If you are on a ski trip to Kitzsteinhorn or visiting Zell am See or Kaprun, Austria, going to the Top of Salzburg should be on your radar. This epic viewpoint is at the top of a glacier and overlooks the stunning mountains of Hohe Tauren National Park.
In this review, I’ll give you all the vital details you need to visit, what to expect from this attraction, and our experience of visiting Top of Salzburg at Kitzsteinhorn.
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What Is The Top Of Salzburg?
The Top of Salzburg is an incredible viewpoint and experience at the Kitzsteinhorn ski resort in Kaprun, Austria. As you travel in various cable cars to reach the 3029m high viewing area, you are greeted with panoramic mountain peaks all along the way.
The snowy peaks are a part of Hohe Tauern National Park which has some of Austria’s tallest mountains. When you reach the Top of Salzburg, you get to see the tops of the peaks at eye level, you are that high!
Along with the view, there are a few other attractions at the top including a restaurant, two viewing platforms, a movie theater, and a small museum with history and nature of the national park.
You can ski down the mountain from here, but you don’t need to. If you aren’t a big skier and want to still experience the incredible sights, you can take the cable cars back down to the bottom.
If you visit in the summer, the glacier next to the Top of Salzburg transforms into the Ice Arena where you can go sledding in the July and August!
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What To Expect – Our Experience
In December 2024, we took a ski vacation to Zell am See – Kaprun. During our week long adventure, we visited the Top of Salzburg on a clear, sunny day and combined it with a fun, ski day at Kitzsteinhorn Ski Resort.
We parked at the Kitzsteinhorn Talstation and took the gondolas all the way to the top. The trip to the Top of Salzburg takes awhile. From the very bottom you take 4 gondolas and one funicular.
Arriving is part of the exciting adventure. Thankfully it is pretty straightforward and easy to get there. I will go into more details on how to reach the Top of Salzburg below.
When we arrived we headed straight to the top of the mountain and the viewing platform. From the Top of Salzburg platform you can see panoramic views of the ski area and the national park next door. We loved how the platform wrapped around the building allowing you to see all around you.
After taking a billion photos and appreciating the stunning mountains, we made our way to the restaurant. We grabbed a seat and a coffee. The view from the Gipfel restaurant is so gorgeous, that I recommend hanging out there a while. We ultimately ended up grabbing lunch at the cafeteria-style restaurant and stayed longer than expected.
The national park gallery, which is the small museum where you can learn about Hohe Tauern National Park, wasn’t high on our list so we didn’t visit. We really wanted to get out on slopes, so we skipped the movie theater as well.
Sadly, I didn’t remember that there was a second viewing platform through the national park gallery tunnel, so we missed it. This skinny viewing platform sticks out into the middle of the sky, surrounded by mountains. I would have liked to visit.
It is a good reminder for me that I shouldn’t just wing it when I visit attractions, but look things over before going. Lesson learned. Are you the same?
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Where Is The Top Of Salzburg?
The Top of Salzburg is not in the city of Salzburg, but in Kaprun, Austria. Kaprun is a small, beautiful alpine town in the province of Salzburg, which explains its name.
To get to the Top of Salzburg, you need to go to the summit station of the ski resort Kitzsteinhorn, which is right in the town of Kaprun.
What Is The Route To Get To The Top of Salzburg From Kaprun
You have a few different options to get to the Top of Salzburg. You can park at the Kitzsteinhorn Talstation (Kitzsteinhorn Valley Station) and go from there or you can start from Kaprun town center (Maiskogel Station).
From Kitzsteinhorn Talstation
When we visited, we parked at the Kitzsteinhorn Valley Station. There is also a ski bus that will take you here.
You have the choice of two cable cars, Gletscherjet 1 or Panoramabahn, that leave from the valley station. You can take either one.
After the first cable car, hop on the Gletscherjet 2, then go to Gletscherjet 3 and then Gletscherjet 4. They are all connected and easy to navigate.
Once you get to the top of Gletscherjet 4, you enter a building where you can leave your skis and snowboards. Then you walk down a tunnel and take an elevator to where the funicular begins.
Take the funicular, Gletschershuttle, to get to the very top. After you get off the funicular, you are at the Top of Salzburg.
From Kaprun
From Kaprun, you can take the MK Maiskogelbahn right from town. From there you will take the 3K K-onnection gondola across the mountain to reach the Gletscherjet 2 cable car and hop on.
Follow Gletscherjet 3 and 4 all the way to the top. From here, store your skis or snowboards and walk the tunnel to get to the Gleschershuttle funicular.
The Top of Salzburg is at the top of the funicular.
NOTE: The MK Maiskogelbahn and the 3K K-onnection gondolas don’t run year round, so be sure to check if they are open.
ALTERNATE ROUTE: I think that the above directions are the easiest and most straight forward if you are traveling from the base of the mountain. However, if start your day skiing and decide to visit the Top of Salzburg later in the day, you can also get there by taking the Gipfelbahn tramway from the Alpincenter.
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How To Get To The Top Of Salzburg From Zell Am See?
Zell am See is about a 30 minute drive away from Kaprun or the Kitzsteinhorn Talstation depending on where you start.
