The Felbertauern road tunnel runs south through the Hohe Tauern at an elevation of about 1630 m, providing a connection with Lienz in East Tyrol.

By the 14th century it was acting as an important trade crossroads with salt, ice, and copper being taken south over the Felbertauern Pass (2481m) to Southern Tyrol and Friuli in northeastern Italy.

In the 1525 German Peasants' War (Bauernkriege), Mittersill castle was burned down and subsequently rebuilt, giving it the appearance that can be seen today.

Mittersill became linked to Zell am See in 1898 and Krimml along the Salzach Valley with the opening of the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn train service, which still operates today.

Part of this cable car included two supports, each 280 m high; one was built of steel, the other was constructed of wood (the tallest ever in this material).

Mittersill is also located near the municipality of Bramberg am Wildkogel which boasts what is estimated to be (at 14 km), the longest completely lit toboggan run in the world.

[6] In summer Mittersill has an 18-hole golf course and acts as a gateway to the Hohe Tauern National Park with its newly built visitor centre.

The castle has been in private hands since 1888, hosting notable guests such as: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard, the Shah of Iran, Clark Gable, Henry Ford, Bob Hope, and Aristotle Onassis.

It functions as a museum and centre for the Hohe Tauern National Park, with information about the geology, landscape, flora, and fauna found in the alpine region.