Palfnerkogel

The Palfnerkogel stands in the Salzach valley near Bischofshofen, a 1,413-metre peak that forms part of the Dientner Berge in the Salzburger Schieferalpen. It sits between the Salzach river at St. Johann and the Mühlbach valley near Mühlbach am Hochkönig, linked to the Hochglocker and Schleichkogel by a long ridge. The mountain’s name covers the entire ridge, which stretches north-east from the Hochglocker summit toward Bischofshofen. Along the way it passes the Rettenebenalm and Pronebenalm before reaching the main Palfnerkogel summit. From there it slopes gently down to the Kohlmaißhöhe and then falls more steeply toward the Salzachtal. The mountain’s geology shaped its history, with copper ores embedded in ancient schist layers that once fed the Mitterberg copper mines. Archaeologists have found traces of mining here from the second millennium BC, and three main ore veins run west to east across the slopes. The Brandergang became the most productive, worked by the Mitterberger Kupfer AG from the early 20th century until 1957. Daily output reached about twenty tonnes of ore with a copper content of roughly 1.4 to 1.8 per cent. The Arthurstollen, now a protected show mine, once carried ore to Mühlbach and served as a water conduit. Visitors walk the broad ridge from the Schleichkogel to the Palfnerkogel summit, where views open over the Salzach valley and the surrounding peaks. The slopes carry alpine meadows and scattered farmsteads such as Palfner Dörfl, while the lower ground holds Mitterberghütten and parts of Haidberg. The Arthurstollen entrance can be reached from Mühlbach, offering a glimpse into the mountain’s mining past. The ridge also carries high-voltage power lines that mark the modern landscape.