SUMPTUOUS DIVERSITY
The meeting
place for the Group will be at the Hauptbahnhof (Central
Train station in Salzburg). This is the chosen location
because it is accessible by any means of transportation
from most European and International destinaions.
The starting
point is Gosau, specifically the Gosau Lake, one of the
most spectacular sightings
of the trip. The first
day leg is the Hofpürglhütte, above Filzmoos, a grand
lodging point to the feet of the Bischofsmütze.
Then the accompanying
scenery changes daily: first, the pointed lime stone peaks
of the Gosaukamms
with the beautiful Alpine
pastures and wild flower fields are the escort but on the
third day, the scenery changes drastically. The ascent with
the Dachstein
cable car to the glacier is worth the experience. Weather
permitting we will gross the Dachstein glacier otherwise
we choose an
alternate route. This begins at the Hunerkogel and leads
along the landscape “Am Stein” with a fascinating
few of the Guttenberghaus far above the town Ramsau. The trail leads threw dark forests and wild pastures on its
way to the Stoderzinken.
From there we hike along the Viehbergalm towards the town of
Bad Mitterndorf. There are the mysterious Karst springs and
trails along glass clear creeks and hidden mountain lakes that
make this part of the hike threw the Ausseerland delightful
and divergent. The next part of the hike leads threw the inner Salzkammergut.
On its way along the wilderness of the Koppentraun until
Obertraun and Hallstatt, the absolute highlight of
the World Heritage
Site, the oldest salt mine in the world near the Hallstättersee. The tour along
the Soleweg from Hallstatt to Bad Goisern distinguish itself
from the previous hiking
days and gives an inside to
the magnificence to the white gold – salt and its history
in this area.
Pilgrims, Bible smugglers, prospectors and mountain climbers
helped form the tradition of these villages.
The Dachstein
has always fascinated geologists, writers and artists.
Adalbert Stifter, Friedrich von Simony, Friedrich Thorberg,
Peter Rosegger and Erzherzog Johann, just to mention a few,
admired the Dachstein scenery and idolized it in their works
and writings. We are going to take a guided tour in the oldest salt mine
in the world above the town of Hallstatt where for the past
4000 years the white gold is mined.
In addition, this area offers a wide variety of activity:
the Celtic grave sides, the prehistoric museum, the ancient
small village with the houses being build closed to each other,
the church, the grave yard, the bone yard and the oldest pipeline
in the world 25 miles long to Ebensee.
We are also going
to take guided tours in caves, inside the mountain threw
the extensive network of tunnels more the 40 miles long.
The lonesome landscape “Am Stein” still
hides many secretes among them deep Dolinenschlunde. During
the million
of years the rainwater edged slowly, a labyrinth of tunnels
in the limestone for the water to escape therefore, the inside
of the mountain seems like a gigantic sponge but at 4500 feet
altitude, the different stone formation forces the water to
the surface in form of mountain springs.
In 1919 the glittering ice
palaces of the Dachstein Mamuthöhle
where discovered and explored but before that, the stream bearing
Koppenbrüllerhöhle where found and both caves will
be toured.
By visiting some of the small villages, you will see that
the inhabitants of the Steiermark and the Salzkammergut treasure
their traditional native clothing, music, art and culture.
Typical for the Salzkammergut are the Lederhosen, the Lodenjanker,
the Gamsbart and the Goiserer and every quality piece will
be passed on to family members.
The length of the deer leather seems that decorate the Lederhosen
tells from which area it came from. There are still 13 small
family owned factories left that specialize in the art of Trachten
clothing and there is still a small factory producing the handmade
double stitched mountain boot “the Goiserer” the
ancestor of today’s quality hiking boots.
Now for this part of the hike
a steep ascent to the Goiserer Hütte becomes necessary.
However, the beautiful view and the Alpine pasture villages
are justifying
this 3000 feet incline
before we reach the starting point of Gosau again.
Your guide will take you on save mountain trails around the
Dachstein without concrete or asphalt ranging in altitude
from 2400 feet to 8100 feet.
In twelve hiking days, in diverse settings from the valleys
to the glaciers, without mountain climbing equipment on natural
trails.
Each leg of the journey has its own theme of history and windows
into the past to make this a rewarding experience.
You will spend the night in rustic mountain huts and local
country inns.
The tour does not require technical expertise but demand perseverance
and condition on your part.
The typical duration of the hike will be moderate to steep,
in parts lonely, but very beautiful, which leads through forest
until 6200 feet and alpine meadows above for five to six hours
of hiking per day.
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HikingTheAlps.com
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