Thurn Pass

Pass Thurn stands at 1,274 metres in the Kitzbühel Alps where Salzburg meets Tyrol. It links the town of Kitzbühel in the west with Mittersill in the Salzach valley to the east. Nearby the Jochberger Ache begins its course, flowing down to the Salzach. The pass is also home to peatland mires recognised as a Ramsar protected site since 2004. The surrounding Kitzbühel Alps rise steeply on both sides of the road. The pass has become a hub for modern lifts that connect ski runs and hiking trails. A gondola from Hollersbach im Pinzgau opened in 2005 and links the valley directly to the Kitzbühel ski area. In 2011 a new six-person chairlift with weather bubble and seat heating replaced older lifts on Resterhöhe and Moseralm. Since 2004 fifteen new lifts have been installed across the ski resort as part of a continuous upgrade plan. These improvements make the area accessible year-round for skiing and walking. Visitors find wide views across the Salzach valley from the pass. The modern lifts carry them quickly to high slopes where alpine meadows stretch below rocky peaks. In summer the same lifts serve hikers on trails that lead into the Kitzbühel Alps. The protected peatlands beside the road attract botanists and photographers. Whether arriving from Salzburg or Tyrol, the pass offers a clear gateway into the heart of the northern Alps.