Neualmscharte - Steirischer Bodensee | Schladminger Tauern Trail: Stage 05

Hike with many panoramic views, taking you past 3 mountain lakes directly and providing a rest stop at Hans-Wödl-Hütte.

From Preintalerhütte and Waldhornalm, this tour takes you to Hans-Wödl-Hütte in the Seewigtal valley of Haus via the "Höfertsteig" trail. Along the route, you pass by several mountain lakes: the Wildlochsee lake on the ascent to Neualmscharte gap, as well as Obersee, Hüttensee and Steirischer Bodensee lakes during the descent to Forellenhof and Seewigtalstüberl inns in the Seewigtal valley.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

challenging

Level of difficulty

10,1 km

Route

5:55 h

Time

741 hm

Uphill

1263 hm

Downhill

2349 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

This tour is an alternative route for the 5th stage of the Schladminger Tauern High Trail. For accessing the starting point of the 1st stage at Hochwurzen, we recommend taking the Planai buses to the valley terminal of Gipfelbahn Hochwurzen cable-car

You start your tour at Preintalerhütte and Waldhornalm, where you cross over the creek and follow Höfertsteig #782 towards Neualmscharte/Planai. At the trail junction "Höfertsteig" you keep right (staying on trail #782), now hiking uphill towards Neualmscharte gap. Approximately after 2 hours you reach the gap, providing a great view throughout the Seewigtal valley with its 3 lakes. From there, the narrow trail at first descends through a steep chute. Eventually the trail gets a little less steep and the scenery becomes greener shortly before you reach the Obersee lake - the first of 3 lakes in the Seewigtal valley. You walk out of the valley along the shore and further down via another terrace and through clear forest to the Hüttensee lake.

Passing by along the slope above the lake you reach Hans-Wödl-Hütte where you can enjoy some refreshments. After taking a break at the hut you continue your way down into the valley along the well-maintained hiking trail. Shortly before reaching the Steirischer Bodensee lake you can make a small side-tour to the waterfall. Along the shore of the Bodensee you walk to Forellenhof inn (directly at the lake) and further out to the trail head and car parking at Seewigtalstüberl inn, from where the bus takes you back to Schladming.

The route towards Neualmscharte gap passes by about 200 m below the Wildlochsee lake which is worth a short detour.

The closest public transport is accessible at Seeleiten trail head in Untertal valley (approximately 2.5 hours hike from Preintalerhütte) or at the end of the tour described, at Seewigtalstüberl - both bus routes connecting to Schladming.

www.planaibus.at

General tourism information: www.schladming.com

Info about buses: www.planaibus.at

360° drone images

For part of the tour, get yourself an overview with our 360° drone images:

First part of Höfersteig from Preintalerhütte: https://vonoben.schladming-dachstein.at/sommer/index.php?S=317

Hiking map Schladming, 1:25.000, available at the tourist office Schladming.
Hiking map Schladming-Dachstein, 1:50.000, available at the tourist office Schladming.