The Dachstein is the highest massif in the Northern Limestone Alps, with the main summit at 2,995 metres and a permanent ice cap that covers about 20 square kilometres. It is the southern wall of the Salzkammergut — visible from the lakes on clear days as a white band above the forest line. Several cable cars ascend from different sides; the most dramatic is from Ramsau am Dachstein, rising to the Hunerkogel station at 2,700 metres, where the Skywalk suspension bridge extends over the cliff edge and the Five Fingers viewing platform has sections of glass floor over 250-metre drops.
The ice caves on the northeast side — the Dachstein Ice Caves and the Mammoth Cave — are among the most visited in the Alps. The ice formations have built up over centuries; the largest chambers feel genuinely cathedral-like. Both can be visited with guided tours from late April to late October. The glacier ski area on the south side stays open through most of the summer. For walkers, the network of hut-to-hut routes across the massif provides several days of excellent mountain trekking.