Saalbach-Hinterglemm

Saalbach-Hinterglemm is beautifully located in the Salzburg state, in a valley surrounded by the magnificent Eastern Alps.

It's actually two villages, located in the same valley (northwest of Zell am See), very close to each other. Together they form a municipality and a large summer and winter sports resort. Their close neighbors are Leogang and Fieberbrunn. They are all part of the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn.

This incredibly long name encompasses 270 km of ski slopes, 70 lifts, and 60 mountain huts - it's the biggest and one of the best ski resorts in Austria.

In summer, tourists have at their disposal 90 km of downhill and/or enduro bike trails, served by 6 modern cable cars in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, two in Leogang, and one in Fieberbrunn.

In addition, there are plenty of gravel roads that allow you to cover hundreds of kilometers in the local mountains on electric or trekking bikes. Hikers and runners will be able to explore magnificent, scenic mountain trails in incredibly diverse terrain.

Saalbach in summer

Before you get to know Saalbach, take a look at our Austrian travel guide:

🇦🇹 Top 10 places to visit in Austria that aren't Vienna

A bit of history

Just 90 years ago, Saalbach-Hinterglemm was a poor farming village nestled at 1000 meters in the Kitzbühel Alps.

Things changed in 1947 when the first Kohlmaisbahn cable car was built. Tourists started coming to Saalbach-Hinterglemm, bringing money with them. The number of tourists grew each year, and the money they spent helped build new and better infrastructure.

Today, Saalbach-Hinterglemm is one of the largest mountain resorts in Europe. It's perfect both for ski trips and adventurous summer holidays.

Saalbach-Hinterglemm hotels

When it comes to places to stay, you've got a ton of options to fit every budget and style.

We stayed in Hotel Kohlmais and loved it! It's located very close to the lifts (ski-to-door) and Saalbach center. The hotel gave us the Saalbach Joker Card. Ski room is adapted also for bikes. Food is delicious. There's a swimming pool and spa area. We honestly couldn't ask for more.

If you prefer to stay in a different part of Saalbach, choose Mulk Hotel. It's highly rated on Booking.com and guests are delighted with comfortable rooms, great spa center and beautiful views. It also offers the Saalbach Joker Card.

If you're looking for an apartment, consider Landhaus Gappmaier. The place is conveniently located very close to the lifts (ski-to-door). Guests appreciate spacious apartments, handy amenities and an outdoor pool.

Biking adventures

Saalbach-Hinterglemm is not only great ski resort. It’s also a “must go” for bikers in the summer because the great "Ski Circus" is transformed into the "Bike Circus" then.

And the best thing is that the biking options available in Saalbach are very diversified and everyone, both starting cyclists and advanced fans of dirt trails, can find something for themselves.

Here are a few reasons why it's worth visiting Saalbach in summer:

Saalbach-Hinterglemm, together with Zell-am-See Kaprun and Leogang Saalfelden, is part of the top three mountain bike areas connected by all kinds of exciting mountain trails.
Bike Circus in Saalbach-Hinterglemm – favourite place for trials' bikers. There’s over 400 kilometres of connected network of mountain bike trails with all levels of difficulty: marathon trails, single routes, adrenaline-rising downhill tracks and recreational paths – all that adrenaline junkies can wish for
Modern biking infrastructure which offers additional five special lifts adjusted to carry bikes. There are also biker-friendly mountain huts.
From spring to autumn there are many action-packed events. Looks like there’s lots of options to choose from!

We spent five days in Saalbach. They were very active five days of our summer holidays in Austria. The biggest (and the best) surprise for us was how well the region is prepared for bikers.

You can get to high altitudes (up to 3000 metres) riding along convenient wide gravel road. This is very unusual and I’m really proud of Austrians that they care for tourists so much without interfering in nature.

We have seen many interesting mountain trails in Saalbach. It seems they are going to great lengths to provide levels of trails for every age and ability.

During our stay we tried the below tracks:

Ostgipfel Mountain

Ostgipfel (2018 metres) is a mountain peak near Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria. It's part of the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn ski area, and is accessible by several lifts. In the summer, it's a popular destination for hikers and mountain bikers, offering stunning views of the surrounding Alps. The peak itself is relatively flat, making it a great spot to relax and enjoy the scenery.

🚲 Ostgipfel ride – safe wide mountain gravel road which leads from the valley up to the peak. It gets steep at some points and is quite long for a mountain road.

