Katschberg Pass

Katschberg is a high mountain pass in the Central Eastern Alps, standing at 1,641 metres between Salzburg and Carinthia. It links the Katsch Valley in the south with the Lungau region in the north, where the Mur river flows toward the Radstädter Tauern Pass. The pass divides the Ankogel Group of the Hohe Tauern range from the Nock Mountains in the Gurktal Alps. A major road, the Katschberg Straße, runs alongside the Tauern Autobahn, which passes through the 5,898-metre Katschberg Tunnel built in 1974. The pass has a long history. First mentioned in a 1459 deed, it once carried mail between the Duchy of Carinthia and the Archbishopric of Salzburg. The first inn opened in 1929, later expanded into a four-star hotel by the Bogensperger family in 1956. Skiing began in 1957 with the first lift to Tschaneck peak, and today the Schischaukel Katschberg-Aineck resort offers 70 kilometres of slopes served by 16 lifts. Visitors find a year-round destination. In winter, the resort stretches from Tschaneck at 2,024 metres to Aineck at 2,220 metres, with slopes for all levels. The longest run, “A1,” descends six kilometres to St Margarethen, while the Diretissima black piste drops steeply into the Katschberg valley. In summer, a 200-kilometre network of hiking trails winds through the surrounding mountains, with lifts such as the Silverjet 1 and Tschaneck cable car providing access.