The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps. While the northern ranges from the Bernese Alps to the Appenzell Alps are entirely in Switzerland, the southern ranges from the Mont Blanc massif to the Bernina massif are shared with other countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.
The Zugspitze, at 2,962 m (9,718 ft) above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains and the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, and the Austria–Germany border is on its western summit. South of the mountain is the Zugspitzplatt, a high karst plateau with numerous caves. On the flanks of the Zugspitze are two glaciers, the largest in Germany: the Northern Schneeferner with an area of 30.7 hectares and Höllentalferner with an area of 24.7 hectares. Shrinking of the Southern Schneeferner led to the loss of glacier status in 2022.
The Salzkammergut is a resort area in Austria, stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mountains. The main river of the region is the Traun, a right tributary of the Danube.
The Watzmann is a mountain in the Berchtesgaden Alps south of the village of Berchtesgaden. It is the third highest in Germany, and the highest located entirely on German territory.
Monte Rosa is a mountain massif in the eastern part of the Pennine Alps, on the border between Italy and Switzerland (Valais). The highest peak of the massif, amongst several peaks of over 4.000 m, is the Dufourspitze, the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe, after Mont Blanc. The east face of the Monte Rosa towards Italy has a height of about 2.400 meters and is the highest mountain wall of the Alps.
The Grand Combin is a mountain massif in the western Pennine Alps in the canton of Valais. At a height of 4,314 metres (14,154 ft) the summit of Combin de Grafeneire is one of the highest peaks in the Alps and the second most prominent of the Pennine Alps. The Grand Combin is also a large glaciated massif consisting of several summits, among which three are above 4000 metres. The highest part of the massif is wholly in Switzerland, although the border with Italy lies a few kilometres south.
Hoher Dachstein is a strongly karstic mountain in central Austria and the second-highest mountain in the Northern Limestone Alps. It is situated at the border of Upper Austria and Styria, and is the highest point in each of those states. Parts of the massif also lie in the state of Salzburg, leading to the mountain being referred to as the Drei-Länder-Berg.
Schladming is a small former mining town in the northwest of the Austrian state of Styria that is now a popular tourist destination. It has become a large winter-sports resort and has held various skiing competitions, including most notably the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1982 and the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2013. The shopping area has many cafes and restaurants, and a variety of shops that cater to tourists.
The Ski Amadé region of Austria is a network of 28 ski areas and towns that combined, make up the second largest ski area in Europe. It is named after the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who was born in the city of Salzburg.
Titlis is a mountain of the Uri Alps, located on the border between the cantons of Obwalden and Bern. At 3,238 metres (10,623 ft) above sea level, it is the highest summit of the range north of the Susten Pass, between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland. It is mainly accessed from Engelberg (OW) on the north side and is famous as the site of the world's first rotating cable car. The cable car system connects Engelberg to the summit of Klein Titlis through the three stages of Gerschnialp, Trübsee and Stand. In 2016, a direct route was created that bypassed Geraschnialp, going directly to Trübsee.
Ramsau am Dachstein is a municipality in the district of Liezen, state of Styria, Austria. It is also the name of the elevated plateau between the Dachstein range and the Enns valley on which this municipality is located.
Obertraun, Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria, near the Hallstätter See and Hoher Dachstein. It is a popular holiday destination with activities such as skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and mountain biking, swimming and kayaking in the summer.
5 Fingers is a free viewing platform in the Dachstein Mountains of Upper Austria, on Mount Krippenstein. It was named "5 Fingers" by virtue of its hand-like shape.
The Schneeferner in the Bavarian Alps is Germany's highest and largest glacier.
The Upper and Lower Eissee are two lakes in the Dachstein Mountains in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. They lie north of a 2,794 metres (9,167 ft) high mountain, the Gjaidstein, at an elevation of around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).
The Hallstätter Glacier is the largest glacier in the Dachstein Mountains. It lies immediately beneath the northern foot of the Dachstein itself and runs down to the Eissee lake below the Simony Hut at a height of 2,205 metres (7,234 ft). To the east the Hallstätter Glacier is bounded by the High Gjaidstein. Firmly sealed off at its western snout by the Schöberl, 2,426 metres (7,959 ft), it is bordered in the west by the eastern flank of the Hohes Kreuz ridge, running from south to north, which reaches a height of 2,837 metres (9,308 ft). In its upper third the glacier flows around a prominent landmark, the Eisstein. At its head in the south it is also bordered by the Hunerkogel and the Dirndln.
The Simony Hut is an Alpine club hut belonging to the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) located at a height of 2,205 metres, just below the Hallstätter Glacier at the foot of the Hoher Dachstein in Austria. The hut, named after Friedrich Simony, the first person to ascend Hoher Dachstein, is situated high above Hallstatt in the northern part of the Dachstein Mountains. It is open year-round and, in winter, offers numerous options for ski tours and snowshoeing.
Berchtesgaden National Park is in the south of Germany, on its border with Austria, in the municipalities of Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden and Schönau am Königsee, Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria. The national park was established in 1978 to protect the landscapes of the Berchtesgaden Alps. Headquartered in the town of Berchtesgaden, the park was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990.
The Grimming is an isolated peak in the Dachstein Mountains of Austria and one of the few ultra-prominent mountains of the Alps.
The Schladming Tauern are a subrange of the Austrian Central Alps within the Eastern Alps. Together with the Radstadt Tauern, the Rottenmann and Wölz Tauern and the Seckau Tauern the Schladming Tauern form the major range known as the Low Tauern. The mountains are located in Austria in the federal states of Salzburg and Styria. Its highest peak, at 2,862 m is the Hochgolling.
