Guaranteed real mountain experiences in the Wildkogel hiking summer
Hiking
From summer 2020, Bergbahnen Wildkogel will be among the “Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways”: with 1,000 kilometers of hiking routes in the Hohe Tauern National Park, the Wildkogel Arena provides many more motivations – for example, to the “World Wilderness Area Sulzbachtäler”.
Good news for big and small pleasure hikers who appreciate quality and safety: As the “Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways”, Bergbahnen Wildkogel stands for a genuine and “certified” mountain experience. The seal of quality is only awarded to those mountain railroads that offer guests unique vacation experiences as well as varied offers and attractions. With the Wildkogelbahn and the Smaragdbahn, families float into the high-altitude hiking area Wildkogel at 2,100 meters in the heart of the Kitzbühel Alps. Many hiking routes start at both mountain stations, some are even suitable for baby baby carriages. With the guest card you can borrow buggies, child carriers and mountain boots for free. The ideal starting point for panoramic hikes on the Zirbenrundweg, the Wildkogel Seenrundweg or the Panoramaweg.
This starts from the top station (2,091 m) of the Wildkogelbahn and leads with magnificent viewpoints to the middle station (1,644 m). The slide path starts there with ten stainless steel slides between 22 and 53 meters long. From the end point at Gasthof Stockenbaum, it takes about 45 minutes to reach Neukirchen via a pleasant hiking trail. With the Smaragdbahn in Bramberg “Bergflitzer” float up to the wacky fun on the mountain cart track. Down you go on four winding kilometers with all-terrain, three-wheeled carts. From the top station of the Smaragdbahn there are other ways to get back down to the valley. A tip is the new hiking trail that leads to the middle station of the Smaragdbahn. The “BB-Wildkogel” app is the free companion of Bergbahnen Wildkogel with live information from the Wildkogel Arena.
Adventure Sunny Side and National Park Valleys
The Trattenbach Valley, the Dürnbach Valley and the Mühlbach Valley offer indescribable views of the Tauern even for “quiet hikers”. On the opposite side of the valley lies the Hohe Tauern National Park with several educational and themed trails, such as the Seebach educational trail. The hike to the idyllic Seebachsee is especially recommended for hikers seeking peace and quiet who are in good shape. If you want to become “stone rich”, take the Emerald Trail to the Habach Valley, with the only emerald deposit in Europe. Twice a week there is a guided mineral excursion with emerald searching. A real experience is the Venediger Trail, also designed for families, with a 60-meter suspension bridgeas well as children’s alpine pastures and stamp stations that invite you to rest and play. Exhilaratingly beautiful is the natural monument Untersulzbach waterfall with an 80-meter deep gorge at the entrance to the Untersulzbach valley. If you continue along the path, you will reach the geological trail “Blick ins Tauernfenster” and the Hochfeld show mine.
Glacier and Großvenediger tours in the Obersulzbach Valley
Last summer, the Upper and Lower Sulzbach Valleys were recognized as a protected wilderness area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN ). In the area there are more than 25 three-thousand-meter peaks and 17 glaciers. The highest point is the 3,657 meter high summit of the Großvenediger. The challenging high mountain tour to the highest peak in the Salzburger Land is one of the most famous and popular mountain tours in the Eastern Alps. Below, ibex, chamois, marmots and bearded vultures still find their natural habitat. And hikers discover many rewarding destinations in the Obersulzbach Valley: For example, the impressive glacier moraines and the glacier lake, which you can hike along the glacier nature trail in the Obersulzbach Valley.
Guided tours to the highest Tauern peaks. Accompanied by National Park Rangers or certified hiking and mountain guides, intensive summit experiences are also possible in the Venediger and Glockner groups. Keeskogel, Larmkogel, Dreiherrenspitze, Hoher Gabler, Großer Geiger or the Großglockner (3,798 m) as the highest mountain in Austria and of course Salzburg’s highest mountain, the Großvenediger, satisfy the longing for ultimate mountain experiences. All information about tours, certified mountain guides, huts and weather can be found on the website of the Wildkogel Arena and in the free tour app “Erlebnis Nationalpark”. After downloading, the data can be used offline.
The National Park Sommercard puts many things in your pocket
With around 60 attractions, the National Park Summer Card Mobil is the joker for all nature experiences in the Hohe Tauern National Park vacation region: Included are, for example, the Krimml Waterfalls and WaterWorlds, the Museum Bramberg and the National Park Center in Mittersill, as well as a daily ride on the Wildkogelbahn or the Smaragdbahn. An absolute highlight and also included for card holders is a trip over the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and the Gerlos Alpine Road. So that the car can also take a vacation, all local and public transportation is included daily with the National Park Summer Card, including the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, the public bus and some hiking cabs. In addition to the inclusive services, there are also discounts at many excursion destinations. At 140 partner businesses in all categories in Neukirchen and Bramberg, the National Park Sommercard is included in the price of the overnight stay.
