At 3,203 metres the Kitzsteinhorn towers above the Zell am See-Kaprun region and is Salzburg’s only glacier ski area; the summit station at 3,029 metres is the highest point in the province reachable by cable car. Set in the Hohe Tauern National Park, it offers a high mountain world of perpetual ice, rugged rock and a panorama reaching across the three-thousanders of the Hohe Tauern. Whether in high summer or deep in snow: the Kitzsteinhorn works in every season \u2013 and it is the only place in the region with reliable snow in October and May.<\/p>\n\n
From Kaprun the 3K K-onnection cable car link takes you up the mountain. Over several sections you travel from the base station to the Gipfelwelt 3000, with views of glacier and reservoir landscape along the way. The 3K K-onnection is a tri-cable gondola that connects the Maiskogel across the valley directly with the glacier \u2013 which makes Kaprun one of the very few places in the Alps where you reach 3,000 metres from the village centre without a car and without a ski depot.<\/p>\n
The Gipfelwelt 3000 is the heart of the excursion and the reason the ascent is worthwhile even without skis. It is the highest-altitude visitor world in the SalzburgerLand and can be explored entirely on foot.<\/p>\n
A practical note: the tunnel is interesting even in poor weather, the platform is not. If you are coming for the view, check mountain visibility beforehand \u2013 with high fog in the valley it is often brilliantly clear up top, but under closed cloud you will see nothing.<\/p>\n\n
As Salzburg’s only glacier ski area, the Kitzsteinhorn offers snow reliability when elsewhere there is still, or already again, grass showing. Skiing usually starts in October and runs into late spring, sometimes into early summer. The exact operating days are set anew each season by the lift company and shifted according to conditions \u2013 only the operator’s own information is binding.<\/p>\n
One point we consider more important than any feature list: freeriding on a glacier is not a by-product of the ski day. Crevasses are present even under a closed snow cover. A transceiver, shovel and probe are a prerequisite \u2013 without avalanche and glacier experience, go with a mountain guide or stay on the piste. How much snow is lying is in the snow report<\/a>; the pistes are described in the piste and glacier guide for Kaprun<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n The Kitzsteinhorn lies in the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest protected area in the Alps. On guided tours with the national park rangers you learn about glaciers, geology and high alpine wildlife and plants \u2013 an offering that is worthwhile above all for families and in mixed weather, because it gives the excursion substance even without a distant view.<\/p>\n In summer, hiking trails of varying difficulty lead through the glacier forefield, and from June to mid-September three mountain bike freeride trails are available. The retreat of the glacier is directly visible here, incidentally \u2013 markers in the forefield show where the ice ended in earlier decades.<\/p>\n\n Several mountain restaurants and alpine huts are spread along the cable cars. At glacier level the choice is naturally limited and self-service the rule; the cosier huts with sun terraces lie further down.<\/p>\n Two practical notes: during the holiday weeks lunchtime between twelve and half past one is busiest \u2013 eat at eleven or at two and you will sit more comfortably. And bring cash, even though cards work almost everywhere; reception on the huts is not always reliable.<\/p>\n\n There is far more to do around the mountain than the ascent alone. In summer the paths in the glacier forefield and the high-level walks from the middle stations are the obvious choice; in winter ski tours and freeride routes are added, which require high alpine experience.<\/p>\n If you want to explore the region more widely, our overviews Kitzsteinhorn or Schmittenh\u00f6he<\/a> and the ski areas of the region<\/a> pick up from here.<\/p>\n\n If you have only one day and the view is the reason for the trip: take the clearest day of the week, not the most convenient one. At the Kitzsteinhorn, visibility decides the value of the excursion more than at any other destination in the region.<\/p>\n\n The mountain works with children, but it asks for some planning. The Gipfelwelt 3000 with its tunnel and platforms is exciting for school-age children; for toddlers the altitude is tiring and the route long. Pushchairs are only partly practical in the Gipfelwelt \u2013 a carrier works better.<\/p>\nNature & national park<\/h2>\n
Places to eat<\/h2>\n
Tips for your visit<\/h2>\n
Tours at the Kitzsteinhorn<\/h2>\n
When to go up<\/h2>\n
Period<\/th> What to expect<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> October to November<\/td> skiing on the glacier only, limited pistes, quiet midweek<\/td><\/tr> December to April<\/td> full operation, high season \u2013 Christmas and February busiest<\/td><\/tr> May into early summer<\/td> spring snow, long days, very few people<\/td><\/tr> Summer<\/td> Gipfelwelt 3000, hiking trails, bike trails June to mid-September<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n The Kitzsteinhorn with children<\/h2>\n