Colorful nature in the „valley of alpine pastures” – hiking in the Grossarltal

The circular hike starts in the center of Großarl. At the beginning you follow the Sonnseitweg until you turn left into the quiet forest. You quickly make up a few meters of altitude and reach the lookout point Hertas Rast, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of Großarl and the valley. It keeps going uphill and the view becomes more and more impressive.
 
At the hamlet of Vorderstadluck you cross the street and then dive into the wonderful alpine landscape. The rustic Gerstreitalm marks the highest point of this hike and invites you to take a break on the terrace. After you have strengthened yourself with the delicious, homemade dishes such as apple strudel, you walk in a loop on promising paths back down into the valley. If you want to shorten the hike, you can drive to Vorderstadluck.

The hike starts in the largest side valley of the Grossarl Valley, at the Grund car park in the idyllic Ellmautal. You can reach this from Großarl with the bus line 541. On a rustic alpine trail you hike through the forest and reach the unmanaged Großellmaualm. It continues steadily uphill to the hut on the Ellmaualm, where a wonderful view up to the Hochkönig and a warm hospitality await you.
 
Then you hike along the Salzburg Almenweg past the Hehnerbichlalm to the picturesque Trögseen. These varnishes are small mountain lakes, which are always good for cooling off in midsummer and represent a dreamlike photo motif. With wonderful views of the surrounding mountains, the path takes you back to the Ellmaualm and from there to the starting point of the tour.

You start at the car park in Hüttschlag (accessible by Postbus line 540) and hike uphill through the idyllic forest. After almost two kilometers you will come to a bridge that leads you over a babbling mountain stream. Here you keep left and hike on forest paths to Kohlmaislacke, a small pond with a rest area. A few minutes later you will find the first refreshment: on the rustic Hirschgrubenalm you will be spoiled with specialties from our own production, such as cheese, bacon and fresh bread.We continue on a natural alpine path through the picturesque landscape to the Aschlreitalm. You can already tell that you won't starve on this hike - you can also enjoy high-quality and tasty dishes on the Aschlreitalm. Strengthened you climb up to the highest point of this tour, the Chicken Carchart. At a height of over 2,000 meters, a summit cross and a unique view of the glacier of the Keeskogel, the highest mountain in the Grossarl Valley, await you.From the Hühnerkarscharte the path winds down to the Hühnerkaralm, the third cozy stop on this tour. A little steeper and in zigzags you hike down to the gentle alpine meadows of Hub-Grundalm, hut number four. The Hubalm area is a wild area and you may encounter deer or deer. You follow the stream and this brings you back to the bridge that you have already crossed. From here it goes back to Hüttschlag on the same section, the starting point of your hike.

The wonderful circular hike to the highest alpine pasture in the Grossarltal starts at the parking lot at the Sonneggbrücke, which you can reach by car or hiking taxi. At first you follow the road along Lambach and turn left into the forest at the Breitenebenweg car park. After just over two kilometers you come to the popular Breitenebenalm. The cozy hut with a large playground is known for its delicious desserts such as curd cheese strudel.You walk steadily uphill through the wonderful alpine and forest landscape, cross small streams and enjoy wonderful views. At the Großwildalm you can expect a delicious snack in a hut that is over 200 years old. It is very relaxed via the Kleinwildalm and the Spatalm (both are not managed) to the Saukaralm, which is the highest alpine pasture in the Grossarl Valley. The view of the Hohe Tauern, the Hochkönig and the Tennen and Hagen mountains is simply fantastic.A detour from the Saukaralm is worthwhile to the Saukarkopf, the promising local mountain of Großarl. Otherwise, it goes back on winding forest paths to the parking lot at the Sonneggbrücke.

The three-lake hike starts on the Aualm, a modern and traditional hut. From Großarl you can either reach the Aualm by car or you can hike up. The path leads you across open alpine pastures to the shimmering Schuhflickersee, next to which the mighty limestone summit of the Schuhflickers rises. It is remarkable that the lake has no inflow or outflow, but the water level remains constant.
 
Past the summit of the Hocheggs you hike along a wonderful ridge path. Then you first reach the little one and then the big Paarsee, both of which are among the most beautiful places in the Grossarl valley. Here you can easily switch off and enjoy nature. From the Großer Paarsee you can hike to the nearby Haßeckalm or climb the 2,030 meter high summit of the Seidleckkopf. Back to the starting point is the same way that you came.

The starting point of the hike is at the Halmoosalm, which you can reach from Großarl with the hiking taxi. At the beginning the path leads comfortably through a wonderful forest, accompanied by the splashing of clear mountain streams. On the opposite side of the valley you can see large, bare areas, there a storm a few years ago killed the entire forest. Along the way, boards from the Austrian Federal Forest explain the measures for reforestation.
 
The closer you get to your destination, the Draugsteinalmen, the steeper the path. There are even two managed alpine huts with regional delicacies at the top: Both the Steinmannhütte and the Schrambachhütte invite you to take a well-deserved rest. You can get back to the Halmoosalm in the same way that you came.

This short but varied hike takes you to the idyllic valley of the Grossarler Ache: You start at the parking lot at the Gasthof Talwirt, where you can indulge yourself with local delicacies before or after the hike. In the adjoining farm shop parlor you can stock up on homemade products such as bacon and cheese. A visit to the small valley museum Großarltal is also worthwhile.
 
From the Talwirt you hike south and after a few minutes you can make a detour to the rushing Kreealm waterfall. Past a deer enclosure, the route finally runs across meadows and through meadows to the Ötzlsee. Shortly before you reach the intensely green lake, you come to a Kneipp facility with a barbecue area. The Ötzlhütte on the shores of the lake is currently not managed. After a short break, the route goes back to the Talwirt.

First of all: The Schödersee is a periodic lake that only fills up during the snow melt or after heavy downpours. In summer it often dries out completely due to its underground drainage, but the path through the beautiful landscape is always worthwhile.
 
The first section of the hike to the Schödersee is the same as the connoisseur path to the Ötzlsee and so this tour starts at the Gasthof Talwirt. You follow the picturesque course of the Grossarler Ache to the shimmering Ötzlsee. Here you can take a breather before continuing over hill and dale. The path can be slippery when wet, so good footwear is essential.You always hike next to the stream through the idyllic Schöder Valley. The rows of trees clear up and you reach the Schödersee via open alpine pastures, which lies in a picturesque setting like in a picture book. The way back to the starting point is the same as the way there.

This tour is an extension of the hike to the Schödersee and also starts at the Gasthof Talwirt. You can try and buy regional products in the adjacent farm shop parlor. You hike over picturesque meadows and through idyllic meadows to the crystal-clear Ötzlsee. The path, which can be slippery when wet and for which you need good footwear, continues through the beautiful Schöder Valley. Via sunny areas lined with alpine roses you reach the Schödersee, which only fills up when the snow melts.
 
From the Schödersee it goes along the Kolmbach over several steep steps through the barren, stony pasture area. You pass several small lakes, such as the two Kolm lakes, and reach the highest point of this hike on the Arlscharte. At an altitude of 2,252 meters you have a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains with the peaks of the Ankogel and the Hochalmspitze. On the Arlscharte you also cross the border to Carinthia.On the descent to Kölnbreinspeichersee you can enjoy an impressive view of the 200-meter-high dam. In the nearby Jagasteighütte you can fortify yourself for the way back and watch the bungee jumpers falling from the dam.