Hochkönig Hüttenhüpfer Tour 1st Stage

At the Arthurhaus bus stop, you will find Manfred the marmot with his lively marmot family. Before continuing your hike, enjoy the opportunity to observe and feed these charming animals. Continue on hiking trail no. 84 to the right past the Schweizerhütte dairy. In a few meters, always turn right at the following intersections. The cart path leads through a bright forest, offering impressive views of the Hochkönig massif, while occasionally crossing the lift line of the Roßwies lift. In winter, you can even ski on the Hochkeil, with 100% organic snow.

After about 15 minutes of walking, you reach the first photo stop: an idyllic wooden hut, a former lift station, with the imposing Mandlwände and the impressive Hochkönig south face in the background. Here you can not only take a look at the Troiboden and the archaeological excavation sites but also learn that the area has been scientifically researched for decades. Over 5,000 years ago, copper ore was mined here at Hochkeil. You may know the Nebra sky disk, a replica of which can be seen in the Mining Museum in Mühlbach. The copper for this prehistoric celestial representation comes from Mühlbach.

After three bends, you reach an intersection; turn right to reach the Spiegelsee, a moor lake that reflects the clouds and the Hochkönig massif and offers unforgettable holiday memories. At the intersection, follow the path to the left to reach the "Cinema on the Mountain" after a few minutes of walking, which invites you to linger and enjoy the magnificent view before you hike the last meters to the Hochkeil summit. Once at the summit, you can overlook both your starting point, the Arthurhaus, and your stage destination today, the Mitterfeldalm.

From the Hochkeil summit, head right down the trail no. 84 through a cool forest. This hiking trail crosses a forest road no. 18a after a descent of about 360 meters in elevation. Follow the forest road toward Arthurhaus while enjoying views of Bischofshofen and the Salzach valley. Refresh yourself at the crystal-clear, cool mountain water by the "kaltes Bründl". Shortly before returning to Arthurhaus, turn onto hiking trail no. 83 and follow it to the unmanaged Stegalm, which serves as shelter for the cows grazing here. Then go uphill again somewhat steeply through the forest before reaching the Mitterfeldalm, your stage destination today.

If you want to take the first stage more comfortably, we recommend climbing the Hochkeil and returning the same way. Then continue the hike via the Stegalm to the Mitterfeldalm. This shortens the walking time by about 2.5 hours.