Filzmoos is known as ‘Austria’s Hiking Village’ for good reason, with over 250km of well-signposted hiking trails and long-distance paths weaving their way from in and around its peaceful centre. From here you can explore everything the Dachstein Mountains have to offer, helped along the way by an excellent network of Alpine ‘huts’ – 20 in total – offering weary legs and minds a well-earned drink and foodie delights.
The Dachstein Mountains are a dramatic limestone massif stretching for 50km through Salzburgerland, Styria and Upper Austria, with the highest point being Hoher Dachstein at 2,995m. The range is also home to giant ice caves, glaciers and an array of via ferrata routes to test all abilities. The slopes immediately surrounding Filzmoos belong to a subgroup of the Dachstein, known as the Gosaukamm mountain chain in the Salzkammergut region.
Whether you come here to ski, hike, paraglide or mountain bike, it’s an area that will always leave a lasting impression, and Filzmoos’s quiet, chilled out atmosphere gives you the ideal place to relax between your adventures, amid the distant clang of cattle bell and thrum of wildflower meadow. If you want an authentic alpine experience without the crowds, this is for you.
Filzmoos is just an hour’s drive from Salzburg Airport, and a straightforward journey on roads of top quality. If you’re not hiring a car, a train and bus/taxi combo is available, with a train station shuttle service from Bischofshofen direct to Filzmoos running May to September. Once you’ve arrived, it’s small enough to walk around to find most of the trails.
You’ll find the road network to be exceptionally well-maintained, with mostly smooth surfaces and hardly any potholes – an odd experience if you’re coming from the UK. Driving standards and signage are excellent too, so just let Google Maps do its thing and the Austrian infrastructure will gently guide you to where you need to be.
There are toll roads, which require a toll pass called a Vignette. Most local Austrian rental companies already include a valid annual Vignette on their vehicles. Ask your rental desk at pickup to confirm. Winter tyres are compulsory from November to April, and stay sharp on those mountain switchbacks, as blind spots are commonplace.
Filzmoos is an all-year-round destination, catering for hikers, skiers and snowboarders. The hiking season generally starts in early June and finishes mid-October, depending on snow conditions. Early June works well for saving a bit of money on flights before the mid-summer rush, and you dodge busier times and higher temperatures in the mountains. The start of October can work well, with the larch-laden slopes putting on a stunning display of amber and gold hues.
By late-October much of the village closes down before the winter season begins in early December, so finding somewhere to eat out can be tricky. From then until the end of February, the place fills up once again, with 20km of ski slopes by the village without really long queues. If you can hang on until March you’ll find cheaper prices and pistes without the crowds. It should then stay quiet until the Easter holidays.
Whenever you choose to go, just bear in mind that Filzmoos sits at 1,057 metres, with peaks soaring over double that height and more, so pack extra layers even in mid-summer, as the weather is very changeable.
The great thing about basing yourself in Filzmoos is the convenience. It saves having to cover even more miles just to reach a trailhead. There are many trails that either begin or pass close by, so settle down with a map and take your pick.
If you’re looking for something strenuous to begin with while your energy levels are at their peak, the Rötelstein is waiting to be challenged. It’s steep and a scramble at times higher up – with some exposed sections – but the views are absolutely worth it. Set aside six hours at a leisurely pace to give yourself some time at the 2,245m summit, and take a lot of care in wet conditions. Also, beware of rockfall as there’s a lot of scree on the upper section.
Save yourself a tedious trudge on asphalt and make the short drive from Filzmoos up the winding road to the free Rettensteinhütte car park. From here, you work your way through scenic pasture and straight into an abrupt ascent adorned with alpine flowers, punctuated by occasional encounters with the free-roaming cows. Dig deep now and you’ll be rewarded with a brief respite as the gradient flattens out a bit, and the Hochkönig and Tennen Mountains come into view, followed by the Bischofsmütze and Gosaukamm ranges as the path turns northwards.
As you meet dwarf pines and scree, keep an eye out for the red and white stone waymarkers as you pull yourself up. It’s a mix of scrambling and walking until you reach the final section – a ridge walk to the grassy summit marked with a cross, where you can – on a clear day – see Hoher Dachstein, Mitterspitz and Torstein.
This is a less demanding route you can do directly from Filzmoos, where you’ll spend most of your time in coniferous forest festooned with lichen on your way to – hopefully – spot a few marmots, via the Filzwiese moorland. Give yourself five hours for there and back – including an essential stop off at the Bachlalm mountain hut for coffee and cake. Alternatively, you can incorporate this into the Rettenstein circuit – a 23km loop popular with trail runners. You’ll get terrific views of the Dachstein Massif and a serious workout.
Widely regarded as having some of the best panoramic vistas in the Eastern Alps, a hike to the top on a clear day will not disappoint, with around 150 peaks visible around 360 degrees stretching as far as the Hohe Tauern range. Known for its high-altitude cross-country ski trail, the hiking route can be picked up via cable car from the centre of Filzmoos, or walked as a circular route from a car park opposite the village’s petrol station.