Fortunately, along the road, at 1715 metres there’s a mountain restaurant with spacious terrace which provides marvellous views!

Getting to the top from Jausern village took us about 4 hours and was quite exhausting but the views on the mountain top rewarded our effort completely.

We also had a glimpse of MTB track near the peak – impressive! One really needs to be skillful to ride there!

Zell am See

Lake Zell, also known as Zeller See, is a picturesque water reservoir located in the town of Zell am See.

The lake is relatively small, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long and 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) wide, situated at an elevation of 750 meters (2,461 feet) above sea level.

🚲 Zell am See – there’s nice cycling path going along main road from Saalbach to Zell am See via Viehhofen and Maishofen. You can go for a ride around the lake but we decided to go a bit higher because the path around Zell am See was very crowded (it was a sunny Sunday).

We got to Enzianhütte mountain hut (1260 metres) riding along convenient asphalt road. It still amazes me how easy it is to get to such altitude in Austria! Getting to the hut took us about 2.5 hours (taking photos included).

Berger Alm - Gasthof Hochwartalm - Ederalm

🚲 This trail passes by the Berger Alm (1550 metres) - Gasthof Hochwartalm (1548 metres) - Ederalm (1425 metres) mountain huts. The distance between the Berger Alm and Ederalm huts is about 8.5 km long - you can check it here.

Again this route is well adjusted to bikers. It's a convenient gravel road which is some sections changes into nice forest path.

What surprised us was that the first mountain hut was closed because of rainy weather. Beware!

Milka Line

Photo sourced from bikingaustria.com

The additional bonus of the above route is the Milka Line trail. It's a nice and easy family-friendly downhill track which even cautious bikers like myself will enjoy. I loved it!

The Milka Line is now called the Monti Trail. It's located on the Kohlmais mountain and is perfect for beginner freeriders of all ages. This 2.9 km trail starts at the Kohlmais lift's mid-station, winding through open meadows and woodlands before ending back at the valley station.

It's a smooth, flowing trail with awesome views of Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Even experienced riders who love a chill ride will enjoy it. The trail has wide turns, small wooden features, and a gentle slope, making it a fun and easy way to try freeriding.

Hiking

When visiting Saalbach in summer, hiking is one the best things to do!

The area offers over 400 km of marked hiking trails. You'll find routes for all levels, from easy walks to challenging hikes. The views of the Austrian Alps are stunning!

Let's have a look at some of the best hikes in Saalbach-Hinterglemm:

Baumzipfelweg

Baumzipfelweg Treetop Trail is the highest treetop walk in Europe. The hike is short but exciting.

The trail starts with a bridge called the Alpine Golden Gate, which is suspended 40 meters above the valley (you could say it hangs over a small abyss). The bridge itself is 200 meters long, and as you walk, you can feel every movement of the people on it. They cause the bridge to vibrate slightly, but there's nothing to be afraid of, it's quite an interesting experience.

After getting off the bridge, you enter a wooden loop built at the height of several floors, made of sturdy larch wood and 800 meters long. You walk along the path among the fragrant treetops. After descending from the path, it's worth walking through the valley and looking at the bridge from the ground. It's even more impressive from this perspective.

And if you're looking for a bigger thrill, you'll find a quite large rope park and a zipline in the valley, where you can ride at the height of the bridge.

The Baumzipfelweg Treetop Trail is open all year. You can check entry prices here.

It's about 11 km from Saalbach (location here). There's a shuttle bus going from Saalbach every day.

Seven Summits

Saalbach in summer - the Hochkogel mountain top

Distance: 24 kilometers (15 miles).
Elevation gain: about 1,450 meters (4,757 feet).
Difficulty: high.

The Seven Summits trail in the Austrian Alps covers the highest peaks of the Glemmtal valley. It's incredibly scenic but long and strenuous.

We didn't hike the whole trail as we didn't have time nor the energy needed for such a challenge. So, we decided to trek a 15-km long section of this famous trail. It's amazingly beautiful, takes a whole day but you're still alive at the end of the day 😉

If you're interested in such a hike head to Hinterglemm to take the Westgipfelbahn gondola lift. It takes you to an altitude of 2096 m. From the upper station of the Westgipfelbahn you hike to the summit of Hochkogel (2249 m).

Initially, we were a bit worried that the trail would be quite crowded. However, most of the hikers were concentrated around the gondola lift.

