Dürrenstein
1,878 m
Austria
- Elevation
- 1,878 m
- Prominence
- 809 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A long but technically easy marked walk: from Kasten near Lunz am See (about 580 m) up the wild Lechnergraben to the Grünloch doline and the Ybbstaler Hütte (1,343 m), then across the karst plateau past the Legstein spring to the summit ridge and the cross at 1,878 m. About 1,300 m of ascent; often split over two days with a night at the hut.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 12.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,518 m
- −220 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,878 m
- Time Up
- 7h 01m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 17m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Töpperbrücke in Kasten (about 580 m), 2.5 km south of Lunz am See, follow the forest road and then the red-marked path south-east up the Lechnergraben, a nature reserve with old forest, dwarf pine and subalpine flora. The last part below the hut is the steepest: through a dolomite basin under the Dachstein limestone walls of the Lechnermäuer to the Almgatterl (about 1,320 m), where the plateau opens into the Grünloch, a doline known as one of the coldest places in Central Europe. Continue through mountain forest over the saddle at the Hirzeck to the Ybbstaler Hütte (1,343 m) on the Dürrensteinalm, about 3–3½ hours from Kasten (the Austrian Alpine Club gives 4–4½ hours). From the hut the red-marked path climbs from the Wiesenalm through the last mountain forest to the Legsteinalm (hunting hut and spring, about 1,450 m), then over the heavily karstified plateau of dwarf pine and tall herbs above the tree line to the summit ridge near the Eisenstatt. A traverse on the north flank, with views down to the Seetal and the Obersee, leads to the branch of the path that climbs rock steps and grass bands to the summit cross, about 2 hours from the hut. Descend the same way (about 3½–4 hours to Kasten), or traverse via the Schneeloch, the Rosengarten and the Herrenalm ('Lehardi' cross, 1,406 m) to the Obersee and out along the Seetal to the Lunzer See. The plateau is featureless in mist; stay on the marked path, which is also compulsory inside the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal wilderness area.
Start
Parkplatz Töpperbrücke576 m
- Bus 655 from Scheibbs station to 'Kasten an der Ybbs Töpperbrücke' (the Ybbstal railway no longer runs).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parkplatz Töpperbrücke → Ybbstaler Hütte | 7.5 | 979 | 212 | 4h 37m |
| 2 | Ybbstaler Hütte → Dürrenstein | 4.7 | 537 | 8 | 2h 23m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Parkplatz Töpperbrücke576 m
About 20 parking spaces
- Feature: Lechnergraben914 m
- Feature: Grünloch1,272 m
The path tops out at the Almgatterl beside the Grünloch doline
- Hut: Ybbstaler Hütte1,346 m
- Feature: Legsteinquelle1,462 m
Spring with drinking water at the Legsteinalm
- Summit: Dürrenstein1,878 m
Key Passages
- Steep dolomite basin below the Lechnermäuer to the Almgatterl
- Karst plateau above the Legsteinalm
- Traverse of the north flank and rock steps to the summit cross
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A broad limestone massif (1,878 m) south of Lunz am See, the highest point of the Mostviertel after the Ötscher. Its summit rises from a large karst plateau on the edge of the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal wilderness area, a UNESCO World Heritage site with the largest primeval forest in the Alps.
The Dürrenstein stands in south-western Lower Austria on the border with Styria, the third-highest summit of the Ybbstal Alps and similar in form to the Ötscher about 20 km to the east. The summit lies on the southern edge of a plateau of more than 15 km², mostly above 1,400 m, heavily karstified and dotted with dolines and dwarf pine. To the north lie the three glacial lakes of Lunz (Lunzer See, Mittersee, Obersee); to the south the mountain drops 1,000 m in steep walls to the Steinbachtal.
The area is known for its extremes and its wildness. In the Grünloch doline, passed on the Lechnergraben route, −52.6 °C was measured on 19 February 1932, one of the lowest temperatures recorded in Central Europe. South-east of the summit lies the Rothwald, the largest remnant of primeval spruce-fir-beech forest in the Alps, protected since 2017 as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of ancient beech forests and closed to the public except on guided excursions.
There are no lifts and no technical difficulties: the marked paths are long walks through gorges, forest and karst, with a little easy rock near the summit. The Ybbstaler Hütte on the Dürrensteinalm makes a two-day trip comfortable, and a traverse from the hut to the Lunz lakes is one of the classic walks of the region.
Climbing Notes
Good fitness for 1,300 m of ascent and long distances (around 25–30 km for a traverse) is the main requirement; the paths are marked and graded T2, with a few rock steps and grass bands on the final summit climb. Navigation on the plateau can be difficult in mist, and snow lies long in the dolines. Thunderstorms are common in summer and there is little shelter above the hut.
A typical itinerary is two days: walk up the Lechnergraben from Kasten (or from Lunz via the Seekopf) to the Ybbstaler Hütte, stay the night, then climb the summit and descend via the Obersee and the Seetal to the Lunzer See. As a day trip, the shortest approaches are the hut paths from the Steinbachtal or the Stiegengraben near Göstling. Inside the wilderness area walkers must keep to marked paths.
History
The Ybbstaler Hütte on the Dürrensteinalm, the base for the normal routes, belongs to the Austrian Alpine Club and takes part in the clubs' 'Mit Kindern auf Hütten' family-hut scheme. During the Second World War the German army ran a test station in the Grünloch doline to trial vehicle engines for use in Siberian conditions; rusted remains can still be seen.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed (small locked winter room); ski tours for the experienced
- Feb
- Winter; very cold dolines on the plateau
- Mar
- Ski touring only
- Apr
- Spring snow on the plateau; ski touring
- May
- Hut opens in early May; snow lingers in dolines and on the summit ridge
- Jun
- Good conditions; alpine flowers
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Stable autumn weather is common
- Oct
- Hut open until the end of October; short days, possible early snow
- Nov
- Hut closed; early winter
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book the Ybbstaler Hütte through the Austrian Alpine Club hut reservation link on alpenverein.at/ybbstalerhuette.
- Rules
- Dürrenstein-Lassingtal wilderness area (IUCN category Ia/Ib, UNESCO World Heritage): walkers must stay on the marked paths; the rest of the area, including the Rothwald primeval forest, may only be entered on guided excursions
- Getting There
Lunz am See; Göstling an der Ybbs
Vienna (VIE); Linz (LNZ)
- By car to Kasten, 2.5 km south of Lunz am See (Töpperbrücke car park, about 20 spaces), or to the Steinbachtal (about 40 spaces) or the Stiegengraben (5 spaces) near Göstling
- Bus 655 from Scheibbs station to 'Kasten an der Ybbs Töpperbrücke'; the Ybbstal railway no longer runs
- For the Seetal route, drive along the Seestraße from Lunz to the car park beyond the Lunzer See
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,343 m
Ybbstaler HütteHutStaffed
47 beds · Staffed May to end of October (7 May – 30 October 2026); winter room with 3 places locked with the Alpine Club key