Gstoder

The Gstoder stands at 2 140 metres as the highest summit in the Murberge range, a chain of the Central Alps. Its sharp, pyramid-shaped peak marks the border between Salzburg’s Lungau and Styria, with the Dörfler Alm just south of the top marking Salzburg’s easternmost point. The mountain rises on land belonging to the Styrian villages of Ranten and St. Georgen am Kreischberg, as well as the Salzburg village of Tamsweg. Because it guards the eastern edge of the Lungau, locals call it the ‘Grenzwächter’ or border watchman. Below the glimmering mica-schist slopes lie two broad alpine pastures, the Dörfler Alm at 1 987 metres and the Payeralm at 1 966 metres, both lying above the tree line.

The Gstoder is linked to the higher Schladminger Tauern only by the shallow watershed of the Murparalleltal near Schwarzenbichl at 1 234 metres, giving it an isolated feel. From the top there is a wide, unbroken panorama in every direction. Several marked hiking trails climb to the summit from different sides. A toll road runs south from the valley to the Jogaushütte at 1 755 metres, making the peak accessible without a long walk.

On the summit visitors find a small metal summit cross and a visitors’ book in a metal box. The Jogaushütte below offers simple meals and overnight beds, while the two alpine pastures provide summer grazing for cattle. The contrast between the bare, glistening rock of the peak and the green, flower-dotted meadows of the high pastures gives the mountain its special character.