Hahnenkamm Hike Hahnenkamm Hike
25.08.2016

Time to explore the beauty of nature!

The beauty of the Austrian Alps lies not only in the scenery, but in the fact that you can spend as little or as long as you want walking, hiking, or strolling through the mountains of Tirol and Salzburg. We gathered scenic hikes and true nature wonders for you in the Austrian Alps.

 

Adlerweg /The Eagle Trail  (Tirol; long- distance trail) Enjoy an eagle’s-eye view of Tirol’s most beautiful Alpine scenery. The aptly named Eagle Trail runs through Tirol –from east to west.  Though developed as one of the most fascinating long-distance trails in Europe, it is easy to pick individual stages for a stunning day hike. Hiking time on individual stages varies between three to nine hours with 24 stages to choose from between the Kaiser Mountain Range in the East to the Arlberg in the West. The 24 stages have a total elevation gain of 23,000 meters / 75,000 feet and a total elevation loss of 20,000 meters / 70,000 feet.

 

Hahnenkamm Hike (Tirol) For skiers, the Hahnenkamm mountain in Kitzbuehel is the holy grail of ski racing, home to the world’s most famous and most challenging downhill course, the Streif. You will likely never have the chance, or possibly the desire, to ski down the celebrated race course, but during the summer season, a marvelous hike down the course will be an exhilarating experience. The day’s hike starts with a comfortable ride up the famous Hahnenkamm cable car. Once you stare down the first few yards of the course you will likely change your definition of steep. From here on it is an extremely scenic and exhilarating hike down the famed race course, section by section, all of 3,312 meters / 2.05 miles long.

 

The Salt Mines in Hallein (Salzburg): A visit to the 7000 year-old salt mines is part intriguing adventure, part cultural experience. The tour of the Salzwelten Salzburg starts in the tiny village of Bad Dürrnberg, with a small train ride that takes you deep into the mountain. A fun ride down long, polished, wooden slides leads to where the salt was mined. The environment down here is damp, the air tastes salty, and the tunnel walls are slick with moisture. You wonder about the lives of the miners who used to work here over the millennia, and there are great exhibits along the way to satisfy your curiosity. One of the highlights is a boat ride on a spectacular underground lake, lying deep and silent within this ancient mountain. You end the tour with a new-found appreciation of the tasty condiment and a lasting memory of this mystifying underground world.

 

World of Ice Giants (Salzburg): High above the village of Werfen, amid the magnificent mountain world of the Tennengebirge, we find the entrance to the world’s biggest ice caves with a length of almost 30 miles. The last remnants of the Ice Age in Europe! The first stop is the Poselt Hall, with the magnificent Posselt Tower stalagmite. Marvel at the greatest area of ice growth, the Great Ice Embankment, a massive formation rising up to over 75 feet. Stalactites in Hymir’s Castle created the so-called “ice organ.”  For an even more stunning effect, the ice formations are sometimes highlighted with magnesium lighting. The caves are open May to October and you will need to be dressed for the cold, even during summer months.

 

Hahnenkamm Hike
Hahnenkamm Hike © (C) Kitzbühel Tourismus
Karwendel, Adlerweg (The Eagle Trail)
Karwendel, Adlerweg (The Eagle Trail) © (C) Tirol Werbung
Karwendel, Adlerweg (The Eagle Trail)
Karwendel, Adlerweg (The Eagle Trail) © (C) Tirol Werbung
Salt Mines in Hallein
Salt Mines in Hallein © (C) Austrian Tourist Office / Peter Rigaud
World of Ice Giants
World of Ice Giants © (C) Austrian Tourist Office
Hahnenkamm Hike
Hahnenkamm Hike © (C) Kitzbühel Tourismus