Travel report - Hiking holidays with alpine idyll for the whole family

- Join a walking holiday in Austria's mountains, where the cobble fields jingle and snow-capped Alps rise on the horizon -

By: Marlene Bak Cohr

The cobblestones are jingling around us and the wildflowers are in full bloom. We're only a few hours into our first day of hiking and we're already feeling immersed in nature and the Alpine atmosphere. Today's hike started in Strobl at Wolfgangsee and we are now somewhere on the Sparberrundweg, which goes around the Sparber mountain.

As well as offering beautiful views and true alpine idyll, the route started by taking us past Gasthof Kleefeld Wildtier Park. Here, our soon-to-be two-year-old son was able to get out of his baby carrier and greet goats, rabbits and deer. As Kleefeld is not many kilometres along the route, we decided to take a short break, although a cup of coffee or other refreshment in the restaurant would probably have been nice too.

Anyway, we decided to keep walking, which brings me back to the cow pastures and wildflowers. After a bit of walking along grass meadows, old herdsmen and much-needed shade in the forest, we come to the most beautiful meadow area with Alpine cows and delicate flowers that colour the green meadow with purple dots. The mountains rise up around us and for a moment we forget about the metres of altitude we are about to climb in the baking summer heat.

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Distractingly beautiful surroundings

But we have to keep going - we've already taken a wrong turn and added an extra 5 kilometres to the route when we missed an otherwise clear sign. This is what can happen when the surroundings are so distractingly beautiful. Because it wasn't even our son who drew our attention, even though that might have been the case. He was snorkelling in the baby carrier, which usually means that we speed up the pace so we can get some undisturbed kilometres in.

After the extremely beautiful and idyllic meadow area, the climb begins, which is actually easy to moderate, but it feels endless in the bright summer heat. We find some wild raspberries, much to the delight of the little man in the baby carrier. And as the landscape both flattens and spreads out, he gets down to walk himself. In most places, the path is so easy and accessible that it's perfectly fine for a pair of two-year-old hiking feet. We enjoy walking through the beautiful landscape with the Alpine cows around us. We also stop to say hello to a herd of horses.

Soon the path descends through the forest and we get closer and closer to the Wolfgangsee. We continue to Abersee and catch the ferry back to cosy St. Wolfgang, where we stay at Hotel Gasthof Weisser Bär.

 

 

Take the lift to 360-degree views

Our two-year-old is all smiles the next day as we sit in the lift that takes us from St. Gilgen to the top of the Zwölferhorn mountain. From here we are treated to an insanely beautiful 360-degree view with the Wolfgangsee on one side and the lush and rugged mountains on the other. I'm a big fan of being carried up by a lift. It saves some tough and time-consuming altitude metres and allows you to hike longer at higher altitudes. Especially when there are 15 kilos on your back in the form of a two-year-old.

There are a lot of people at the top of the Zwölferhorn, but most of them aren't dressed for hiking, and indeed the crowds quickly thin out as we move further along the ridge, following the Panorama Loop Trail. The landscape is like something out of The Sound of Music - a huge cliché, but on the other hand, no one is in any doubt what you mean by it. It epitomises the Austrian Alps with the rolling green hills and the more majestic mountains rising on the horizon.

I'm also really excited as we make our way through the beautiful landscape. The end point of the day is a mountain hut. From my other trips to places like the Dolomites and the Tatra Mountains, I know that mountain huts have something special to offer. And it's one thing to stop by a mountain hut on a day trip for lunch - which is also a luxury that should be available to everyone - but it's another thing to spend the night. Going to bed and waking up in the middle of the mountains. Experiencing how the landscape changes with the light and the sun's path across the sky.

 

 

Uninterrupted mountain views from the Reithütte

After a tough last leg that goes steeply uphill through the forest (an alternative - and easier - route is also available), I am therefore pleasantly surprised when we finally arrive at the Genneralm and Reithütte. The hut is located between the mountains and has a fantastic view. Genneralm houses several huts scattered across the green rolling landscape, but Reithütte is at the very back and therefore enjoys a completely uninterrupted view of the valley and the mountains rising on the horizon.

The weather has cleared up and the rain we were previously experiencing has now passed. So even though we're tired and hungry, we let our son play a little on the nice playground that belongs to the cabin. The sandpit is filled with tractors and lorries, much to the delight of a two-year-old boy. It's not long, however, before we retire to the cottage, where in the cosy little living room we are served the local dish kasnockn, which most of all resembles a creamy pasta dish seasoned with garlic. We're given a large pan to share, and then it's just a matter of going to war with the fork.

 

 

Cosy and familiar

Around us, three other families are sitting with the same dish in front of them. The atmosphere is authentic, maybe even familiar. For dessert, we order the local speciality profesen, which tastes really good and adds a solid top to the main course. But if there's one thing that makes you hungry, it's hiking all day. The profiteroles are a bit like French toast with marmalade in the centre and sprinkled with icing sugar. Judging from people's plates, the dessert is approved by everyone in the hut!

After dinner, we settle into our room. It's cosy, spartan and just as it should be when you're in a cabin in the Austrian mountains. We've got a room with a wall-to-wall bed, so there's plenty of room for all three of us. We tuck the youngest in and sit down in the living room with the baby monitor to read for a while. Some of the other guests play games or do crossword puzzles. Even the owners of the cabin are enjoying a glass of wine and chatting with some of the guests. Their English is sparse, but with gestures and gesticulations we manage to exchange a few words.

