HOHE TAUERN PANORAMA TRAIL | STAGE: 16 Stubnerkogel | Kolm Saigurn - Bad Gastein Hiking tours

Difficult Closed
6 h 30 min
2304 m
21 km
1127 hm
501 hm
Level of fitness
Technique

Tour description

From Kolm Saigurn at the foot of the Goldberg Group to the former "Monte Carlo of the Alps".

It‘s worth getting up early today, because the route from Kolm Saigurn takes you over Bockhartscharte (2,226 metres), Miesbichlscharte (2,238 metres) and Zitterauer Scharte (2,182 metres) to the Gasteinertal valley and is a wonderful high-altitude hike. On your way you will walk along beautiful alpine pastures and pass both Bockhart lakes. From the Stubnerkogel with its spectacular suspension bridge you are afforded magnificent views of Bad Gastein. The waterfall in the middle of the town is probably one of the most photographed in the whole country. From the Stubnerkogel you can walk into the valley or take the mountain railway. If weather conditions do not permit this stage, then we recommend an alternative route.

TIP: Enjoy an unforgettable hiking experience on the High Tauern Panorama Trail! The official High Tauern Panorama Trail Information and Booking Center with the award-winning Trail Angels team is happy to assist you. Experience a combination of personal freedom and the yearning for the extraordinary, paired with service, comfort, and safety. Top offer: The Small Escape Package: 2 nights, 2 stages including luggage service, shuttle and return transfer, and much more, starting from €209.

Details & elevation profile

Starting point
At the Naturfreundehaus in Kolm Saigurn

Finishing point
The valley station of the Stubnerkogel cable car

Route type
Hiking tours

Elevation profile


Route description:
From the start of the stage at the Naturfreundehaus in Kolm Saigurn you first walk along the same path as on the previous day over the road to the Ammererhof that is visible in the distance (please note: until Filzenalm the path follows the same route as the previous stage). The road up towards Filzenalm starts behind the Ammererhof: Here you follow this road, keep left at a fork, ignore the Rauriser Urwald educational trail on the left to save time and then walk to the Gainschnigg Alm inn, the Durchgangalm inn and finally the Filzenalm inn.

Here you leave the route of the previous stage, go straight on directly to the farm and keep behind the building on a hiking trail that takes you over beautiful alpine pastures - a little steeper at the end - to the Bockhartscharte (2,226 metres). Here you can take a five-minute detour to a mini summit with a beautiful summit cross, from which you can enjoy a last view over the Rauristal valley. Now you walk down on the other side of the Bockhartscharte over beautiful alpine pastures to the idyllically situated Lake Oberer Bockhartsee. Walk past the left-hand side of the lake until you pass a rock wall and reach a fork in the path. Both paths take you to the Miesbichlscharte, the next intermediate destination – the left path ("Zirmburgweg"), however, is a very difficult mountain path that takes you through very steep and quite exposed terrain. For this reason, follow the right-hand path (ww. "Unterer Bockhartsee" no. 110) downhill through the gentle valley floor and pass the Unterer Bockhartsee (reservoir) on its right bank. At the dam wall, you will reach the serviced Bockhartseehütte hut, where you can fortify yourself for the onward journey to the Stubnerkogel. After a rest, hike over the dam wall (Ww. "Miesbichlscharte" no. 128) and follow the hiking trail at the end of the dam wall uphill to the 2,237 m high Miesbichlscharte (just below the saddle, the difficult "Zirmburgweg" trail joins from the left).

