Nestled just south of Salzburg, the Tennengebirge is surprisingly accessible by train, making it an ideal destination for an adventurous day hike. We opted for a challenging yet rewarding route, crossing the range from the south to the north, starting right from the train station and passing through the famous ice caves. There are several routes to choose from, but we found ours to be the most straightforward when using public transportation.

This tour spans 23 kilometers with a total elevation gain and loss of 2200 meters. For two fast-paced walkers, it took us about 9 hours to complete. However, there are options to either split the hike into two days (sleeping at Leopold Happisch Haus) or shorten it (taking cable car up the the ice cave), depending on your preferences and pace.

Arrival
We chose a convenient train connection that worked perfectly from both Vienna and Linz. If you’re coming from Salzburg, you might want to catch an earlier train to give yourself more time, especially if you’re planning to complete the hike in a single day.


Departure
For the return journey, we had the option of taking a slightly later train, which provided a bit of flexibility depending on how long the hike took. The bus station is conveniently located right next to the restaurant Lammerklause, so waiting for your bus is no big deal—you can relax and enjoy a meal while you wait.

The Hike
Our adventure began in Tenneck, where we crossed the train tracks and followed the signs leading to the ice cave visitor center/Dr. Oeadlhaus.
After passing the cable car station of the ice caves it is around an hour to the Dr. Oedl Haus, last chance also to refill the water and use the toilet. Just before reaching the entrance of the ice caves, there’s a gate where the real hike begins. There is a sign warning of rock falls to prevent "normal" tourists of going there, but it is a normal alpine hiking path.

From here, we ascended through the rock with some light scrambling, eventually reaching the plateau. The trail is well-marked throughout. Below there are pictures of the most difficult parts.



We made our way to the Happisch Haus, a recently renovated and volunteer-maintained shelter by Naturfreunde Salzburg. Although not serviced, just a volunteer is overlooking it every day, it’s a highly recommended spot for a peaceful stay in the mountains. The house offers basic provisions, but it’s wise to bring your own supplies, as the kitchen is fully equipped.

From Happisch Haus, there are various route options. We took the one with short detour to Knallstein before beginning the long descent. Another, just slightly shorter, option is via the Wieselsteine. The view back to the hut on our ascent to Knallstein. The route is coming from the right top corner of the photo.

The path to Knallstein is straight forward and especially the last metres to the summit also offer great picture options along the ridge. If you want to safe some energy and maybe half an hour skipping the peak is also no problem. 
The descent can be quite taxing, as the trail is primarily uneven rock rather than a traditional path, but it’s well-marked with red signs every few meters.

Once in the valley, you can head left to Scheffau or right to Oberscheffau. It is a forest road and flat, the only difficulty left is the distance, we opted for jogging for a little bit, sometimes there were also cars passing on the last kilometres to the village and you can also try to hitch-hike the last two kilometres. We chose Oberscheffau, where a recommended restaurant conveniently located next to the bus stop awaited us. After a well-deserved meal, we caught the bus to Golling and transferred to a Railjet for our journey home.


This hike through the Tennengebirge is a perfect blend of challenging terrain, breathtaking views, and convenient access via public transport. Whether you’re looking to complete it in a day or take a more leisurely pace, it’s a route that offers something for every adventurous hiker, especially solitude.