The Bergfex website has lots of great hiking tips: www.bergfex.at
A loop that doesn’t disappoint: From Hotel zur Post head toward the castle. At Steinernes Kreuz (Stone Cross) take Trail No. 7. Follow the road up the mountain until you can take a left onto Trail No. 3. Enjoy the view of Goldegg as you cross Höhenrücken ridge. At Judenhof farm, the trail will take you left down toward the valley. It crosses Landesstraße until you get to Pröllergasse (No. 1) , which takes you back down into Goldegg. bergfex.at
PAST NOSTALGIC FAMILY FARMS: Take Pröllergasse from Gasthof Bierführer restaurant up Wienerberg mountain (No.1) , then Trail No. 2 toward the town of Rohrmoos, where you’ll hike uphill along the road toward a tiny votive chapel (Zweiling-Kapelle). Take a left toward Buchberg mountain. At Beierlstein farm, turn onto Trail No. 8 between the house and the farm. Starting at Eyersperg farm, take the road downhill toward the valley past Hackerhof farm through Rohrmoos-Dörfl and onto Trail No. 2 back toward Goldegg.
Aim high: Gamskögerl mountain watches over the nearby village of Weng. From Goldegg, drive (or cycle) toward Böndlsee lake. At Trogerbauern farm before you get to the lake, follow the sign toward Meislsteinalm uphill until you reach the parking area at Irrsteinbauer farm (paid parking). Hike the serpentine path (No. 9) up to Hackeralm farm. Shortly before Meislsteinalm farm, the path forks toward Hirtenkapelle chapel. From the mountaintop you’ll enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the Hohe Tauern range to Hochkönig mountain and the Steinernes Meer range. The route you’re taking is also part of the 5th leg of the Salzburger Almenweg loop, which takes hikers past 120 historic farms on 350 km/217.5 mi of trail. bergfex.at
O’er field and forest: From the hotel take Seepromenade toward Seestraße. Above the swimming area, take Waldweg (Trail No. 5). Before you get to the farms, head right on the path on the edge of the woods until you get to Rohrerberg mountain. Go left up Rohrerberg and back down, on the road to the right a short way toward Vorstadtl until you take the Berghof-Rundweg (Trail No. 4) at the fork. Follow the path along the golf course. After crossing through the course below the tee box – watch out for golfers! – take the gravel path toward Berghofwald before you get to Stadlbauer farm. On path No. 5 you’ll go uphill to Berghof farm. Follow the tree-lined walk to Vorstadtl and then take Seestraße and Seepromenade back into Goldegg.
No clubs required. Departing from the hotel, you’ll head towards the lake. Once you’re past the swimming area, you’ll take the path uphill through the forest towards Oberhof. Pass through the grouping of houses and head down to the right along the road. Off to the side, you’ll see the 12th and 13th fairways and have a great view of Vierkögerl, Heukareck, Hasseck and Bernkogel mountains. You’ll continue on to the next crossroads and then on downhill for a short way. At the next group of houses, you’ll turn right toward Stadlbauer farm. After you pass through the gate, watch out: you’ll be crossing the course. You’ll then head through a stretch of wood toward the 17th and 18thfairways. Before the teeing area at the 9th hole, the path forks to the left towards the clubhouse. But you’ll want to head right. This path along the mountain will give you a great view of the holes 3 to 9. The 1st and 2nd fairways lie at the foot of Bernkogel mountain. Just before you reach the next wooded area, you’ll go down to the left below the 10th hole green toward the road. Take a left and proceed through Vorstadtl to get back to the hotel. If you’d like to see a little more, you can take a right and then an immediate left before you get to the 11th, 14th, 15th, and 16th fairways up onto Rohrerberg mountain. After you pass the old Eichhof villa, take a left along the wood behind the group of houses. After the first couple of houses, you’ll take a sharp right and head down toward the lake and the hotel.
Above the timberline: Float along at an altitude of over 2,000 m/6,500 ft from Bad Hofgastein in a Schlossalmbahn cable car. When you exit the top station, you’ll see the blue signs marking the big loop trail. In the shadow of the craggy peaks of Mauskarkopf, Türchlwand and Lugkogel mountains, idyllic paths lined by globeflower, gentian und alpenrose wind their way through a diverse alpine landscape between rock outcroppings and soft meadows. The strange holes you see are marmot burrows. With a little luck you might see one peeking out. Above the Kaserebenbahn cable car station, you’ll have a fantastic view of Angertal valley before you head back to the Schlossalmbahn station. skigastein.com
From the Schlossalm top station to the middle station. Take the Schlossalmbahn cable car from Bad Hofgastein to Schlossalm. When you leave the top station, look for the path to the right toward Brandner Hochalm and Maurachalm. Just a little way on, a narrow footpath forks off to the left from the ski slope into Mooskar valley, taking you through a peaceful alpine landscape replete with mosses, heather, blackberry bushes, boulders and little ponds below the picturesque peaks between Mauskarkopf and Hirschkarspitze mountains. Regardless of the season, you’ll want to snap a picture in front of the centuries-old Swiss pine on the shore of Zirbenlacke lake. Follow the path downhill past the horse pasture at Brandner Hochalm, past Maurachalm and take Bachweg along the stream to get to Fundner Heimalm. Having enjoyed a snack at one of the alm restaurants, you’ll make a gradual descent on Ziehweg past Aeroplanstadl restaurant to the middle station and take the cable car again into the valley below. skigastein.com
Inside Hohe Tauern National Park: From the top station of the Graukogelbahn cable car in Badgastein (1,954 m | 6,411 ft above sea level), take Zirbenweg path directly behind the station and follow the signs. At the gate to Palfner Hochalm the terrain becomes increasingly steep, and you’ll need to watch your step. You’ll soon reach the central part of the national park and will turn left and head uphill through the rock-strewn field toward Palfnerkar valley. After around 45 minutes you’ll have reached Palfnersee lake. Ringed rugged alpine peaks, the lake is nestled between greenish-coloured boulders covered in lichen. The path back leads you past a tiny lake affectionately called Little Palfnersee and across the pastures of Palfner Hochalm back to the Graukogelbahn cable car. Before you head back down, rest your legs on one of the benches along the Zirbenweg trail. skigastein.com
Alpine Queen. The knotty stone pine (Pinus cembra) is one of the rarest trees in the Hohe Tauern range. It grows up to 1,000 years old and only blooms every six to ten years (June-July). The cones and wood release an intense fragrance, which according to studies has a positive effect on people’s well-being. On Graukogel mountain in Bad Gastein, you can see stone pines that are 300 years old to discover right near the mountain station. You can hike the educational trail and stop off at the information stations and rest areas alone or with an expert guide. skigastein.com
Photo: SalzburgerLand Tourismus