Traunstein
1,691 m
Austria
- Elevation
- 1,691 m
- Prominence
- 694 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Sep–Oct
- Routes
- 3
AdvisoryReported 7 Oct 2026 · until 1 May 2027
The Gmundner Hütte ends its 2026 season on Monday 26 October 2026 and plans to reopen in May 2027 (day not given).
gmundnerhuette.atRegulationReported 1 Apr 2026 · until 31 Oct 2026
Parking rules for April–October 2026: 3-hour short-stay zone on the whole Traunsteinstraße on weekends and holidays (06:00–15:00); Umkehrplatz EUR 30 per 24 hours. The source gives only the month range; dates set to the first day of April and end of October.
gmundnerhuette.at
Routes
3The oldest and easiest way up the Traunstein: a long forest-road approach from the end of the Traunsteinstraße through the tunnels into the Lainautal, then a steep path up the south flank past the Bründl spring, with cable-protected rock in the upper part, to the plateau between the two huts. About 1,270 m of ascent and 4 hours up; often used for the descent.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,377 m
- −116 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,691 m
- Time Up
- 5h 40m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 59m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Umkehrplatz car park at the end of the Traunsteinstraße (about 425 m) follow the Karbach forest road south along the shore of the Traunsee, through two tunnels (or over the Miesweg) to the bridge over the Lainaubach, where the Naturfreundesteig starts. Stay on the forest road up the Lainautal to the Kaisertisch, a picnic spot beside the road near the Mairalm at about 760 m (1–1½ hours, about 4 km). Path 412 climbs through forest in many zigzags and steps, with views into the Lainautal, to the Bründl after about 1½ hours, the only spring on the Traunstein. Above it the steeper, rockier section of about 350 m begins; several passages are protected by steel cables (up to A/B) and should not be underestimated, especially in the upper part. The path reaches the summit plateau in the dip between the Traunsteinhaus and the Gmundner Hütte, about 3 hours from the Kaisertisch; the cross on the Pyramidenkogel is a few minutes beyond the Gmundner Hütte. Descend the same way (about 3 hours) or by the Hernlersteig. In winter this is the most dangerous route: the slabby ground between the 'Kette' and the plateau is prone to slab avalanches.
Start
Umkehrplatz432 m
- Train to Gmunden, Traunseetram to Gmunden Seebahnhof, then the 'Wandershuttle' to the Umkehrplatz (April–October at weekends and on holidays, hourly, phone booking at least 1 hour ahead) or the on-call shared taxi on weekdays.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Umkehrplatz → Traunstein | 6.7 | 1,377 | 116 | 5h 40m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Umkehrplatz432 m
Paid car park; seasonal hiker shuttle from Gmunden at weekends
- Feature: Lainaubach bridge466 m
- Trailhead: Kaisertisch752 m
- Hut: Gmundner Hütte1,619 m
- Summit: Traunstein1,691 m
Key Passages
- Forest road through the tunnels into the Lainautal
- Bründl spring
- Cable-protected rock steps (A/B) below the plateau
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The limestone landmark of the Salzkammergut, rising almost straight out of the Traunsee at Gmunden with a west face up to 1,000 m high. Three marked, partly cabled paths climb about 1,270 m to a small plateau with two huts and a 10 m summit cross; easy to reach, but with real exposure.
The Traunstein (1,691 m) stands on the east shore of the Traunsee in Upper Austria, pushed out from the Alps towards the foreland, which makes it a landmark visible far across the plains; locals call it the 'Wächter des Salzkammergutes'. It is a compact block of Wettersteinkalk about 3 km across, falling steeply on every side: the west face drops up to 1,000 m to the lake, the south flank into the Lainautal, the east side to the Laudachsee. The summit is a small plateau between the Fahnenkogel with the Gmundner Hütte, the Traunkirchner Kogel with the Traunsteinhaus and the Pyramidenkogel with the summit cross. The mountain has been a nature reserve since 1963 and belongs to the Austrian Federal Forests.
With around 20,000 visitors a year it is one of the most climbed summits in the Salzkammergut. All three marked routes (Mairalmsteig, Hernlersteig and Naturfreundesteig) start near the Umkehrplatz at the end of the Traunsteinstraße, climb about 1,270 m and include cable-protected rock; the easiest is graded T3 with A/B cables. The view takes in the Traunsee, the Höllengebirge, the Dachstein and the Alpine foreland.
