Amphibolites in the Mesozoic part of the parautochthonous Lower Schieferhülle (LSH), the allochthonous Upper Schieferhülle (USH) and the overlying Austroalpine basement (AA) in and around the western Tauern Window (Eastern Alps) suffered a progressive Alpine deformation. Lineations and foliations L₁-S₁, L₂-S₂ defined by preferentially oriented (Na-Ca) amphiboles as well as F₃ folds and further foliations S_myl and S₄ in the metabasites are structures of successive deformational stages with a constant W-E main extension axis of strain. The (Na-Ca) amphiboles in assemblages with epidote, chlorite, albite/oligoclase and quartz are zoned with similar continuous zonation trends from early actinolite in the cores to magnesio-hornblende and tschermakitic hornblende, and from magnesio-hornblende to late actinolite in the rims in the three lithostratigraphic units. Geothermobarometry involving tremolite-edenite and (pargasite-hastingsite)-tremolite end-member equilibria in amphiboles allowed us to reconstruct prograde-retrograde P-T paths for the Alpine greenschist-amphibolite facies event. The paths passed P/T_max at 6–7 kbar/600°C. Similar shapes of the paths in AA, USH and Mesozoic LSH indicate a common metamorphic history and a stacking of these units prior to or during the pre-P_max evolution. Moderate P-T ratios are characteristic for the temperature-dominated compression paths and indicate continental collisional rather than subduction zone metamorphism. The middle to late Alpine greenschist-amphibolite facies event appears as an independent metamorphism along a complete P-T loop which may have followed an earlier and poorly documented high-pressure/low-temperature event.