Lungau sits beyond the Tauern passes in a high basin at the southeastern end of Salzburg State. Tamsweg is the regional center, while Mauterndorf, St. Michael, and the surrounding valleys keep the district divided into small, distinct communities.
It feels more self-contained than the state’s busier northern districts. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, medieval castles, mountain roads, and living customs reward travelers who stay rather than treat the plateau as a corridor between Salzburg and Carinthia.