Taghaube (2159 m) is a peak in the Hochkönig Mountains in Salzburg, Austria. It’s located within the protected area of Naturschutzgebiet Salzburger Kalkhochalpen.
The hike to the Taghaube summit is highly enjoyable, because almost the whole trail is above the treeline. And, like any good hike in Austria, there’s a managed mountain hut and alpine pasture along the way.
This hike begins at Erichhütte car park, along the Hochkönigstrasse road, between Dienten am Hochkönig and Mühlbach am Hochkönig.
Though this is a short and straightforward hiking tour, it’s still considered “high-alpine.” You should be surefooted and confident hiking in typical limestone terrain like loose rocks and scree. Hiking poles are very helpful for stabilization on the descent. We love our Unisex Black Diamond Hiking Poles.
Tip | For a longer hiking route in the Hochkönig, combine Taghaube summit with the Mühlbach High Trail, which stretches between Erichhütte and Arthurhaus.
- Trailhead: Erichhütte car park, Dienten am Hochkönig | Google Maps
- Distance: 6.4 km out-and-back
- Time Needed: 4 hours
- Elevation Gain/Loss: 810 meters
- Difficulty: Moderately Difficult
- Minimum Elevation: 1343 meters
- Maximum Elevation: 2153 meters
- Where to Stay in Mühlbach am Hochkönig: Landhaus Rieding (midrange) Das Grünholz Aparthotel & Restaurant (luxury), Hotel Bergheimat (luxury)
- Where to Stay in Dienten am Hochkönig: The Peak Hochkönig (midrange-luxury)
- Where to Stay in Maria Alm: Apartments-Pension Renberg (midrange), or Hotel Eder (luxury)
- Recommended Hiking Map: WK 103 Pongau – Hochkönig – Saalfelden, 1:50 000 (Freytag & Berndt)
Taghaube Trail Map
Where to Start the Taghaube Summit Hike
Erichhütte Car Park
Parkplatz Erichhütte is located just off the Hochkönigstraße road in Dienten am Hochkönig.
The Erichhütte bus stop is located directly across from the car park. Look up regional bus timetables on Salzburg Verkehr.
Car Park Location | Google Maps
Parking Fee | None
Taghaube Trail Description
Erichhütte Car Park to Erichhütte (20-30 minutes)
From the car park, follow trail 432 in the direction of Taghaube (2:30 hours) and Erichhütte (30 minutes).
Trail 432 is the Erichhütte access road. Steadily ascend the gravel road for 20-30 minutes up to the mountain hut.
Erichhütte is a managed Austrian Alpine Club refuge. They serve soups, Brettljause, Kaiserschmarrn and other snacks. The hut is open from late May/early June until mid/late October. They only accept payment in cash.
Erichhütte to Taghaube (1:40 – 2:00 hours)
Follow signs to Taghaube.
The trail leads northeast across a wide-open meadow, where sheep and cattle graze in summer.
From the onset, there are sweeping views of the southwestern flank of the Hochkönig massif. Taghaube is the last summit on the right.
After 20 minutes, the trail divides. Bear right on trail 437.
The trail steepens and twists up a belt of dwarf pine. As you progress, the path gets increasingly rockier. Timber reinforcements bolster the narrow, rocky path.
The ascent gets more high-alpine, as you scramble up stone passages and squeeze through chimneys. Always follow the painted waymakers.
A metal ladder and fixed metal aids (handholds) aid you up the rocky ridge.
Continue following the waymarks to the summit cross.
Taghaube Summit
The summit boasts an impressive alpine panorama. Looking north, Hochkönig (2941 m), Hoher Kopf (2875 m), Großer Bratschenkopf (2858 m), and many other summits form an imposing wall of gray limestone.
The views to the south extend to Austria’s highest mountain, Grossglockner (3798 m) and other notable Hohe Tauern peaks.
Taghaube to Erichhütte Car Park (1:45 hours)
Follow the same route down to Erichhütte.
The descent can be more difficult, because of the loose rocks underfoot. Hike down carefully.
Where to Stay
The Hochkönig holiday region encompasses the towns of Mühlbach am Hochkönig, Dienten am Hochkönig, and Maria Alm am Steinernen Meer. Most accommodations provide the Hochkönig Card at no extra charge (June – October).
This guest card gives you free rides on regional transit and cable cars and more. Some accommodations have a minimum stay (2-4 nights depending on the season). During your visit, we recommend hiking the Mühlbach High Trail and walking up to Hochkeil for sunrise, or sunset.
Dienten am Hochkönig
Midrange-luxury Apartments | The Peak Hochkönig is an aparthotel in the town center of Dienten. All apartments are decorated in an alpine-modern style and have fully-equipped kitchens, dining areas, seating areas, and washing machines. Some apartments have saunas. Extra perk: underground parking.
Midrange All-Inclusive | Hotel-Gasthof Salzburger Hof is an all-inclusive, family-friendly hotel in Dienten. Stay here for the excellent food, friendly staff, and children’s facilities and programs (e.g. kid-friendly dinner, supervised summer program for kids ages 4+, play area, library, etc…).
Look for accommodation in Dienten am Hochkönig.
