Hochkönig is the highest massif of the Berchtesgaden Alps, towering over every mountain within roughly 34 kilometers. With a prominence of 2181 m, it ranks among the most topographically dominant peaks in the entire Alps, surpassed only by Mont Blanc, Grossglockner, Finsteraarhorn, Wildspitze and Piz Bernina.

The massif forms a broad plateau of about 12 km², gently sloping north and dropping off in the south with rock walls and towers up to 1000 m high. On this high plateau lies the Übergossene Alm, a crevasse-free plateau glacier that once covered 5.5 km² in 1888 but has now shrunk to less than 1.5 km². The surrounding ridge offers sweeping views toward the Steinernes Meer and the Hagengebirge, and in winter the region is famous for one of the longest ski tour descents in the Eastern Alps.

How to reach the summit

• Arthurhaus - via the Ochsenkar, the classic standard route, demanding, several hours of ascent
• Birgkarhaus (large car park) - via the Birgkar, a shorter but considerably more dangerous and strenuous climb

Practical information

• The Matrashaus, a hut of the Austrian Touring Club, sits right on the 2941 m summit
• The peak is a first-order trigonometric point and a popular launch site for paragliders
• The route via Floßkogel down to Werfen or Tenneck is the longest ski tour descent in the Eastern Alps
• Other mountain huts in the area include the Bertgenhütte (bivouac), Erichhütte, Mitterfeldalm and Ostpreußenhütte
• The long-distance Nordalpenweg trail crosses the massif

The first tourist ascent of the main summit took place in 1826, and today the surrounding area hosts the Hochkönigman, one of Austria's toughest trail-running marathons.