The Smaragdweg (Emerald Trail) is a 50-kilometer multi-day hiking route through the Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria’s largest protected alpine area. The trail connects Kaprun, Zell am See, and Taxenbach through glacially sculpted terrain, following streams and lakes colored an intense green by glacial mineral particles in suspension. The route takes 3-4 days to complete, with mountain hut accommodation along the way; book huts in advance in summer. Starting points at Kaprun and Zell am See are accessible by train from Salzburg in about an hour. Best walked June to October.
hiking trail in Hohe Tauern National Park
Smaragdweg
The Smaragdweg, or Emerald Trail, threads through the Hohe Tauern National Park along a route named for the intense malachite-green color of glacially fed streams and lakes it passes.
- Type
- hiking trail
- Destination
- Hohe Tauern National Park
- Cost
- Free to visit
- Address
- 5730 Hohe Tauern National Park
- Coordinates
- 47.2192, 12.3432