Maria Alm am Steinernen Meer
Luxury | Berg & Spa Hotel Urslauerhof is located in Maria Alm-Hinterthal
Luxury | We stayed at the Eder – Lifestyle Hotel, which is located directly in the village center of Maria Alm. We loved the hotel’s atmosphere, innovative cuisine, and creative design. Here’s our Hotel Eder Review.
Luxury | Jufenalm BOHO Hotel & Restaurant is a stylish hotel with a “boho meets alpine” design concept. Stay here for the interior design, dreamy mountain setting, views of Steinernes Meer, and natural bathing pond and spa. Breakfast is included and you can dine in the hotel’s à la carte restaurant.
Look for accommodation in Maria Alm.
Mühlbach am Hochkönig
Budget | Landhaus Rieding is a guesthouse located on the Riedingalm mountain pasture at the foot of the Hochkönig mountains. If you want to wake up in the mountains, surrounded by beautiful peaks and idyllic pastureland, stay here.
Midrange-Luxury | Das Grünholz Aparthotel & Restaurant is located on Mandlwandstrasse, about halfway between the town center of Mühlbach and Arthurhaus. This family-run aparthotel boasts stunning modern apartments, excellent breakfasts, and spa facilities.
Luxury | Hotel Bergheimat is another hillside hotel between the town center of Mühlbach and Arthurhaus. The room rate includes breakfast, an afternoon snack and dinner. This traditional Austrian hotel offers spacious and comfortable rooms, an indoor swimming pool, and a spa with six saunas.
Luxury | AlpenParks Hotel & Apartment Hochkönig is an aparthotel situated in the town center of Mühlbach. Apartments are well-equipped and tastefully furnished. Perks: free underground parking garage with e-charging stations, free summer children’s program monday-friday (6 years old+), optional breakfast (extra charge).
Look for accommodation in Mühlbach am Hochkönig.
Austria Trip Planning Essentials
Use our Austria Travel Guide and Austria blog archive to plan a unique and memorable trip to Austria.
When to Visit Austria
Summer and early Fall are our favorite seasons in Austria.
Getting around Austria
Austria has an excellent public transit system. We’ve used it extensively to travel throughout the country. We highly recommend using transit if you’re visiting cities (Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, etc…), and/or doing hut-to-hut hikes.
Some areas like Mayrhofen, Schladming and Lech am Arlberg have wonderful seasonal transit systems in place (e.g. summer hiking buses). However, if you’re not visiting during the high season, bus frequencies are significantly reduced and it’s far easier to get around with your own vehicle.
If you’re planning on visiting multiple destinations across Austria, we recommend renting a car.
Use these road trip itineraries for trip planning inspiration:
- 2 Week Austria Road Trip – starting in Vienna
- 1 Week Austria Road Trip – starting in Salzburg or Munich
- 10-Day Bavarian Alps & Tyrolean Alps Road Trip – starting in Munich
Car Rental
We recommend using the Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals. This easy-to-use booking platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip.
If you’re driving into Austria from a neighboring country, don’t forget to purchase a vignette at/near the border.
Hiking in Austria
Where to Hike in Austria
Read Austrian Alps Hiking Destinations for an overview of where to hike in Austria, with tips on specific trails and where to stay. Also check out Best Day Hikes in Austria and these region-specific hiking guides:
- Salzburg Hiking Guide
- Filzmoos, Salzburg Hiking Guide
- Schladming, Styria Hiking Guide
- Lech am Arlberg, Vorarlberg Hiking Guide
- Vorarlberg Hiking Guide
- Vienna Mountains Hiking Guide
Hut to Hut Hiking in Austria
Austria is a premier hut-to-hut and long-distance hiking destination. The quality of the mountain huts are superb. We particularly love the high-alpine trails, which are called Höhenwege in German. We’ve summarized our favorite multi-day hikes in Trekking Austria. If you’re new to hut hiking, read this in-depth guide to Hut to Hut Hiking in Austria.
Hiking Essentials
- Day Pack: Osprey Tempest 30 Women’s Backpack / Osprey Talon 33 Men’s Backpack
- Grade B/C high-cut hiking boots: Meindl Schuhe Island Lady (Kati’s Boots), Women’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX (Sabrina’s Boots), Men’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX (men’s equivalent)
- CAT 4 Sunglasses: Julbo Shield Mountain Sunglasses
- Hiking Poles: Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles
- Backpack Camera Clip: Peak Design Camera Clip
What to See & Do in Austria
- Visit a gorge like the Liechtenstein Gorge in Salzburg.
- Bathe in the thermal pools of an Austrian Therme like Aqua Dome in Tirol
- Stay in a thermal spa hotel like Rogner Bad Blumau in Styria, EurothermenResort Bad Ischl in Upper Austria, or the Aqua Dome Hotel in Tirol.
- Hike to a mountain lake like Lake Tappenkarsee in Salzburg or Lake Drachensee in Tirol.
- Go Wine Tasting in South Styria.
- Marvel at the culture, music, and architecture of Vienna.
- Eat heartwarming mountain food in an Almhütte at Grosser Ahornboden in Tirol or Ursprungalm in Styria.
- Drive the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Hohe Tauern National Park.
- Visit the castles, monasteries, and wine taverns of the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Austrian Hotels
- Best Hotels in the Austrian Alps
- Best Hotels in Lech am Arlberg, Vorarlberg
- Wellness Hotel Theresa, Zillertal, Tirol
European Alps:
