Felbertauern

The Felber Tauern is a high mountain pass in the Hohe Tauern range, standing at 2,465 metres above sea level. It lies between the Venediger and Granatspitz groups, linking Salzburg with East Tyrol. The pass is not open to vehicles and has been a key crossing since Roman times. At the summit stands the Tauernkreuz, consecrated in 1952, where a mountain mass is held every last Sunday in August. Nearby peaks include the Tauernkogel to the west and the Hochgasser to the east, with the St. Pöltner Hütte perched just above at 2,481 metres. The pass was once the busiest Tauern crossing in the Roman era, favoured for its ice-free routes and nearby gold mining. Bronze Age people used it regularly, and by the Iron Age it had become a transit route for Etruscan and Venetian traders heading north. In the Middle Ages, local lords controlled the route, and by the 13th century it was used for transporting wine with pack animals. A tragic cattle drive in 1878 claimed four lives and left many animals dead, drawing rare white-headed vultures to the area each summer. Visitors reach the pass via the Samerweg, a historic trail that meets an old mule track at the Göttliche Stein at 2,148 metres. The surrounding landscape offers rugged peaks and high alpine meadows. The Tauernkreuz marks the highest point, while the St. Pöltner Hütte provides shelter nearby. The pass remains a quiet but historically rich crossing, where ancient trade routes and dramatic natural beauty meet.