hiKing

Take the trail &take your timeWhen the snows melt and spring comes to the mountains, you can pack away your ski boots and pull on your hiking boots to explore the Alpine scenery at a more leisurely pace

We hurtle down the slopes in winter, but in summer, on foot, we have time,to really breathe in everything that makes the mountains so wonderful.

SalzburgerLand has more than 7,200km of designated and marked hiking trails – many of them highlighted with the red/ white/red Austrian fl ag colours, while many of the trails have their own signs. Some 30 per cent of the province is protected nature reserves, of which the biggest and most important is the National Park Hohe Tauern – home to ibex, marmot, vulture and eagle.

Hiking across colourful alpine meadows and through forests, past mountain tarns and waterfalls, pausing at chapels and trail-side crosses, is what makes summer in the Salzburg hill country such an uplifting experience.

From late spring the herdsmen fan out from the valleys to spend the summer on the higher pastures. It’s up here, amid the wild fl owers and lush green grass, that SalzburgerLand has evolved its own distinct welcome – in the shape of the many alpine huts that dot the landscape.

SalzburgerLand is home to more alpine huts than any other Austrian province. There are some 1,800 of them – and 550 open their doors to hikers, treating their guests to an array of hearty hillcountry favourites – such as fresh milk, cheese, butter, cream cheese, yoghurt, bread, bacon and home-distilled schnapps.

Hiking here is a visceral experience. Quite apart from tasting the delicious local food and drink, you spend the days walking through a landscape that seems more colourful and more sharply defi ned than ‘normal’ countryside. The greens glisten and sparkle, while if you lift your gaze you’ll mostly be greeted with a stunning backdrop of mountains set against the deepest blue skies. The air is clean, sharp and has that freshness you only get at altitude, and it’s fi lled with the scent of wild fl owers and the hum of insects. Butterfl ies are everywhere.

Enter the forests and woodlands, and you’ll breathe in that dense mossy smell, particularly after a shower of rain.

And then there are the bells. The gentle knocking of cowbells is a sure sign that you’re nearing a hill farm or alpine huts, but do watch where you tread, as the cowpats – known as alpine pizzas – are another sure sign of approaching habitation.

And you’ll never go thirsty here in the mountains. The water pretty much everywhere, from the bubbling streams to the impossibly blue lakes, is wonderfully pure – and it’s tested annually to ensure that it’s fi t to drink.

Obviously, you have to do the actual work of hiking, but it’s made as easy as possible, with clear signposting. It’s here that a few words of German would help, as there are many signs telling you about the fl ora and fauna you can see, and while steps are being taken to extend the use of English, many are still in German only. And if you don’t fancy walking all the way up, more than 50 of the region’s ski lifts remain open during the summer, so you can ride up in comfort and enjoy a stroll at high altitude, before either walking down, or returning via the cable car. Many car-free side valleys are served by reliable public buses and hiking shuttles. Practically every village will have its own selection of trails and treks to follow – just check out the tourist offi ces, or log on to the region’s local websites – but we’ve picked out a few that showcase the best of SalzburgerLand.

From alpine hut to alpine hut, on the trail of the gentian

THE SALZBURGER ALMENWEG

LENGTH: 350 km STAGES: 31 DifficULTy: Mostly easy/moderate

if SALZBURGERLAND hiking has a flagship trek, this is it. The 350km Salzburger Almenweg connects all 25 communities of the Pongau region, and you can gain access to it from any of these towns. Individual stages are highly suitable for less experienced hikers or families with children.

The trail – marked by signs displaying a blue gentian violet – takes in 120 staffed alpine huts, while along the way you’ll enjoy magical sunsets, fabulous scenery and enchanting encounters with chamois and marmots. The peaks of the Bischofsmütze, Dachstein, Tennengebirge and Hochkönig, as well as the 3,000m peaks of the Hohe Tauern, blanketed in ice, are constant companions of hikers along the Almenweg. Ninety per cent of the trail is at especially healthy elevations, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000m.