There are a few parking lots at the Kitzsteinhorn Talstation and it is free to park, but it was filling up quickly when we arrived in the morning. There is also free parking at the Maiskogel Valley Station in Kaprun.
In addtion, you can take the 660 ski bus that will drop you off right in Kaprun or all the way to the Kitzsteinhorn Valley Station. The price of the bus is included in the Ski Alpin Card.
How To Get To Kitzsteinhorn From Salzburg?
To get to the Top of Salzburg from Salzburg you can either take public transportation to Kaprun or drive.
We found driving to be convenient, so I would recommend it. There were plenty of parking spaces around the Kaprun and Zell am See area. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to get to Kaprun from Salzburg by car.
However, it is possible to arrive by public transportation too. Take the train from Salzburg to Zell am See, and then take the 660 ski bus to Kaprun.
It takes a little under 2 hours to get to Zell am See from Salzburg by train, and then another 30 minutes by bus to Kaprun.
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What Can You See And Do At The Top Of Salzburg Kitzsteinhorn?
So I briefly mentioned some of the attractions at the Top of Salzburg, but let’s get into more details.
Viewpoints At The Top Of Salzburg
The best part of the Top of Salzburg is the viewing areas. There are two. The Gipfelwelt 3000 observation deck is the first one you will see. This viewpoint is at 3029m (9,938 ft) high and overlooks the Kitzsteinhorn ski resort and the Hohe Tauern National Park.
The Hohe Tauern National Park has some of the tallest mountains in the Austrian Alps including the highest peak, Grossglockner, sitting at 3798m (12,460ft) tall. When you are looking out at the alps, it feels like you are eye level or above. It is spectacular.
The other viewpoint is the National Park Gallery panorama platform, which is on the backside of the summit station. In order to reach this skinny viewing area, you have to walk through the National Park Gallery and down a 360 meter tunnel.
The walkway juts out right above the peaks of the Hohe Tauern National Park with marvelous views that will blow your mind!
Pro Tip: Make sure there is clear skies at the Top Of Salzburg by checking out the webcam before getting in the gondola!
National Park Gallery
As you make your way to the National Park Gallery panorama viewpoint, you will be captivated by a museum of information that describes the history, technology, flora and fauna and natural treasures of Kitzsteinhorn and Hohe Tauern National Park.
If you want even more insights into the National Park, you can join a free tour with a national park ranger that lasts about an hour. This tour is every Tuesday from December 23, 2025 to March 31, 2026 at 1pm. No booking is required. Just show up!
Cinema 3000
Want to watch a movie at 3000 meters? It’s possible at the Top of Salzburg. Playing throughout the day is the short film, “Kitzsteinhorn – THE NATURE.”
The free movie explores the unique plants and animals that live in the Kitzsteinhorn and Hohe Tauern National Park area. It is only 12 minutes long, so not a long commitment.
We didn’t watch the movie, so I can’t tell you if it’s any good, but what a unique experience on top of a mountain.
Gipfel Restaurant
For a restaurant with a stunning view, Gipfel Restaurant delivers. The food isn’t anything special, but still good. We ate sandwiches and pasta here and even a yummy dessert.
Even if you don’t stay for the food, it is a great spot to grab a table by the window and enjoy a coffee or beer while you take in the mountain view.
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Ice Arena – Only Summer
In July and August, the Ice Arena is open at the Top of Salzburg. The glacier right below the summit station is transformed into a summer tobogganing hill.
The fun sleds are available on site and free of charge. You don’t even have to climb the hill as there is a magic carpet that will take you back up to the top!
There is also the Panorama Trail that you can hike at the top in the summer.
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Kitzsteinhorn Top Of Salzburg Facts
Below I have put all the important facts you need to know about the Top of Salzburg in one place.
Price Of The Top of Salzburg
Another factor in deciding if the Top of Salzburg is worth it is the price. The costs for visiting the Top of Salzburg without skiing is:
- €59 for adults
- €29.50 for children born between 2010-2019
- €44 for youth born between 2007-2009
If you are planning to ski at Kitzsteinhorn, the Top of Salzburg is included in the price of a day ticket Ski Alpin Card. Day tickets are:
- €71 – 79 for adults
- €35.50 – 39.50 for children born between 2010-2019
- €53 – 59 for youth born between 2007-2009
How To Buy A Ticket
You can purchase your ticket for the Top of Salzburg or a day ticket to ski online or at either of the base stations. We bought our tickets right when we arrived the day we wanted to ski and had no problems.
Opening Hours
The Top of Salzburg is open daily from 9am – 4pm. They suggest to ascend no later than 1:30pm from the valley station to give yourself enough time to get up, enjoy it and return.
My Final Thoughts On Visiting The Top Of Salzburg
We really loved the viewing areas at the Top of Salzburg. It was stunningly beautiful and it is nice that there a couple of viewing areas, a restaurant and other smaller attractions there.
I liked that it was included in the price of skiing which made it worth it for us. I also think it would be cool to go in the summer. Tobagganing in the summer would be a fun and unique experience.
Although, I think if we were going to visit in the winter without skiing, it would feel pretty expensive, making it harder to justify the cost.
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