The Facts:
Untersberg is the northern most massive of the Berchtesgaden Alps straddling the border of Salzburg and Bavaria.
It is most famously known for the being the backdrop for opening scene of the musical the Sound of Music.
It is said that the Dalai Lama called Untersberg the Chakra at the heart of Europe.
It is 1853m above sea level with quite an exposed ascent by cable car to the top station so perhaps not the first choice for someone with a fear of heights! However, the images I had seen were enough to entice me into accepting the challenge!
We were based in Salzburg for a week in March, but we were incredibly lucky with the weather, blue skies every day! Although it was mild down in the town, we knew that given the time of year it would be cold and snowy on the mountain, so we had dressed appropriately with warm jackets, gloves, hats & snow boots.
The Walk:
I can’t deny that it was with some trepidation that I stepped into the cable car, but I have a trick that helps with my fear of heights in these situations (if you are interested in reading more of our travel stories on this blog you will discover how I conquered my lifelong fear of heights in Australia at the age of 64!) I position myself in a corner and keep my eyes focused on the floor.
The ascent started off quite sedately moving steadily and even I was able to enjoy the views! As we approached the first pylon, we were all tricked into thinking that we were nearing the summit, the car came so close to the ragged rock that it felt as if we could touch it but suddenly without warning the mountain fell away beneath us and there was a gasp from everyone on board as we took in the amazing views of the abyss below, a very dramatic moment! This was only the halfway point.
Stepping out of the top station onto the mountain was breath taking! We found ourselves standing on a snowy mountain with no barriers, no fences, just us and common sense between the summit and the very long drop to the bottom, it took us a few minutes to assimilate to the surroundings and the sheer expanse of it!
The valleys below were green and fertile, the surrounding mountains all with snowy caps whilst Untersberg was wrapped in a blanket of snow with spikes of pine poking through, it was as if we had stepped into a Christmas card.
There was a viewing platform near the café for those less adventurous, but we set out to explore the trails taking us up to the cross at the top. We were glad that we had worn boots as the snow was quite deep in places which made climbing higher up difficult but perfectly possible. We were making good progress when the wind suddenly whipped up causing blizzard like conditions from the fallen snow, it only lasted about 20 minutes or so, but it was quite spectacular!
Pulling our hats firmly around our ears against the icy wind we were in awe of the stunning views of the Salzburg Basin, the Watzmann which is the third highest mountain in Germany just south of the village of Berchtesgaden, the Salzkammergut to the east, a region of lakes and Alpine ranges and the Hohe Tauern mountains to the south.
After the exhilaration of walking on the snowy mountain and soaking up the spell binding views before us that would surely never fade, we rewarded our efforts with a welcome mug of hot chocolate in the café before we made our descent!
Top Tips:
Check the weather, bright clear days in the town do not necessarily mean it will be clear on the mountain.
Wear appropriate clothing for the time of year, the top station lies in high Alpine terrain.
Untersbergbahn (cable car station) can be reached by No 25 or No 28 bus from Salzburg, it takes about 30 minutes.
The No 25 also stops at Hellbrunn Palace which can visited on the return journey.
Purchase a Salzburg Card which will give you free admission to around 40 museums and attractions and public transport.
You can purchase a 24hr, 48hr or 72hr card. A 72hr card for an adult is around 40 Euro in 2021. If you are planning to visit more than one attraction it is extremely excellent value.
Take care when traversing the mountain as there are no barriers and it’s a long way down! Rich surprised 2 girls by grabbing them by the arm and pulling them towards him, explanation was difficult as they were Chinese and understood little English and he knows even less Chinese!! Luckily, another chinese visitor had witnessed the event and translated, the girls turned around to see that they had been just a couple of steps from disappearing backwards down the mountain as they posed for a selfie against the snowy back drop!
Don’t forget your camera!