The Rossbrand Round as it’s known spans 13km and should take on average around five and a half hours to complete. After passing through forest at Moosalm, follow path 464 to a ridge, then on path 460 going west past a transmission mast. You’ll eventually pass the Radstätter hut, before reaching the top at 1,770m. The hut is worth taking a breather at, with decent beer and gourmet temptations such as smoked chamois, local cheese and pine-infused schnapps. The descent can either be made via the ‘Dr. März’ path, or by the Karalm hut on path 462 directly from the summit – both take around about the same time.
As is the case everywhere else in the area, the trails are really well marked – the only downside are the crowds at peak times. Get up with the birds at dawn, skip the cable car, and you’ll be rewarded with tranquillity.
This is a multi-day hut to hut trek if you fancy venturing further afield for a true sense of wilderness. Most folk allow eight full days to complete the circular 135km, which takes you through the region’s most breathtaking scenery, including lush alpine meadows, weird and wonderful limestone formations, glacier ice, high plateaus, ancient forest, karst springs and transparent lakes. While not technically difficult, it will challenge your stamina. You can connect with the circuit from Filzmoos via the Hofpürglhütte - which takes around 2.5 hours.
For winter getaways, the Rossbrand’s 16km of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails are a must, easily accessible from the Papageno gondola lift in the centre of Filzmoos.
Take a 45-minute drive from Filzmoos and you can arrive at the world’s largest ice cave labyrinth at Eisriesenwelt – an otherworldly experience you’ll never forget. There are also cave trekking opportunities through the Dachstein system for the more adventurous, but ensure you book well in advance.
If moving ice is your thing, a visit to the awesome Dachstein Glacier cannot be missed. Sitting at 2,700m, it features one of the highest suspension bridges in Europe and a glass-bottomed ‘Skywalk’ staircase that juts out into the enormous void below. Thrilling or terrifying, depending how your brain is wired!
Visit in January and you might come across Filzmoos’s hot air balloon festival, with passenger rides available December to the end of February depending on conditions – all the way to 3,000 metres. They usually last around two hours and cost about 300 euros per person. It’s also possible to do it occasionally at dawn during the summer, before the mountain thermals take hold.
The marmot is undoubtedly the animal most emblematic to the area around Filzmoos. Stand quietly near their burrow entrances during dry, sunny mornings and evenings and you stand a good chance of spotting them. But don't bother if it's wet, or during the hottest part of the day; they prefer to hunker down in their network of tunnels. They're shy by nature, but have become habituated to hikers at Bachlalm. Just don't expect to see them between late October and early March, as this is their hibernation period.
Another iconic mammal of the region is the fearless chamois. You’ll be lucky to spot one, so seek out quiet areas of scree slope and keep your eyes fixed on steep rock faces for the best chance of spotting these mountain specialists. And ideally bring binoculars, as they blend in so well with the rock. Red deer roam the lower elevations, usually in woodland.
Butterflies are abundant with dozens of different species to tick off in the meadows, moorland and alpine forests. The meadows are also brimming with bees and grasshoppers, while the high-altitude bogs and ponds are home to beetles, damselflies and dragonflies.
The area’s patchwork of habitats also gives it a good number of different bird species. Raptors you might just glimpse in the mountains include bearded vulture, kestrel and golden eagle, and look-out for smaller species such as ring ouzel and the alpine accentor above the treeline. In the forests, you might encounter flashes of spotted nutcracker or crested tit.
Don’t get your hopes up if you’re looking to spot bear, wolf or lynx. While sightings are not unheard of, they are exceptionally rare.
There’s no shortage of accommodation in Filzmoos, with a great selection of hotels, apartments and farmhouses to choose from, presenting mountain vistas aplenty. They’re also excellent value compared with UK prices, and many offer half-board as standard.
The family-run Hotel Alpenkrone has everything you need, including spectacular views of the Bischofsmutze and the verdant hillsides below. Its four stars gives you hearty breakfasts to fuel you up, and filling four-course dinners to unwind with, as well as a spa, gym and bar on-site. It’s a peaceful place where you really feel immersed in the mountains.
Hotel Bischofsmutze offers a similar level of comfort while being in a more central location in Filzmoos, just a minute’s walk from the gondola. It also benefits from an extensive outdoor bar and restaurant area, where you can sit under cover and take in the laid-back pace of the village – whether baking sun, squally winds, or sudden downpours are on the menu.
There are camping grounds near to Filzmoos, such as the dog and kid-friendly Camping Dachstein 8km away in Ramsau am Dachstein. Nestled on a sun-filled plateau, there are around 30 pitches available, 15 of which are allocated to caravans and motorhomes during the winter season. Hiking, biking and cross-country skiing trails are close by, and the owners will happily provide guidance on which trails to take. It’s an idyllic location whether you visit in summer or winter. Wild camping is generally prohibited and will leave you with a hefty fine.
