Hochalm

Hochalm sits at 1,829m on the eastern flank of the Untersberg massif, between the Salzburg Basin and the Berchtesgaden Alps. Reach it from Elsbethen (south of Salzburg) via the Faistenau valley, following the marked trail past Wildenseealm for 2.5 hours of steady climbing through forest and alpine meadow. The final approach opens onto a high plateau with views toward the Tennengebirge. Allow 3 hours if you start from Faistenau village itself. Winter access is unreliable above 1,600m.
Hochalm operates as a working alp and simple hiker's hut managed by local farmers. The hut takes around 50 guests in basic dormitory and double rooms. Hot meals are available when the hut is staffed (typically June through September, though opening dates vary by season). Expect simple food: hearty Salzburg fare, fresh milk, and coffee. There's no electricity or running water—water comes from a spring. The toilet is a traditional alpine outhouse. This is a working farm first, a hut second.
Book ahead by phone if you plan a meal or need a bed guaranteed, especially July and August. The hut's phone number and current opening dates are best confirmed via the Salzburg tourism office or the OeAV. Expect the hut to close or have sporadic staffing outside summer months. This is not a destination for comfort seekers, but exactly the kind of place serious hikers value: accessible from Salzburg, genuinely remote in feel, and operating as an actual alp rather than a tourism facility.