The trail is interestingly laid out. There are some steeper climbs, but also pleasant traverses. The atmosphere is a bit like in the Western Tatras, except that you can constantly admire the impressive silhouettes of the High Tauern mountains.

The ascent to Hochkogel is a bit tiring, but the panorama that opens up from it absolutely compensates for the effort. From there, head to the next two peaks – Hochsaalbachkogel (2212 m) and Medalkogel (2123m). Here, an interesting, exposed ridge partially secured with steel ropes awaits.

After about 30 minutes, you leave the main trail and head towards the valley. You have about 8 km of descent to Hinterglemm. Most of the time you walk above the treeline, so the views are still pretty. Only the last few kilometers lead through the forest. The entire route is almost 15 km long, and we completed it in about 5 hours. You can check the route on WikiLoc here.

Saalbach Joker Card

If you're planning to visit Saalbach in summer, consider getting the Joker Card. Many hotels in Saalbach give it to their guests as part of the accommodation price.

In 2024, it's valid between May 24th and October 13th. The Saalbach Joker Card allows you to enjoy quite a few things for free or for discounted price:

Free gondola rides: ride up to 8 gondolas without a charge
Free or discounted access to the area's most popular spots
20% off bike tickets for Austria's largest bike region, with up to 9 gondolas in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, the Epic Bikepark Leogang, and Fieberbrunn.
Hop on and off the valley train, hiking bus, and even public transport in the entire Pinzgau region for free.
Up to 10 free guided hikes a week.
Mini golf, tennis (reserve ahead!), and visit museums, also for free.

The card is personalized, you can't lend it to your travel companions.

For more info about Saalbach Joker Card, check out this website.

Summer events and festivals in Saalbach

Saalbach-Hinterglemm hosts various exciting events and festivals during the summer. Here are some highlights:

🎉 GlemmRide Bike Festival - a major mountain biking event with races, freeride shows, and parties.

🎉 Saalbach Hiking Challenge - a series of guided and self-guided hikes through stunning alpine trails.

🎉 Mountain Attack Trailrunning Marathon - a challenging trail running event across the Pinzgau mountains.

🎉 Almabtrieb (Cattle Drive) - a traditional festival celebrating the cattle's return from mountain pastures with music and local crafts.

🎉 Rave on Snow (Summer Edition) - an electronic music festival with top DJs and a vibrant atmosphere.

🎉 Gemma Vintage Car Rally - perfect for vintage car lovers and car enthusiasts! This festival offers rare treasures and one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

🎉 Other various events like forest yoga sessions, torch-lit walk in Hinterglemm, children's entertainment & magic shows with the "Montelino" clown in the Schnitza's Wood Park and many more.

For more information about summer events in Saalbach check out this website.

Austrian food

Austrian food is known for its hearty and flavorful dishes. Here are some staples:

Savory Dishes:

Wiener Schnitzel: The national dish, a thin, breaded veal cutlet, pan-fried to golden perfection. Often served with lemon and a side of potato salad or fries.
Tafelspitz: Boiled beef, typically served with horseradish sauce, potatoes, and a side of creamed spinach or apple horseradish.
Tiroler Gröstl: A hearty pan-fried dish with potatoes, onions, bacon, and usually topped with a fried egg.
Knödel: Dumplings, either savory (filled with meat or cheese) or sweet (filled with fruit).
Gulasch: A rich stew with beef, onions, paprika, and other spices.

Sweet Treats:

Apfelstrudel: A classic apple pastry with thin layers of dough, filled with apples, raisins, and cinnamon.
Sachertorte: A decadent chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam and a chocolate glaze.
Kaiserschmarrn: Shredded pancake with raisins, served with fruit compote.

We often ate in mountain huts which are basically restaurants - you cannot bring your own food or beverages. In Saalbach we visited these two restaurants (we looked for traditional Austrian food, no pizza in Austria for us 😉)

🍲 Schattbergstube - delicious food and excellent service. If you're looking for regional dishes, this is a great place to try them. We had Käsespätzle (cheese-noodle casserole) and Apfelstrudel for desert. The dishes were very tasty and the portions were big.

🍲 eva, ALM - the food was nice however the waitress could be more friendly. We had Kaspreßknödelsuppe (cheese soup with dumplings), Steirisches Backhendl (Styrian fried chicken with a potato salad) and, of course, Apfelstrudel (we're fans of this cake!). It gets crowded so we had to haunt for a free table.

Have a wonderful time exploring Saalbach in summer! 💛