Collection: Mountains & Hiking

The Gößeck is the northernmost and highest summit of the Reitingstock in Styria. It is also the highest point of the Eisenerz Alps, the southern part of the Ennstal Alps. In spring the overgrown slopes of the Reiting make the massif one of the finest flower mountains in Styria: more than 70 species of orchid grow around it. The wildlife is varied too – red deer live here alongside chamois and ibex.

West of Chur the Ringelspitz rises above the Vorderrhein valley. The mountain, known in Romansh as Piz Barghis, is the highest summit in the canton of St Gallen and lies on the border with Grisons. The Ringelspitzhütte of the Swiss Alpine Club, south-east of the mountain, makes a good starting point for tours to the summit. The winter and spring months are particularly well suited to the ascent.

The Geigelstein is the third-highest mountain in the Chiemgau Alps and the highest of its summits to lie entirely in Bavaria. With its summit ridge of a good 100 metres and its sloping flanks, the mountain resembles a pointed roof, especially when seen from the south. Protests against the construction of a larger ski area on the Geigelstein led to a good 300 hectares being placed under nature protection in 1991. Among other things, it is an important breeding ground for peregrine falcons.

Gamsfeld is the highest mountain and the only two-thousander in the Salzkammergut Mountains. The slopes of Gamsfeld below the dome-shaped summit drop steeply in all directions, making ascents somewhat demanding. The efforts are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the noticeable higher mountains of the Dachstein massif in the south and the lakes of the Salzkammergut in the north. Gamsfeld is also known for the lush Alpine flora on its slopes. Alpine roses can form dense carpets of flowers during their bloom.

Eisenhut, “the Iron Hat”, is the highest peak of the Gurktal Alps and the Nock Mountains. It is located in Styria close to the border with Carinthia in the south. As the name suggests, iron ore used to be mined around the Eisenhut. Mining in the region has been documented since the 13th century. Today, tourism is an important economic factor, especially with the ski resort Turracherhöhe, south-west of the Eisenhut.

Cima Tosa is a mountain in the Brenta Group, north of Lago di Garda. It was once considered the highest point in the massif. However, new measurements revealed a summit height of just under 3 136 meters, making Cima Brenta (3 151 m) in the north the higher of the two peaks. Nevertheless, Cima Tosa is a fascinating huge, snow-covered rock tower with steep walls. The north face of the mountain, which is around 800 meters high, is particularly impressive.

Cima Dodici (or Cima XII) is the highest point of the province of Vicenza and the Vicentine Alps, which rise northeast of Lago di Garda. The border with the province of Trento runs across the summit. In German, the mountain is also known as Zwölferkofel. Since Cima Dodici is easily accessible from all directions it is a popular destination for mountain hikes in the summer and ski tours in winter.

Cima d'Asta is the highest peak of the mountain massif of the same name and thus also the highest point in the Fiemme Mountains The mountain is located in a rather remote part of the Dolomites, away from the main tourist routes. The rock of the Cima d'Asta consists of granite, which sets it apart from the surrounding mountains, which are mainly characterized by reddish volcanic stone.

The Schesaplana is rising close to the southern tripoint between Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Situated in the center of the Alps and being the high point of the Rätikon the summit offers a view over hundreds of Alpine mountains up to the Pennine Alps, Ötztal Alps, the Zugspitze massif, and beyond. On the way to the mountain top different mountain huts can be passed, such as the Mannheimer Hütte in the north behind the Brandner Glacier, the Douglashütte at the Lünersee in the east, or the Schesaplanahütte in the south.

The impressive Niesen towers south of Lake Thun. Due to its pyramid-shape in the winter months, when the sun is low, the summit casts a large triangle shadow on the community of Spiez at the foot of the mountain. Since 1910 the mountain top can be reached with the Niesenbahn, a funicular railway.

North of Mount Ruapehu, the highest mountain on New Zealand's North Island, the volcanic cone of Mount Ngauruhoe rises. With an estimated age of about 2500 years it is the youngest and also the highest summit of the Tongariro volcanic comlpex. The surrounding Tongariro National Park was formed in 1887 as New Zealand's first national park. In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings-movies Ngauruhoe is presented to a worldwide audience as Mount Doom in Mordor.

Mount Edgecumbe is a dormant volcano and the highest mountain on Kruzof Island in the southeast of Alaska. In the native Tlingit language the mountain is named L'ux which can be translated as flashing or blinking. Mount Edecumbe got international attention in course of one of the largest April Fool jokes in history when on 1st April 1974 Oliver Bickar alarmed the population in the surrounding settlements who were in fear of an eruption when Bickar had actually only set dozens of tires on fire.

As one of the western summits of the Daumen Group the Rubihorn and its summit cross tower west of the Nebelhorn and north of the Schattenberg. The mountain is named after the town Rubi, which is situated north of Oberstdorf. The mountain top offers a stunning view over the Iller Valley and the surrounding summits. One of the most scenic routes to the summit leads from the east along the picturesque Gaisalpsee.

