Untersberg

A bluff, flat-topped peak in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Untersberg is close to the Austrian border with Germany and rises up to 6,473 feet (1,973 meters); it is the highest mountain in the Salzburg area. In summer it is the destination of hikers for its well-marked trails; paragliders for spectacular alpine views; expert climbers for tough ascents; and tours around the Schellenbergerice cave. In winter local skiers flock to the mountain for the demanding 4.75-mile (7.5-km) run back down to the village of Grödig.

Today the summit of Untersberg can be reached all year around (weather permitting) by a panoramic cable-car ride from the village of St Leonhard; the alpine views are spectacular as the Rositten Valley and snow-flecked alpine peaks spread out far below. The year 2015 sees the 50th anniversary of the releases ofThe Sound of Music and excursions will run out to the foothills of Untersberg to the spot where the Von Trapp family sang Climb Every Mountain as they escaped across the Alps to safety from Nazi Austria.