The ease of access is deceptive. The ground is steep throughout, falls are long, and 151 people have died on the Traunstein since records began in 1879 (as of 2025). A memorial to the victims stands a few steps from the car park.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for about 1,270 m of steep ascent, sure-footedness and a head for heights are essential on all routes; the cabled passages are short but exposed. The Mairalmsteig is the easiest in summer but has a long forest-road approach and is often used for the descent; the Hernlersteig is the most direct and shady in the morning but often damp. A helmet is worth carrying on a mountain this busy. Allow 6–7 hours return, or stay overnight at one of the two huts for sunset and sunrise.
Winter ascents are serious: the Mairalmsteig crosses slab-avalanche terrain below the plateau and the Hernlersteig gullies hold a lot of snow; ice axe and crampons may be needed. On summer weekends the Traunsteinstraße has a 3-hour short-stay parking limit, so use the hiker shuttle from Gmunden or come by bike.
History
No record names the first ascent; it was probably made by a local hunter from the Lainautal. Emperor Maximilian I hunted on the Traunstein, though whether he reached the summit in 1506 is uncertain. The poet Nikolaus Lenau described his ascent of 7 July 1831 with the chamois hunter Hansgirgl. Tourism began in 1885 with the Mairalm as a base; around 1910 climbers still needed permission from the imperial hunting office. The Hernlersteig was built in 1905, the ÖAV Gmundner Hütte in 1907, the Naturfreunde Traunsteinhaus opened in 1927 and the Naturfreundesteig in 1929. The 10 m summit cross, a memorial to the fallen of both world wars, was carried up in about 4,000 parts by 600 volunteers and consecrated on 20 August 1950. Rock climbing on the walls developed mainly in the 1920s; the Traunsee-Klettersteig (D) was built in 2005.
Season
Best Sep–Oct- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ascents for experienced parties only; ice axe and crampons; huts closed
- Feb
- Winter ascents for experienced parties only; avalanche risk on the Mairalmsteig
- Mar
- Late-winter snow in the gullies and below the plateau
- Apr
- Snow lingers in the upper gullies; weekend shuttle starts
- May
- Huts open from May; check for old snow
- Jun
- Good; frequent showers on the Alpine edge
- Jul
- Hot on the south-facing routes; thunderstorms
- Aug
- Hot on the south-facing routes; thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often stable; traditional summit mass in early September
- Oct
- Clear autumn days above the valley fog; huts close late October
- Nov
- Huts closed; early snow or ice possible on the cables
- Dec
- Winter conditions; experienced parties only
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Gmundner Hütte: book via hut-reservation.org at least 2 days ahead, later by phone; cash only; hut sleeping bag compulsory. Traunsteinhaus: book via the hut website.
- Fees
- Umkehrplatz car park: EUR 30 per 24 hours, April–October (2026)
- Hiker shuttle from Gmunden: fare payable; discounts with Klimaticket and Freizeit-Ticket OÖ
- Rules
- Nature reserve since 1963: stay on paths
- The Karbach forest road into the Lainautal is closed to public traffic
- April–October 2026: 3-hour short-stay parking (06:00–15:00) along the whole Traunsteinstraße on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; free on weekdays except the Umkehrplatz; free in winter
- Getting There
Gmunden (Upper Austria)
Linz (LNZ); Salzburg (SZG)
- By car: A1 exit Laakirchen-West (from Vienna) or Regau (from Salzburg) to Gmunden; at the traffic lights at the east end of the Traun bridge turn into the Traunsteinstraße and follow it about 5.5 km to its end
- By train to Gmunden, Traunseetram to Gmunden Seebahnhof, then the 'Wandershuttle' (April–October, weekends and holidays, hourly from the Engelhof car park via the Seebahnhof; phone booking at least 1 hour ahead) or the on-call shared taxi on weekdays
- Traunsee boats stop at the Gasthof Hoisn landing in season
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,580 m
- 1,666 m
Gmundner HütteHutStaffedBooking required
43 beds · May to late October