Guggenstein

The Guggenstein stands 1,979 metres above sea level in the Goldberg Group of the Central Alps. It belongs to the municipality of Bad Hofgastein in Salzburg. The mountain rises near the village of Wieden, where a few scattered farms and alpine pastures mark its lower slopes. To the west a ridge leads to the Hundskopf, which reaches 2,403 metres. Three alpine meadows lie close to the summit: Fundner-Heimalm in the southeast and Wiedner Alm in the northeast, with Hochsteingut farm on the eastern side. The rock here is mostly serpentinite, metagabbro and ophicarbonate from the Tauern window. A thick lens of serpentine appears on the east face. Two wildlife-restricted zones protect local animals: the Gamskogel chamois zone on the summit is closed from 1 December to 31 May, and the Wieden Leidalm red-deer zone on the southern slopes is closed from 1 November to 31 May. Between these zones grows the rusty-leaved alpine rose, and green alder scrub covers the lower ground. Paths from Wieden climb past the meadows to the Schmaranzhütte, from which the final slopes lead to the top. The view takes in the Goldberg peaks and the Hohe Tauern range. On the northern side the rusty-leaved alpine rose gives way to green alder woodland that spreads across the southern flanks. The summit area itself is quiet, with only the occasional chamois or red deer visible outside the closed seasons.