The alpine huts are a real highlight. In every one you’ll find a heartfelt welcome – and some mouthwatering delicacy to try. They all serve a Brettljause, a country platter including cheese, bacon, sausage, butter and bread. Summer in the Hills huts offer homemade or regionally produced items, including local specialties such as Fleischkrapfen, Blattlkrapfen with sauerkraut, Bauernkrapfen, Wetzstein noodles, French toast, blackberry dumplings, cheese noodles, hash, pressed-cheese dumpling soup, cured beef, wild game, pork roasts cooked in a charcoal oven, mushroom dishes, cheese spreads, a wide variety of cheeses, homemade pastries, fresh milk, buttermilk, goat milk, homemade juices such as elderberry, apple and pear and home-distilled schnapps.

Make it personal

If you would like to design your own personalised tour, visit the website www.salzburger-almenweg.at where you will find all 31 stages of the Almenweg, including 3-D views and even aerial photographs. As well as details of the Almenweg’s own theme paths, hikers can also customise their own tour experience. Simply enter the number of hours you want to walk and how much you can handle in the way of elevation gains, then the automated route planner will take care of the rest. All tour data can be downloaded to all current GPS devices. Furthermore, all stages are also integrated into Google Earth.

For junior hikers, there is also information about how to earn the coveted Almenweg hiking pins. Being able to collect hiking stamps is really exciting: complete five stages and you will be awarded the bronze hiking pin, and so on, up to a diamond pin for completing all 31 stages. You can request your stamp passbook from SalzburgerLand Tourist Board, though it is also available at tourist offices in the 25 Almenweg towns and villages.

And for mountain goats

For more experienced walkers, a challenging tour to the top of the Hochkönig leads from the Arthurhaus via the Mitterfeldalm, and on up to the summit. Via the Ochsenkar, Ochsenriedl and Kniebeisser, hikers make their way up along the edge of the Übergossene Alm glacier where, at 2,941m above sea level, they are greeted with vast open views. There is an opportunity to spend the night at the top, and enjoy an amazing sunrise the next morning.

Natural wonder

The hiking path through Flachau is one of the most glorious sections and you can take in a number of the region’s natural wonders. Meditate atop the Hochgründeck, walk along the Peace Path, or learn how these mountains were first created as you hike to the shores of the Rupertisee in Wagrain-Kleinarl.

As ski superstar Hermann Maier says: ‘I enjoy the summer in the mountains of my native region, the Flachau. The fantastic scenery of the Pongau and the glorious countryside reenergize me. I highly recommend getting started with a relaxing ride up on the lifts. I hope you enjoy this place I am so proud to call home. Maybe we will see each other out on the trail!’

■ further details about these tours

can be found online at www.salzburger-almenweg.at.

Fuschlsee – it gives you wings

HEAD EAST from Salzburg towards the Salzkammergut – Austria’s Lake District – and you’ll first reach Lake Fuschlsee. A popular spa destination since the 19th century, the lake town of Fuschl has another claim to fame besides its scenery and many hotels and B&Bs – it’s the headquarters of energy drink firm Red Bull.

Hiking around the lake – 4km long, by1km wide – takes an energetic four hours and offers many stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains. The Fuschlsee is also one of the cleanest bathing lakes in Austria – but be warned, many locals love to skinny dip in its numerous bays! It’s also good enough to drink – but from deeper below the surface, which can be prone to bursts of algae growth.

From Fuschl you can try the testing climb to the top of Mount Schober – for stunning views deep into the Salzkammergut – or the easier option up to Mount Filbling, stopping off for a dip (skinny or otherwise) in a picturesque little lake en route, both owned by Red Bull’s multimillionaire founder Didi Mateschitz.

Hiding in a quiet side valley is the wild, romantic Hintersee lake – undisturbed by most visitors. Its clear water is fed by the many mountain streams which surround the Hintersee.

Fuschlsee offers a range of family-friendly theme hikes, including the Gnome Path, the Fairytale Path and the Hofspur Nature trail, while from Hintersee you can follow the Magical Forest and Water Wonder trails. ■ for further details, see www.fuschlseeregion.com

SUMMER HIGHS

THERE’S NOTHING MORE exhausting than trudging up a mountain in high summer and that’s where SalzburgerLand’s excellent programme of summer lifts saves the day. The lift takes the strain and you can enjoy the downhill walk.