The Birnhorn is the highest point of the Leoganger Steinberge and one of the 30 most prominent summits in the Alps. It rises almost 2000 metres above the valley of the Leoganger Ache to its south. The mountain’s south-east face, around 1400 metres high, is one of the highest rock faces in the Eastern Alps and is even compared to the famous east face of the nearby Watzmann.

Kriváň rises to almost 2500 metres in the High Tatras, the highest part of the Carpathians. The mountain owes its name to its curved summit shape: krivý means crooked in Slovak, and in German the mountain is also known as Krummhorn. Kriváň is sometimes called ‘the Matterhorn of Slovakia’ and has repeatedly been voted the country’s most beautiful summit. Since the 19th century it has become one of Slovakia’s national symbols.

While the Marmolada is regarded as the queen of the Dolomites, Antelao is their king. Unusually for this mountain group, the peak rises majestically as a free-standing rock pyramid to the south-east of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Together with Monte Pelmo to the west, the second-highest summit of the Dolomites forms a gigantic gateway into the Val di Cadore.

Lhotse ist der vierthöchste Berg der Erde. Mit einer Schartenhöhe weit unter 1500 Meter ist der Lhotse der einzige der 14 Achttausender, der nicht zu den sogenannten ultraprominenten Gipfeln gezählt wird. Dies ist seiner Nachbarschaft zum Mount Everest zu verdanken, mit dem er über den Südsattel verbunden ist. Die Erstbesteigung des Lhotse erfolgte 1956 drei Jahre nach der des Everest. Die erste Besteigung des Nebengipfels Lhotse Middle gelang erst 2001, wodurch dieser fast 50 Jahre lang der höchste unbestiegene Punkt der Erde war.

The Rigi is a mountain massif with the highest peak Rigi Kulm. It is located between Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and Lake Lauerz and offers a spectacular view over large parts of the Swiss Alps. This is one of the reasons why the first mountain railway in Europe, the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn, was build here in 1871. Rigi has attracted famous guests for centuries: Twain and Goethe visited the massif and Tolstoi even described the view as “the most beautiful in the world”.

Between the Eiger and the Jungfrau, the Mönch completes the impressive trio in the Bernese Oberland. From the top station of the Jungfrau railway it is just over 600 metres of ascent to the summit, though the climb involves some technical challenges. Only in 1996 did re-measurement show that the mountain is nine metres higher than previously assumed. Geldings – ‘Münche’ in the local dialect – were once summered on pastures on the mountain, and ‘Münchenberg’ later became Mönch.

The Ponta do Pico, often simply abbreviated to Pico, is a majestic stratovolcano on the Azores island of the same name. With its 2351 meters it is the highest mountain in Portugal and the mid-Atlantic ridge. The name means "summit" and its impressive panorama not only dominates its own island, which is also called "Ilha Preta", the "black island" after its dark volcanic rock, but can also be seen on the neighboring islands of Faial and São Jorge. Hikers should expect moderate temperatures, but also high humidity and constant wind.

The Mutspitze is the local mountain of Dorf Tirol and forms the south-eastern end of the Texel Group in the Ötztal Alps. The summit is a popular destination for day hikes and offers magnificent views down the valleys south towards Merano and north into the Spronser Valley and the rest of the Texel Group. The ascent starts with the Hochmuth cable car and from there either from the east via the Mutkopf or from the west via the Leiter Alm and the Taufenscharte. The demanding route is easily manageable thanks to the hiking trails carved into the rock.

The Jungfrau is the highest summit of the trio it forms together with the Eiger and the Mönch. The opening of the rack railway to the Jungfraujoch at over 3400 metres in 1912 made the mountain one of the most easily accessible four-thousand-metre peaks in the Alps. The name may have passed over time from the Wengernalp on the northern slope – called Jungfrauenberg by the nuns of the former Interlaken convent – to the Jungfrau itself.

Monte Adamello is, after Presanella, the second-highest summit of the mountain group of the same name on the border between Lombardy and Trentino. The west and north faces of the Adamello rise steeply to the top, while the mountain falls away more gently towards the south-east. The Adamello lies in the Parco regionale dell’Adamello, which borders the slightly larger Parco naturale Adamello-Brenta directly to the east. Alongside ibex and chamois, larger birds of prey such as golden eagles and bearded vultures can occasionally be seen here, and brown bears only rarely.

Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales. Its Welsh name, Yr Wyddfa, means tomb, as legend has it that this is the burial place of the giant Rhitta Gawr, who was defeated by King Arthur. Snowdon is a much-visited mountain, offering fine walks across its grassy slopes. Towards the east and north, by contrast, the slopes are steep and rocky, which is why Sir Edmund Hillary trained here before the first ascent of Mount Everest.