Here the route becomes more alpine until the Zitterauer Scharte just before the Stubnerkogel and the trail often takes you through blocky terrain: Here, on the other side of the Miesbichlscharte, you do not walk down into the Angertal valley and instead walk along gentle uphill and downhill alpine paths (no. 111 "Stubnerkogel") below the steep summit of the Ortberg to the Ortbergschartl. Now you briefly walk along the ridge in the direction of Zitterauer Tisch; do not miss the trail on the left, which first takes you briefly downhill and then at a constant altitude along the slope below Zitterauer Tisch and Tischkogel to the Zitterauer Scharte (the alternative trail directly above Zitterauer Tisch and Tischkogel is a very difficult mountain trail that exceeds the difficulty levels of the Hohe Tauern Panorama Trail and is therefore not recommended). Via a ridge and finally a road you will soon reach the Stubner summit restaurant and the mountain station of the Stubnerkogelbahn directly at the summit of the Stubnerkogel.

From here you can either take the Stubnerkogel cable car down into the valley or walk. If you go on foot, you walk down the road that leads sharply to the right and then turn off onto a hiking trail that takes you down the meadows towards the village of Bad Gastein, which is visible from afar. About 300 altitude metres further down, you rejoin the road and soon reach the Bergstadl alpine hut. After another bend further down you pass the middle station of the Stubnerkogelbahn and between the middle station and the Ahornhütte you turn onto the hiking trail leading down to the right (signpost "Bad Gastein" no. 111). Hiking trail sections, ski runs and forest roads – you simply follow the signposts in the direction of Bad Gastein – now take you to Bad Gastein, which is located directly below you at the valley station of the Stubnerkogel cable car. This is where the stage finishes – now you are on the top level of the terraced town of Bad Gastein and from here you are within easy reach of all the hotels. Tip: With its many historic buildings Bad Gastein is really worth seeing and is great for a stroll through the town in the evening. If you are looking for real peace and quiet, you will find it in the Felsentherme Bad Gastein rock spa – for total relaxation and well-being!

Tips

The walking time of approx. 6 hours applies when using the Stubnerkogel cable car down into the valley to Bad Gastein.

We recommend using the Stubnerkogel cable car from Stubnerkogel to Bad Gastein. Time saving approx. 1 hour (6.2 km or 1,100 hm.) Please note the opening times of the Stubnerkogel cable car >>

Recommended equipment

The 6 hours walking time applies when using the Stubnerkogel cable car, otherwise it takes about 2 hours longer.

If weather conditionsdo not permit this stage, then we recommend this alternative route.

Alpine hiking equipment is required for the Hohe Tauern Panorama Trail:
  • Day backpack, capacity: 20 litres, with waist belt and rain cover
  • Hiking boots - minimum category B
  • Weather-adapted and hard-wearing clothing in multiple layers. The Hohe Tauern Panorama Trail is mostly at altitudes between 1,300m and 2,450m - this should be taken into account when choosing your hiking equipment (especially your clothing).
  • Height-adjustable trekking poles
  • Sun and rain protection
  • Make sure take enough to eat and sufficiently large water bottles with you, as there are not refreshment stops and fountains on all stages (e.g. on stages 5 and 7).
  • First aid kit
  • Pocket knife
  • Mobile phone

Tour description or hiking map

Best time of year

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

How to get there

Tauern motorway south to Bischofshofen, then turn off towards St. Johann im Pongau - Taxenbach - turn off at Rauris.

Coming from the west: (e.g. Innsbruck) Inntal motorway direction - Mittersill - Zell am See - Taxenbach - turn off Rauris.

Coordinates

47.0683, 12.98472

Public transport
Nearest railway station: Taxenbach - Rauris, ca. 15 km from Rauris' town center. Bus No. 640 run by the Salzburg transit authority runs between Zell am See and Rauris - Bucheben.
Parking
In Rauris there is a public parking space above the Spar supermarket.

In Kolm Saigurn you can park your car at Lenzanger car park.

Further information & links

www.nationalpark.at/en/

Ferienregion Nationalpark Hohe Tauern Gerlosstraße 18 5730 Mittersill, Austria Phone +43 6562 40939  E-Mail: hohetauerntrail@nationalpark.at

Booking center & info hotline Trail Angels GmbH 9821 Obervellach 15, Austria Phone +43 4782 93093 E-Mail: info@bookyourtrail.com

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