The impressive Grossvenediger (3,657 m a.s.l.) in the Venediger Group is also known as “weltalte Majestät”
The Grossvenediger in the Venediger Mountain Group, a subgroup of the High Tauern is located at the border between East Tyrol and Salzburg. The Venediger Group itself, is famous for the Felbertauernstraße road on the eastern side, the Venediger High Route and the numerous mountain huts. The group is dominated by its name giver, the 3,657 m high Grossvenediger.
In 1841 the mountain was climbed for the first time, an attempt failed 15 years before. Today the Grossvenediger is accessible from the north, east or south. The southern ascent starts near Prägraten in East Tyrol. From there the route proceeds via the Johannishütte mountain hut (2,121 m a.s.l.) and the Defreggerhaus hut (2,963 m) up to the summit (7.5 hours walking time). It is ranked as one of the most beautiful three thousanders of the Eastern Alps.
The rocks of the Grossvenediger were generated by intensive magmatism in the Palaeozoic, today its summit is glaciated. Until 1797 the mountain was known as Stützerkopf. The new name either comes from the Venediger – travelling traders – or from the view which stretches until Venice (Venedig in German).
