Salzburger Almenweg - Stage 01: Werfen – Arthurhaus
Salzburger Almenweg - Stage 01: Werfen – Arthurhaus
Werfen forms the official start and end point of the Salzburger Almenweg: after 25 stages, the circuit closes here again. Those arriving in the town with the striking castle find themselves in one of the most historically significant valleys of Salzburg. The Lueg Pass marks the boundary between the Alpine foothills and the “Innergebirg.” The Salzach valley has always been a bottleneck: for rebel farmers, Napoleonic troops, and all types of Alpine crossers. As their stronghold, Hohenwerfen Castle was erected high on a cone.
The name Werfen derives from Middle High German "werve" and means something like whirl or eddy. Whether this refers to the wind-battered peaks or the Salzach with its shallows remains uncertain. But it is certain that the first stage of the Salzburger Almenweg leads out of the shadow of the Tennen and Hagen mountains up to the sunny flanks of the legendary Hochkönig.
Off the path
With the Erlebnisburg Hohenwerfen and the Eisriesenwelt, two of Salzburg’s biggest sights are located in Werfen. If you have some time, you should definitely not miss these excursion destinations. The FIS national ski museum in Werfenweng, the “Sound of Music” trail in Werfen, and the Paul Außerleitner ski jump in Bischofshofen are also worth a visit.
At the roadside
Those who have left the fragrant coniferous forests of the shady Höllngraben behind today find themselves in a pristine alpine pasture area with agile marmots and special alpine flora. Take some time to discover the treasures: native and very rare orchid species such as lady's slipper and marsh orchid grow by the wayside, as well as swallow-wort gentian, buttercup, St. John's wort, arnica, wild thyme, masterwort, yarrow, and eyebright. Most plants are protected, so please do not pick them.
12,75 km
05:35 h
1154 m
Path Conditions
The starting point of the first stage of the Salzburger Almenweg is the ÖBB stop in Werfen. Initially, the Salzburger Almenweg leads southward directly along the Salzach riverbank for about 2 km to Pfarrwerfen. Just before the Pfarrwerfen train station, the Salzach is crossed over a large bridge and the country inn "Reitsamerhof" is reached. Immediately behind it, a steep access road turns left, leading to Schwabegg, from where there is a wonderful view of the Tennengebirge. About 300 m later, at a fork in the road, keep right (path no. 15), then after another 400 m turn right again (path no. 15) and thus enter an easy, roughly 4-kilometer-long section on a forest road without significant ascents through the shady Höllntal past the former Gasthof Hölln. Shortly before the idyllic hunting lodge, path no. 16 branches left up to the Grünmaißalm. A few hundred meters before, you leave the forest behind and there is a beautiful view of the imposing Werfener Hochthron in the Tennengebirge on the opposite Salzach valley side. At the alpine pasture, the forest road ends and the hike continues on a trail starting a little above.
After about 1 kilometer on the trail, another forest road is reached, which you follow for about 100 meters westward until a trail branches off again on the right. This trail first goes steeper, then very gently up to the Stegalm, in front of which the forest clears.
From the crossroads at Stegalm, it is still about 270 meters of altitude gain and just under an hour's walking time on the path ascending steeply to the right until you reach the beautifully located and managed Mitterfeldalm at 1,695 meters above sea level at the foot of the Hochkönig (overnight accommodation available).
After a refreshment, it is not far to the stage goal of the day, the Arthurhaus: it is reached in about half an hour on foot via a hiking trail (no. 430) below the southern rockfall of the Mandlwand.
Other overnight options:
Alternatively, you can stay overnight in Mühlbach am Hochkönig. From the Arthurhaus, you either take the Hochkönig hiking bus to Mühlbach or hike on foot via the Erzweg in another 2 hours (5.9 kilometers, 68 meters ascent, and 711 meters descent) to the beautiful village: from Arthurhaus always follow path no. 85 past the prehistoric copper mining sites, downhill to the shafts of modern copper mining and former processing facilities. At the Riedingtal, follow a small road for about 50 meters before path no. 85 turns left again. Now you go on a trail through the romantic Barbara Gorge. This leads below the Ruperti tunnel to the old Mitterberg road - follow this downhill and then left over a masonry arch bridge through the Hochwald to Viererwasch. Path no. 84a leads via the old field railway track to Kniegut and further to the town center of Mühlbach.
Variant 1a from Grünmaißalm:
Just before Grünmaißalm, you can take the right branch: this trail branches off after about one kilometer to the left and becomes steeper. It crosses a forest road and leads – past the dilapidated Steinalm – up to the Mitterfeldalm. This variant is somewhat shorter and more demanding.
Alternative stage route 1b starting in Bischofshofen:
If you arrive by public transport, you can also start the Salzburger Almenweg in Bischofshofen instead of Werfen. The ÖBB station in Bischofshofen is an important transport hub on the Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz (Klagenfurt) connection line. From the station, follow the signs towards "Paul Außerleitner ski jump." At the sports facility there is also the possibility to park your car for a longer time in the Gainfeld parking lot. Please leave the "Almenweg parking disc" from the brochure in the parked car!
The path leads past the ski jump and the visitor center "Erz der Alpen UNESCO Global Geopark" towards the west: Kematenalm, Loimair Alm, and Stegalm are signposted. The Mitterfeldalm is reached in about three hours. The variant via Grünmaißalm and Steinalm (see variant 1a) is also possible.
Food (E) and overnight accommodation (Ü)
Mitterfeldalm (1,690 m), (after approx. 4:45 hours) mid-May to end of October, T. +43 664 6438077 Alpine summer hut / E / Ü
Schweizerhütte (1,502 m), (after approx. 5 hours) mid-May to end of October (Wed – Sun), T. +43 6467 7202 Alpine summer hut / E
Arthurhaus (1,500 m), (after approx. 5 hours) mid-May to end of October, T. +43 6467 7202 E / Ü
Numerous dining and overnight options in Mühlbach (after approx. 5:45 hours (to Arthurhaus and with the hiking bus to Mühlbach), www.hochkoenig.at
Accommodation partner Salzburger Almenweg Info and Booking Center by Trail Angels:
Hotel Alpenrose, for more information see: http://www.hotel-alpenrose.co.at/, T. +43 6467 7262
