Neukirchen Am Großvenediger: Hiking Trails, Wildkogel and Culture

Neukirchen Am Großvenediger lies at an altitude of 856 metres in the heart of Hohe Tauern National Park. There are different areas to focus on when planning your trip: trails by the waterfall and on Wildkogel, winter sports, cycling routes, and local culture. Which of these interests you most can help guide your hotel search and the planning of your stay.

Hiking between the waterfall and high-altitude trails

The Untersulzbach Waterfall is a natural monument at the entrance to the Untersulzbachtal. To reach the route, take a 700-metre footpath from the “Bahnhof Sulzbachtäler” stop on the Pinzgau Local Railway. This means you can factor the train journey into your plans.

The “Blick ins Tauernfenster” geological trail runs from the Schütthof inn in Neukirchen, past the waterfall, to the historic “Hochfeld” National Park show mine. Information panels explain the geology of the Hohe Tauern and the history of mining in the Untersulzbachtal. Visits to the show mine are organised seasonally. The trail thus combines landscape, geological history and mining; check in advance whether a visit to the show mine fits your travel dates.

Another focus is Wildkogel: the high-altitude hiking area can be reached from Neukirchen by the Wildkogelbahn cable car and lies at an altitude of over 2,000 metres. The cable car operates seasonally. The area features family-friendly panoramic trails, alpine huts and numerous viewpoints. The Wildkogel Panorama Trail leads to the summit; from there, it offers views of the Hohe Tauern, the Kitzbühel Alps and the Salzach Valley.

The valley trails also differ in what they offer. The Venedigerweg in the Obersulzbachtal features play and interactive stations, as well as views of the Großvenediger. The Kapellenweg is a circular hiking trail through and around Neukirchen that passes several historic chapels, including the Schloss, Hubertus, Krausen, Christophorus and Siggen chapels. The Adler Toni Erlebnisweg starts at the Alpengasthof Stockenbaum, at the end of the Rutschenweg, and leads down to the village centre.

Winter on Wildkogel

The Wildkogel-Arena can be reached from Neukirchen via the Wildkogelbahn. The Wildkogel family ski area offers 75 kilometres of groomed slopes. This makes the difference between a winter and summer trip clear: each has a different focus. If you plan to take a mountain lift, check its seasonal operating times for your travel dates.

The Wildkogel-Arena also has a floodlit toboggan run more than 14 kilometres long. From Neukirchen, you can reach it by taking the Wildkogelbahn and then walking for ten minutes to the starting point. The walk to the start and the kilometres of ski slopes describe different ways to plan a winter visit to Wildkogel.

Cycling routes and stages

The Hohe Tauern Panorama Bike Trail runs through the national park valleys and includes Neukirchen as a stage stop. The section in Neukirchen highlights the Ober- and Untersulzbachtal as national park valleys. The Bike-Trail Wildkogel follows a different route: it runs from Neukirchen via the Gensbichl valley station to the Wildkogelbahn mountain station and has a maximum gradient of 13 percent. Check the route details before setting out. The two descriptions offer different points of reference: one is the stage route through the valleys, the other a specific route with a stated maximum gradient.

For a hike on the Hohe Tauern Panorama Trail, stages in Neukirchen and Bramberg can be adapted flexibly using mountain lifts. The seasonal operation of the lifts is also relevant when planning this hike. This stage-based option differs from individual trails such as the Wildkogel Panorama Trail, which leads to the summit of Wildkogel.

Culture and local history

The Kammerlanderstall in Neukirchen dates back to the 18th century and is home to Tauriska. Readings and concerts are held there; the programme varies from one date to another. The “cinétheatro” hosts cabaret performances, concerts and band performances, readings, and theatre productions. These venues offer a different focus from the trails and mountain destinations; if culture is important to your trip, you can include the relevant dates in your plans.

A specific historical reference has also been recorded: a church document in Neukirchen from 1243 mentions the endowment of an “Erchtagmesse” (Tuesday mass) by Walter and Jakob von Nuwinkirchen. Together with the chapels along the circular trail, this gives visitors interested in local history a point of reference.

For trails, mountain lift rides and seasonally organised visits, it is worth checking the relevant information for your planned travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Lenzing, Embach, Wald Im Pinzgau, Schüttdorf, Grubing, Gumping, Kaprun, Almdorf.

Return to the main travel overview: Zell Am See.