This is the perfect way to explore the mountains whether it be for families looking for an easy stroll or serious hikers looking for a challenging trek into the high glaciers. The summr lifts are grouped into eight regions: • Abtenau – the Kargogel Gondola runs daily through the summer from dawn to dusk. The round trip costs €9.80 for adults and is free with the SalzburgerLand Card • kitzsteinhorn, kaprun – the lift up to the glacier at 3,029m runs daily from 8.15am to 4.30pm. Adult’s round-trip fare €22.70 • Leogang – Bike park, alpine slide, water park, summer tubing.

One round-trip free with SalzburgerLand Card, adult return €16 • Maria Alm - includes the Aberg Hinterthal lift and the Aberg

Cabin lift. For schedule and price check www.hochkoenig.at • Rauris – Daily July and August, Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday in

June and September. Free with SalzburgerLand Card plus a free bird of prey show. Adult round-trip €14. • Saalbach Hinterglemm – includes the Reiterkogel lift, the

Kohlmais lift, the Zwölferkogel lift and the Schattberg xPress • Wagrain-kleinarl – the Grafenberg lift (adults €15.50) and the

Flying Mozart Gondola which goes to the Wagrain bike park (adults €15.50) both free with SalzburgerLand card • Zell am See – includes the Schmittenhöhe lift, the Sonnenalm lift, the Sonnkogel lift, the cityXpress and Areir lift.

Essential checklist

❑ Good shoes/ boots ❑ Rain gear ❑ Underwear that wicks away sweat ❑ Lightweight trousers ❑ Hiking socks ❑ Hiking boots ❑ Head covering ❑ Sunglasses ❑ Sun cream – high factor! ❑ Rucksack (padded straps, plenty of back ventilation) ❑ First-aid kit ❑ Cereal bar, drinks ❑ Hiking poles ❑ Whistle ❑ Mobile phone

The magnificent seven

THE SEVEN SUMMITS OF SAALBACHHINTERGLEMM

LENGTH: 23.9km STAGES: One dIFFICULTy: Hard

SURE-FOOTEd and experienced hikers looking for a new challenge can rise to the occasion by tackling this newly marked one-day mountain hike over the highest peaks of the Glemmtal – each marked with a huge cross. There are no rest stops in pretty alpine huts – this is hard-core hiking for the physically fit, so a good preparation is essential. Don’t start this tour lightly; ensure you are well-equipped, with sufficient food and water in your pack, and planning concerning weather or alternative options of descents.

The start of The Seven Summits Tour is easily reached from Saalbach by the Schattberg xPress cable car. The wellmarked path leads from Stemmerkogel, before hitting the first high spot of the day with the 2,249m Hochkogel. From this summit there are magnificent views to the south of the Hohe Tauern and to the north of the Alps, a panoramic pattern that is repeated with some breathtaking views along this whole route. After a short descent from Hochkogel, the third peak is the technically more demanding Hoch Saalbach Kogel. Sure-footedness and a head for heights are essential on this stretch.

Summit number four is the remote Barensteigkogel, then Manlitzkogel at 2,247m and Mittagskogel, before the final ascent to the hike’s highest point at Geißstein (2,363m). Make sure you have something left in the tank for the difficult descent of the Birgl to the end of the valley at Lindlingalm. All in all, allow about 8.5 hour’s walking time – without a break! ■ Further details: www.saalbach.com/sevensummits

MAkE A NOTE

IT’S A GOOd IdEA to carry a whistle with you. In an emergency, blow the whistle six times per minute, taking a one-minute break in between. Continue this pattern until you receive a response of three whistle blasts per minute. In an emergency, your mobile phone can prove very helpful, though you can’t always rely on having reception. You can reach mountain rescue 24 hours a day from anywhere in Austria, by dialling 140 on your phone. (emergency calls can be made without use of a SIM card)

