“You can find the most beautiful nature in the mountains. From the valley, one goes continuously uphill and after two hours, one reaches a point where one stands above things” outdoor blogger Thorsten thus describes his fascination for the mountains.
That’s why he founded the hiking site “Best Mountain Artists”. Together with his colleague Marius, Thorsten hops as often as possible in the car and turns his back on his home town close to Frankfurt. This time they headed into the region of Saalfelden-Leogang, where it felt like their hiking shoes were only removed for showering. These two share with us the tips which they collected.
Hiking in Saalfelden-Leogang
“The beauty of Saalfelden-Leogang and also SalzburgerLand is having an incredible variety of landscapes. On the one hand the Grasberg Mountains on the other hand the Steinberg Mountains. That has its appeal”, says Thorsten.
Action to start
The days in SalzburgerLand for Thorsten and Marius were still and sparkling. The Flying Fox made for a brilliant start. In a Superman pose, the two flew at just over 130km/h down 1,600 metres in altitude. With somewhat shaky knees, they stepped out of the safety harnesses and made their way towards the Saalach Valley Alpine route.
Saalach Valley Alpine route – the “still hike”
From the Asitzkopf in Leogang, the two started on the Saalach Valley Alpine route in the direction of Saalfelden. The route is about 13km long. Thorsten and Marius were on the go for around 5 hours, including a short stop at the Berggasthof Biberg, until arriving back at the hotel. One part of the route can be conquered with the Asitzbahn cable car which Thorsten and Marius used to get to 1,800 metres. By the way: whoever stays in a hotel in Leogang gets the Löwencard at check-in. This card is valid for one free ride per day with the lift.
Berggasthof Biberg
Hiking makes you hungry. Good then that a few kilometres before the end of the tour the Berggasthof Biberg awaited the two bloggers. The panoramic terrace quickly made it clear that this is a place where one likes to sit a little longer. Cold roast pork, Kaspressknödel soup and a ploughman’s lunch fit perfectly to a wheat beer. Bon Appetite!
Heading downhill: summer tobogganing
The two hiking fans covered the last 1,800 metres with a bang on the “Summer Toboggan Run Biberg”. The toboggan runs a total of 400 metres down into the valley. “We had a lot of fun doing that ‘, Marius said, ‘It’s been ages since I was summer tobogganing and I went right back to being a child.”
Up into the Steinberg Mountains: Passauer Hut
A stark contrast to the green Grasberg Mountains was offered by the Best Mountain Artists’ second hiking tour. The trail to the Passauer Hut led through pastures and forest sections, until they finally arrived at the rugged cliffs of the Steinberg Mountains. The goal: The Passauer Hut where between June and October, a cold beer awaits thirsty hikers. The ascent takes about 4 hours (photo break included) and once at the top once you think long and hard before leaving the fantastic view for the valley below.
Overnight: Hotel Bacher in Leogang
Whoever hikes far, needs to sleep well otherwise you won’t cope with the altitude. Thorsten and Marius pitched their headquarters at the Hotel Bacher in Leogang. In the evening, there was a BBQ and the small bike park adjacent to the hotel allows beginners to try out on two wheels. Thorsten and Marius elegantly held back this time and enjoyed their fried corn on the cob. “Next time we will swing up onto a bike”, the two promised.