Barmsteine, Rock pinnacles in Hallein, Austria and Marktschellenberg, Germany

The Barmsteine are two rock towers, 841 and 851 metres high, on the steep western flank of the Salzach valley above Hallein. The border between Germany's Berchtesgadener Land and Austria's Salzburg region runs across them. The saddle between the two pinnacles is called the Marchscharte; the Halleiners call the pair the "Halleiner Ohrwaschln".

In the Middle Ages the towers were called Pürkstein and Pöberstein, with the notch between them the Marchscharte. From the 15th century, wind holes through the rock cooled beer stored by Hofbräu Kaltenhausen in Kaltenhausen. Before the Anschluss a large white swastika was painted on the rock facing Austria; it was removed after the war. In 1885 the Alpine club path to the Small Barmstein was built, renewed in 1926.

Since 1815 a maypole has been erected on the Small Barmstein, carried up by hand because of the exposed location, so it is replaced only when it breaks or ages. It must stand by the noon bells of the Dürrnberg pilgrimage church, and helpers receive a barrel of beer from Hofbräu Kaltenhausen, a right documented since 1841.

Multiple marked trails provide access to both peaks, with some sections equipped with steel cables and carved steps for assistance. Routes vary in difficulty and exposure, so visitors should assess their experience level and physical capability before starting.

The southern ridge of the Small Barmstein includes the Katzenbarmsteine, a dedicated climbing area popular with boulderers seeking natural rock formations. This specialized zone attracts climbers interested in training on actual stone rather than artificial walls.