The peaks of the Gastein valley

Sole to Soul

throughout the history of the world’s many religions, pilgrimages have been undertaken by the devout to places that hold deep significance for their beliefs. In these hectic modern times, pilgrimages are experiencing a renaissance. But it is not always religious reasons which prompt the journey. It is as frequently a voyage of reflection into the traveller’s own interior, as it is a trek to a shrine or other physical destination. Discovering tranquillity and renewed inner strength is the motivation of many of today’s pilgrims who still, nevertheless, find themselves drawn to the old spiritual paths. In the SalzburgerLand, people have embarked on pilgrimages for centuries. Four different major pilgrimage trails follow historic routes through the region: the Arnoweg, St James’ Way (Jakobsweg), Via Nova and St Rupert’s Pilgrimage Path, leading hikers and pilgrims through beautiful countryside. There are a number of abbeys and ‘Houses of Reflection’ for travellers to rest and pause and take time for inner reflection.

st James’ WaY

THE JAkobSWEg, one section of what is probably the most famous pilgrimage trail in Europe – St James’ Way, which leads to its ultimate destination in Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain – makes its way through SalzburgerLand and Southeastern Bavaria.

The blue and yellow scallop signs of St James’ Way take you in four stages totalling 100km from Frankenmarkt in Upper Austria to Pass Strub on the border with Tyrol. Along the way, pilgrims cut through the Salzburg Lake District, pass by Maria Plain church and through Salzburg City, before continuing along the banks of the Saalach via Unken and Lofer to Tyrol.

The stretch around Salzburg is a lovely landscape of gentle hills, little farmhouses, pretty villages, and lakes. The 192-page guidebook On the St. James’ Way Through Austria can be ordered online from info@SalzburgerLand.com. ■ Further details:

www.jakobsweg.com the arnoWeg

This circular hiking trail, named after Salzburg’s first archbishop (Arno in 798), takes walkers on a 1,200km, 63-stage journey through SalzburgerLand.

Highlights include the famous pilgrimage churches of Maria kirchental, Maria Alm and St Leonhard bei Tamsweg, along with the stunning krimml Waterfalls at the western edge of the trail, and the Zittelhaus on the Sonnblick, in the south which, at an elevation of 3,106 metres, marks the highest point of the Arnoweg. The Dürrnberg salt mine and its wooden slides are also a lively diversion en route. Because there are so many places where you can access the trail, hikers are able to set out on a huge variety of one- and multi-day tours.

However, along the high stretches of the krimmler Törl, granatscharte and Rauriser Sonnblick, glacier equipment (including crampons, ice axe, rope and harness) is essential. ■ Further details:

www.salzburgerland.com

Stick with it…

hiking in SalzburgerLand, one thing you are sure to notice is the growing number of people who are walking with poles – a technique known as Nordic (SPACE) walking.

Nordic walking uses poles to add two major benefits to walking: the upper body muscles are used, as well as the legs, and the poles help to propel the walker along – this means you work harder than usual yet the support given by the poles makes it feel easier!

Nordic walking is hugely popular in Austria – there are even magazines aimed solely at Nordic walking enthusiasts. More and more areas are offering Nordic walking as part of their programmes, including the resorts of Flachau, Wagrain, St Johann-Alpendorf and Radstadt. They have special Nordic walking routes and comprehensive programmes for beginners, intermediates and the advanced. ■ For further details on nordicwalking go to:

flachau.com, wagrain-kleinarl.info, sanktjohann.com and radstadt.com

With Nordic walking you work harder but it feels easier

What to Wear

hiking in the mountains often demands surefootedness and you must be comfortable with heights. It’s vital to have the right clothing and footwear: choose sturdy shoes/boots with a high ankle and soles that provide good traction, as well as protection against the rain and cold. For shorter walks, casual leisure or sports gear will do – but check the weather forecast and be prepared. In any case, it is advisable to wear something that has high breathability, is wind-resistant and water-repellent. Walking poles are popular, especially where the routes get trickier underfoot. Hiking packs should be comfortable and not too heavy. Extra clothing, a first-aid kit, shades, sun cream, and adequate snacks including drinks are a must in your field pack.