 

 

A much-needed day of rest - especially for the little ones in the family

The next day is a rest day, although it is also possible to go hiking in the area. If we had been travelling without children, we would probably have gone up to one of the mountain peaks in the area. Instead, we chose to spend the day socialising and playing. At Reithütte there is a playground, goats, cows and horses. The rabbits Blacky and Flocke are especially popular.

At lunchtime, we head to the neighbouring Posch'n Hütte, where there's a new playground and a new menu to explore. We spend the rest of the day reading a good book and playing outside in the lovely sunny weather. Our son takes a nice long nap - another good reason to take a rest day, as naps in the baby carrier don't last quite as long. So there's a little sleep to catch up on for the youngest in the family.

 

 

On to the next cabin

The next day we pack up our things after breakfast and say goodbye and welcome back to the hut owners. Now it's off to the Postalm and Huberhütte. We start by walking downhill through forest, which later leads us into an idyllic valley with pastures and grazing cows. The path is very passable, but we have also chosen to take the easy route without many metres of altitude. Alternatively, it is also possible to take the "summit route", which has fewer kilometres but a lot more altitude metres. In terms of time, it should be the same, but we reckon the longer route is better suited to a family with a two-year-old. We also hear from some of the others that the summit route is impressively beautiful, but also tough and involves hiking along steep mountain ridges.

Eventually, we reach the end of the valley and the route takes us along a rushing river and impressive rock walls. For a good stretch, the path follows a real forest road, but we only meet cyclists along the way. Soon we pass through another valley with grazing cows and alpine huts scattered around the landscape. A sign points us in the direction of Huberhütte, signalling that we don't have far to go before we reach our destination. I'm already dreaming of a cold Coke, because it's a baking hot day and the sun is shining from an almost cloudless sky. But I'm certainly not complaining - better that than pouring rain, which can hit in a split second when you're in the mountains.

 

 

Free play at Huberhütte

Huberhütte is a truly beautiful location. As in, really beautiful. From the hut you have a view of the Salzkammergut mountains, which at sunset do justice to the blue hour phenomenon. The hut is self-contained with no neighbours, but still within walking distance of other huts. We take advantage of this the next day, when we have "free play". While other visitors explore the nearby mountain peaks and hiking trails, we stay in the area.

At lunchtime we head down to Rosserhütte, which has a playground and chicken coop. This is something the youngest members of the family will appreciate. While playing in the sandpit, the adults enjoy a cup of coffee in peace and quiet. Later, we have lunch at Rosserhütte and then head back to Huberhütte so that the little one (and mum) can take a nap.

In the afternoon, we have the prospect of cake as we have a voucher for three pieces of apple strudel at Stroblerhütte - about a 20-minute walk from Huberhütte. The hut is cosily located between grazing cows and the hilly landscape. I would recommend eating dinner at Stroblerhütte, which has a menu that includes more than just soups, dumplings and sausages. However, we've already ordered wienerschnitzel at Huberhütte, so we settle for cake and a cup of coffee on the cosy terrace.

The evening brings a torrential downpour, so we stay indoors before heading to bed early. "Our last night in the mountains", I think before closing my eyes.

 

 

A sad farewell

It's a bit sad when we say goodbye the next day to Huberhütte and the friendly host, who looks more like an old hippie who has been in the mountains since the 70s. Pretty authentic and cosy. My son has also grown so fond of the hut that he says Hüberhütte all the time - and in fact every time we see anything resembling a hut.

We wave goodbye to the hut and set off on our last day of hiking. The clouds sweep over the mountains, and somehow the mood suits the somewhat melancholy feeling of embarking on the last hiking day of the trip. The night before, I had actually planned a sunset hike to Postalm Kapelle, but the torrential rain put a stop to that. Instead, we take a short detour around the mountain chapel on today's hike, which is only a very small detour. But what magic surrounds the little chapel. The low-hanging clouds and the wild horses that flock around the chapel make it a very special experience.

 

 

Dense fog on the trip down

Before long, however, the clouds hang so heavily overhead that we can't see many metres ahead of us as we move on. The trip down to Wolfgangsee is therefore nothing to write home about. On the other hand, the descent down the mountain is quick, as we don't have to stop all the time to look at the probably beautiful views. Only when we get below the clouds do we begin to glimpse the Wolfgangsee.

A little after midday we reach Abersee, from where we take the ferry to Wolfgangsee. Here we will once again stay one night at Hotel Gasthof Weisser Bär. It feels quite nice to check in and get into bed in the spacious hotel room. We have taken today's hike without any breaks. Partly because of the fog and rain, and partly because our 2-year-old has set a record by sleeping almost all the way in the baby carrier.

 

 

Renewed hiking confidence

We brought a lot of good memories and renewed hiking confidence back to Denmark. It's always a bit exciting to go on a hiking holiday with a 2-year-old. But the kind where the luggage is transported and the mountain huts are equipped with a playground is at least manageable when the whole family needs to get something out of it. I'm certainly a fan of sitting and looking at mountain landscapes while my son is busy playing.

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