssee

Salzalpensteig Trail 1, Chiemsee – Königssee/Berchtesgaden

8 Days

23 ratings

Hiker in the mountains at the Salzalpensteig

Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2

On our hiking tour Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2, 8 days and the shorter hiking holiday Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2, 6 days, you travel along the historical and legendary salt paths from the Königssee to the Salzkammergut. The starting point of the trip is Schönau am Königssee or Golling when booking the shorter 6-day variant. The route continues from Golling to Abentau and the next day over beautiful alpine meadows and over the Gsenghöhe to Annaberg. On the following day, the hiking route takes you from Gosau via the Iglmoosalm to the Goiserer Hut and on the Hochkalmberg with the rock formation resembling a ‘stone Indian’. On the seventh day, the path leads you to your final destination, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hallstatt and back to Bad Hoisern for the night. When booking the hiking tour on the Salzalpensteig 2, 6 days, your final stage is from Gosau to Bad Goisern.

Hiker on the Gosau ridge with a view of Lake Gosau

Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2, Königssee/Berchtesgaden – Hallstatt

8 Days

17 ratings

Trail marking on the Gosaukamm with hiker and mountains in the background

Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2, Golling – Bad Goisern

6 Days

5 ratings

Panoramic view at lake Königssee in Berchtesgaden

Our Eurohike moments on the Salzalpensteig

Regional treasures of the Alp: On the hiking tour on the Salzalpensteig 1, 8 days, you will go up high on the sixth day. On the beautiful Höllenbachalm in Bad Reichenhall, you can taste delicious milk products from their own grazing cattle.
Salt culture in Bad Dürrnberg: On your hiking tour on the Salzalpensteig 2, 8 days, you will learn more about salt mining and the historic salt mine Bad Dürrnberg on the first day’s stage.

Heavenly view: On the fourth day of your hiking tour on the Salzalpensteig 1, days you will take the cable car to the Hochfelln. Something heavenly awaits you there – the small Tabor Chapel, which is located at the highest point of the Hochfelln.
Culinary life in the Alpine region: On the day’s stage from Annaberg to Gosau on our hiking tour on the Salzalpensteig 2, 6 days, you can look forward to something particularly delicious. The regional sweet and savoury Alpine delights on the Stuhlalm.

The route of the Salzalpensteig

Hike in Bavaria and Austria

Our two variants of the hiking tours on the Salzalpensteig guarantee a diverse active experience. You will experience the beauty of nature on old salt paths in Bavaria and in the Salzburger Land and hike on varied routes. The hiking trails are well-developed, but a good basic level of fitness is required to tackle the daily stages. For the somewhat longer climbs and mountain hikes, we recommend sure-footedness and a head for heights. The view of the wonderful mountains that await you after the ascent is unique and will certainly remain in your memory for a long time.

Hiking break at the high altitude trail along Gosaukamm ridge

Facts and details about the Salzalpensteig

Location: Bavaria and Austria
Length: 233 kilometres
Route: Prien am Chiemsee to Obertraun am Hallstätter See
Season: the best climate for hiking trips is from May to October
Lowest point/highest point: 466 metres in altitude (near Kuchl) to 1,663 metres in altitude (Hochfelln)
Special features: On this long-distance hiking trail you will experience three beautiful lakes – the Chiemsee and Königssee in Bavaria, as well as the Hallstätter See in Austria. Even then, water played an essential role in salt production.
Circular hikes: 26 additional tours and opportunities for circular hikes along the Salzalpensteig provide even more hiking pleasure.

Questions and answers about hiking on the Salzalpensteig

Where is the Salzalpensteig located?

The Salzalpensteig extends over the two countries of Germany and Austria, specifically from Bavaria to the Salzkammergut.

How long is the Salzalpensteig?

The Salzalpensteig is 233 kilometres long.

Who is the Salzalpensteig suitable for?

Our hiking tours on the Salzalpensteig fall under our category mountain hiking. The route leads over good hiking paths through the beautiful mountain world in southern Germany and Austria. With a good basic level of fitness and surefootedness, the hiking tours on the Salzalpensteig are guaranteed to be a wonderful active experience.

What special highlights can be found along the Salzalpensteig?

As the name of this hiking tour suggests, there is a lot to discover on the Salzalpensteig about the history of salt mining and salt culture. The Bad Dürnberg Salt Mine is the ideal place to learn about this. Along the route there are numerous culinary highlights to be tasted on the alpine pastures and traditional inns.

How long are the stages on the Salzalpensteig?

On the daily stages of our hiking tours on the Salzalpensteig, you cover between 11 and 23 kilometers of hiking per day.

How is the route/stages on the Salzalpensteig?

The route on our hiking tours on the Salzalpensteig varies depending on the tour – here is an overview:

Mountain hiking holiday Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 1, 8 days: The eight-days hiking tour takes you from Prien/surroundings to Marquartstein, Bergen, Ruhpolding, Inzell, Bad Reichenhall and finally to Schönau am Königssee.
Mountain hiking holiday Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2, 8 days: The route on the Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2 leads you from Schönau am Königssee to Golling, Abentau, on to Annaberg and Gosau, to Bad Goisern and finally to the stage destination to Hallstatt.
Mountain hiking holiday Salzalpensteig – Hiking Trail 2, 6 days: In the short hiking holiday, the route guidance differs slightly from the eight-day hiking tour. Your start your hiking tour in Golling, hike to Abentau, Annaberg, Gosau and finally to Bad Goisern, the tour destination.