The Hohe Tauern is the beating heart of the Eastern Alps — a vast high-mountain region stretching across the Austrian states of Salzburg, Carinthia and Tyrol. Home to Austria's highest peaks and the largest national park in the Alps, this is a place where raw alpine wilderness meets surprisingly accessible hiking terrain.

The landscape here shifts dramatically as you move through it. Razor-sharp ridges and sheer rock faces give way to rolling alpine meadows and high moors. Glaciers creep down toward deep valleys carved by ancient ice, while mountain lakes glitter between granite boulders. The gorges — Gasteiner Klamm, Kitzlochklamm and others — are carved into the hillsides with walkways that make them accessible even for casual visitors. The snowline sits between 2700 and 2900 metres, keeping the high-alpine atmosphere well within reach throughout the summer season.

• Grossglockner (3798 m) — Austria's highest peak and the undisputed symbol of the region
• Grossvenediger (3657 m) — a glacier-crowned giant and classic high-alpine objective
• Hochalmspitze (3360 m) — the highest point of the Ankogel Group, rewarding for experienced mountaineers
• Grossglockner High Alpine Road — one of Europe's most scenic mountain drives, open in summer

• Base towns: Zell am See, Bad Gastein, Lienz, Heiligenblut
• Trail difficulty: wide range — gentle valley walks up to serious glacier routes requiring full alpine gear
• Getting there: by car via the Tauern Motorway or Felbertauern Tunnel; by train to Zell am See or Lienz; regional buses serve the main valleys

The Hohe Tauern National Park covers 1836 km², making it the largest national park in the Alps and one of Europe's great protected wildernesses. A lesser-known fact: tungsten ore is mined in the Felbertal valley, making Austria the world's fourth-largest producer of this rare metal.