Here comes the sun!
Here comes the sun!
3 Sunrise Tours with the best view
These tours start when it's still pitch-black outside: But don't worry, morning is breaking soon after setting off. And while you master altitude metre after altitude metre, the sky turns brighter, and the moon and stars retreat. Shortly before the sun actually rises, the mountain peaks and sky seem to be ablaze with orange-red flames. What a start to the day!
The mountain is the best place for experiencing this spectacle - which we usually sleep through! In combination with the morning’s tranquillity in nature and the views down into the valley, the sunrise becomes an experience that stays in your memory for a long time - and also promises the most beautiful photo motifs.
We have three tips for a sunrise tour around Zell am See-Kaprun:
The local mountain: Schmittenhöhe
Our No. 1 recommendation for a sunrise high above Lake Zell: the 1,965-metre Schmittenhöhe. Zell am See's local mountain convinces with an impressive view of the region, Lake Zell and up to thirty three-thousand-metre-high peaks. You can hike the Schmittenhöhe on your own or take part in guided sunrise tours during the summer season (and combine your morning exercise with a mountain breakfast): You master the first ascent with the trassXpress, then it's a 20-minute walk to the summit of the Schmittenhöhe. After sunrise, breakfast is waiting at Panoramarestaurant Franzl.
Sporty: Schoppachhöhe
Second tip for early morning sporty action: the tour to the Schoppachhöhe. This hike starts from the Klammsee reservoir in Kaprun. From there, you take the Jetzbachastensteig trail to the Schneckenreith snack station and continue via many bends across partly steep alpine terrain. You reach Alpengasthof Glocknerblick after two hours, but this time not for a stop. In fact, the hike continues for a further 30 minutes towards Dreiwallnerhöhe to the summit cross at 1,859 metres above sea level. The view here is already promising, but our destination is the Schoppachhöhe (2,069 metres): Once at the top, the vista is unbeatable.
Panoramic mountain deluxe: Imbachhorn
The 2,470-metre-high Imbachhorn is considered one of the most beautiful panoramic mountains in the region and is our No. 3 tip for a sunrise with a summit view. Your starting point is the lower terminus of the Kaprun Gletscherbahnen cable car: Here, at the eastern end of the car park, a short dirt track leads to a narrow forest path that crosses the stream several times. Continue through a steep strip of windthrow to the west ridge and up to the base of the west ridge: sure-footedness is necessary here, as a steep meadow path leads up to the Brandlscharte in several serpentines. After a short, steep ascent along the ridge, there is a beautiful hiking trail, which takes you over the broad ridge to just before the summit of the Imbachhorn. On the last altitude metres, the trail becomes steeper again and leads over partly sandy, grassy, and rocky ground, taking you to the summit rock. At the end, you master a sharp ridge point here and then stand in front of the large summit cross just in time for sunrise.
Show us your summit photo!
As with every hike, the same applies to the sunrise tours: check the weather conditions, make sure you have the right equipment, study the tour and route descriptions and, most importantly, don't forget your summit snack and camera! We wish you lots of fun and look forward to you sharing your sunrise photo with us at #zellamseekaprun
