© SalzburgerLand Tourismus, Theresa Kaserer - View of Hallein from the Barmstein
Along the water routes
The SalzAlpenSteig long-distance hiking trail was opened in spring 2015 and runs 230 km divided into 18 daily stages from Prien am Chiemsee in Germany to Traunsee lake in Austria, as well as through the Tennengau region in the heart of SalzburgerLand.
The SalzAlpenSteig trail, which is endowed with various seals and awards vouching for its quality, reaches from Bavaria and Salzburg all the way to Upper Austria. Five holiday regions have united their most beautiful and historic hiking trails in the SalzAlpenSteig, among them also several lake and water routes. The SalzAlpenSteig trail is labelled with the green mountain range silhouette on a yellow sign. It won the 13th Zipfer Tourism Award of 2016.
“The SalzAlpenSteig trail is intended for two target groups in particular,” explains Franz Pölzleitner from the Gästeservice Tennengau tourism office, “on one hand, the trail is intended for long-distance hikers and hiking tourists who want to go through all 18 daily stages. But the project is especially aimed at a second target group that has become much bigger in the last couple of years: the moderate hikers who prefer light to moderate circular trails around within one particular region.”
Through the beautiful Bluntautal valley
The SalzAlpenSteig trail is, after all, not intended for professional mountain climbers but for anyone. “You do not need to have any Alpine experience and there are plenty of ascending aids,” reassures Pölzleitner, “but the SalzAlpenSteig trail leads through some of Central Europe’s most attractive regions. Here, you get to experience one cultural heritage site after another.”
You don’t necessarily have to go the whole way, there are also 26 very attractive special tours that are laid out as circular trails. The hiking guidance system used for the circular tours is quite similar to that of the actual SalzAlpenSteig trail. The only difference lies in the use of colour for the sign (blue mountain range on yellow background).
We have selected a wonderful SalzAlpen circular trail with plenty of lakes, rivers and streams for you:
SalzAlpen tour “Jachalm” in Golling:
This hike, which can get rather sweat-inducing in the beginning, promises to reward with fantastic views and a large diversity of protected butterfly species which roam the untouched nature at the origin of the water-rich Bluntautal valley.
This SalzAlpen tour begins at the Bärenhütte guesthouse in the protected nature reserve “Bluntautal”, which is particularly well known as a local recreational area due to its natural beauty. Light gravel beaches make up the shores of Torrener Bach stream and its tributaries, which we get to cross twice right at the beginning of the tour.
Afterwards, we pass the Bluntautal waterfall along the forest road (side road, 20 min.) and shortly after we make a turn to the actual forest, where we begin a steep uphill climb. The forest is marked by rockfall here, which also influences the local flora. For example, the protected perennial honesty grows here as they are particularly fond of the gravel-rich ravine forests. Making our way through the rockfall landscape, it is a rather long uphill climb surrounded by the noise of the Fischbach stream as well as various mosses and ferns. Only after having passed Kühleitwand mountain, the landscape begins to look flatter again.
Through a game park, we reach a wonderful pasture, and quickly make our way back into the forest again, but shortly after we already see the next mountain pasture. Our intermediate destination, the Untere Jochalm mountain pasture, is but a few moments away. We can barely maintain our astonishment while at this pasture: gigantic, rugged rock formations emerge from every corner of our eyes, whilst colourful and delicate butterflies whirr around among them. We descend via a forest road which reaches back into the valley via countless winding roads.