Kasberg

The Kasberg is a mountain massif reaching 1 747 metres in the Upper Austrian Prealps. Its long ridge runs eight kilometres from east to west, with steep walls, broad hollows, meadows and forests. The area lies where the Gmunden and Kirchdorf districts meet, and its name comes from an old word for a steep-sided hollow. The Kasberg is worth visiting for its fine views and well-kept paths. The summit gives a clear prospect southwards across the northern faces of the Totes Gebirge range. A marked trail system maintained by the Austrian Alpine Club and the Friends of Nature leads up from several directions, including routes from Grünau and Steyrling. In winter the slopes below Hochberg and Jagerspitz form a ski area served by lifts and pistes of varying difficulty. At the top stands a summit cross with a visitors’ book. Lower down are huts such as the Sepp-Huber-Hütte, the Steyrer Hütte and the Hochberghaus, offering food and shelter. The ridge also contains small ice caves and the Röllkarhöhle, the longest cave in the district. The surrounding valleys and meadows provide quiet walking away from the lifts and slopes.