England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, is located in the Lake District in the north-west of the country, which was formed by glaciers and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It should not be confused with the slightly lower neighboring mountain Sca Fell. In 1919, Scafell Pike was donated to the National Trust by Lord Leconfield as a war memorial. Like the highest summits of Scotland and Wales, Scafell Pike is part of the “National Three Peaks Challenge”, in which all three mountains must be climbed within 24 hours.

Helvellyn in the Lake District is the third highest and one of the most famous mountains in England. Its 500 meter long summit plateau is particularly striking. In 1926 even a small airplane successfully managed to land on it. On the steep and rocky east face of the Helvellyn, two ridges diverge and enclose the mountain lake Red Tarn. The southern Striding Edge is a popular route for easy climbing and scrambling. Additionally the summit can also be reached by mountain bike.

Ben Nevis, east of Fort William, is the highest mountain in Scotland and Great Britain. The Gaelic name “Beinn Nibheis” can be translated as “mountain with its head in the clouds”. The summit of the former volcano is covered in fog or rain 300 days a year due to its maritime location. The weather conditions pose a severe risk for mountaineers. The first documented ascent of Ben Nevis took place in 1771. Today it is one of the world's most frequented peaks. The 700 meter high northeast face is particularly popular for ice climbing.

The Aiguille Verte, the “Green Needle”, is located in the Mont Blanc massif, east of Chamonix. With its rocky, pointed shape, it lives up to its name. The Aiguille Verte's massive rock face makes it one of the most challenging mountains to climb in the Alps. In some places the gradient reaches up to 55°, which is why even the normal route through the Whymper Couloir should not be underestimated. Additionally the mountain massif is surrounded by glaciers, which makes the ascent routes even more difficult.

The Monte Stivo rises north-east of Lake Garda between the two valleys of Valle dei Laghi to the west and Vallagarina to the east. The summit offers a fine view of the northern lake and of peaks including the Marmolata, the Adamello group, Presanella and the Sella group. Just about 40 metres below the top stands the Rifugio Stivo Prospero Marchetti, run by the alpine club Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini (SAT).

The Weisshorn towers north of Zermatt in the Pennine Alps. The main summit of the Weisshorn group has a distinctive pyramid shape with three sharp ridges. Although there are many other four-thousanders in the area, the Weisshorn is relatively free-standing. The rock on the mountain's three faces is quite brittle, which is why they are hardly suitable for climbing. In order to reach the summit an altitude of 3000 meters has to be transcended, requiring a high level of stamina. The route via the southwest ridge is considered to be the most difficult way to the summit.

South-east of Bad Reichenhall lies the Untersberg, the northernmost massif of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The German-Austrian border runs across its extensive summit plateau. At 1972 metres, the Berchtesgadener Hochthron is its highest peak. The whole massif is riddled with karst caves: Germany's deepest and longest known cave is found here, as is the country's only show ice cave. The famous Untersberg marble has been quarried on the northern slopes of the massif since Roman times.

South-east of Klagenfurt, close to the Slovenian border, the Obir massif rises in the Karawanks. Its highest elevation is the Hochobir. Because of the ore deposits around the Obir, mining was probably carried out here from the 12th century until the end of the 19th. In the process the Obir dripstone caves were discovered – today a protected monument – which were partly damaged by the mining work. Until 1947 the summit of the Obir was also home to one of the first weather stations in the Alps.

Mount Kailash is located in southern Tibet close to the Nepalese and Indian border, in a region that has long been considered one of the most inaccessible in the world. Its name meaning "precious snow crystal" was given due to its unique diamond shape. Especially in Buddhism and Hinduism Mount Kailash is considered to be a sacred mountain. Buddhists believe that circling around the mountain for 108 times leads to enlightenment. Due to the mountains religious significance, a climbing ban was issued. Thus Mount Kailash remains unclimbed to this day.

Although it often stands in the shadow of its famous eastern neighbour, the Watzmann, the Hochkalter in the massif of the same name is one of the highest summits in Germany. On its north side lies the Blaueis, the northernmost glacier in the Alps. A little further north lies the Zauberwald, a forest strewn with boulders. It was formed around 4000 years ago by an enormous rockslide on the Hochkalter massif, which also dammed up the Hintersee.

After the Mont Blanc massif, Monte Rosa is the highest massif in the Alps. Its highest summit, the Dufourspitze, is the second-highest mountain in the Alps and the highest in Switzerland. East of it, right on the border with Italy, lies the Grenzgipfel at 4618 metres, and further south the Signalkuppe (4554 m). The Capanna Regina Margherita (Margherita hut) stands directly on its summit – the highest building in Europe.

The Mont Fort is a three-thousand-metre peak in the Valais Alps rising south of Nendaz. The mountain is surrounded by three glaciers; the Glacier de Tortin to the west is part of 4 Vallées, the largest ski area in Switzerland. The Mont Fort is easily reached by cable car from Nendaz or Verbier. At the top, and in the right weather, a spectacular view opens up over the massifs of Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc.