The Salt Trail follows old paths through the Tote Gebirge mountains and the Niedere Tauern on which salt was transported as early as Roman times. This long-distance hiking trail was opened in 1983 and leads from the Mühlviertel in Upper Austria to the Wurzen Pass in the Karawanken. The tour thus traverses Austria from the north to the south on the border with Italy.
From the Tauplitzalm, which we reach by chairlift, in the Ausseerland region, we first walk along part of the extremely popular 6-lake hike across this impressively beautiful alpine area. Soon, however, we branch off to the south to first descend into the Ennstal. The tour continues via the Planneralm into the Niedere Tauern, which we cross to reach the Murtal via the Stolzalpe, in the historic town of Murau, which is also a stage stop on the hiking route "From Glacier to Wine".
The Tauplitzalm, the largest lake plateau in Central Europe, is an ideal starting point for the Salt Trail through Styria. From Tauplitz, we can comfortably reach the mountain pasture with the chairlift (please regard the operating times!). From the mountain station, our tour - identical to the 5th stage of the hiking route From the Glacier to the Wine - leads past Lake Tauplitz, Lake Steirer and Lake Schwarzen towards the Leistalm Hut, where we also meet the Salzstieg variant over the Salzsteigjoch. Next, we head to the Hochmölbinghütte high above the Ennstal valley. Via the beautifully situated Spechtensee, we reach Aigen im Ennstal. Next up: the Planneralm. The way up to the Plannerknot, a prominent junction of several hiking trails, is all uphill. Alpine pastures, shady forests, but also narrow paths leading steeply uphill are our companions. From the Planneralm, we follow the Central Alpine Trail 02 over the Goldbachscharte with its lake of the same name to Donnersbachwald.
Along the Mörsbach, we now head uphill to the Gstemmerscharte to reach St. Nikolai in the natural park Sölktäler, where we say goodbye to the Central Alpine Trail 02. Via the Hansenalm, Mautneralm and Hüttfeldalm we reach the Erzherzog Johann Hütte in the middle of the Niedere Tauern. Across the Tauern, we go to St. Peter am Kammersberg in the Murau region. Our last part takes us once again uphill to the Stolzalpe with its beautiful alpine pastures, to then descend to the historic town of Murau with its castle towering over the town and the Murau brewery.
Details of the Salzsteigweg 09 can be found (in German) on the website of the Austrian Alpine Association.
Emergency call mountain rescue: 140
Tips when reporting an emergency – Answer these six WH questions: What happened? How many people are injured? Where did the accident happen (are there GPS coordinates)? Who is reporting the incident (callback number)? When did the accident happen? What is the weather like at the site of the incident?
Steiermark Tourismus
Tel. +43 316 4003
info@steiermark.com
If you would like to hire a tour operator, simply book with Steiermark Touristik, the official travel agency of Steiermark Tourismus:
Tel. +43 316 4003 450,
The Steiermark Touren app, available free of charge on Google Play and the App Store (Android, iOS), offers detailed first-hand information: brief facts (length, duration, difficulty, ascent and descent/elevation gain, ratings), map, route descriptions, altimeter, compass, peak finder, navigation along the tour. You can also create your own personal lists of favourite tours and sites, store tours and destinations offline, use social media channels, and much more.
Getting there
Detaillierte Information zur Anreise finden Sie hier.
Accessible by train and bus.
Detailed information about arriving by ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) can be found at www.oebb.at or on the Verbundlinie Steiermark website www.busbahnbim.at
With Verbundlinie’s BusBahnBim route planner app, planning your journey has never been easier: simply enter towns and/or addresses, stop names or points of interest to check all bus, train and tram connections in Austria. The app is available free of charge for smartphones – on Google Play and in the App Store
Please get in touch for more information.
Vis-à-vis users
1. The tours presented for hiking, walking, biking and road biking, mountain biking, motorbiking, horseback riding, climbing, cross-country skiing, and going on skiing and snowshoe tours etc. are to be considered non-paid tour recommendations and only serve as non-binding information. We have no intention of concluding a contract with the users of this website. The utilisation of the data does not lead to the establishment of a contract with us.
The data may only be used for private use; any commercial use is prohibited. In particular, it is not permissible to offer the data on commercially run websites, file-sharing platforms etc. or to use it to develop commercial products. Downloading data does not imply that users are granted rights to the data concerned.
The tour recommendations posted were created with utmost care; nevertheless, we assume no liability for the correctness and completeness of the information.
We point out that neither the tour recommendations included on this website nor the associated data and information were posted by us, but rather by third parties (Art. 16 Austrian E-Commerce Act). We have no influence on whether the details provided (e.g. distance, level of difficulty, change in altitude, description etc.) are authentic, correct and complete. We do not review these third-party contents. For this reason, we assume no liability for the authenticity, correctness and completeness of the information.
Construction-related measures or other influences (e.g. landslides and similar occurrences) can lead to temporary or permanent changes in a route (e.g. loss of a bridge and similar occurrences). Such occurrences can lead to part of the route or the entire route becoming impassable.
The use of the data as well as undertaking (riding, walking, taking etc.) the recommended tours or using the network of paths occurs at users’ own risk and on their authority. In particular, users themselves are responsible for the choice of route, outdoor orientation, adherence to traffic rules, supplies and equipment for tours listed in Point 1 (e.g. bicycle etc.), wearing a helmet, estimating their own fitness, recognising dangers and maintaining an appropriate velocity. We exclude ourselves from any liability whatsoever for damages, in particular accidents, that occur whilst taking part in the recommended tours.
2.Some of the tours lead over roads with normal traffic conditions. Please observe that there is an increased risk which can be avoided by means of appropriate attention and proper estimation and implementation of one’s own abilities. For this reason, please travel a route that is unfamiliar to you slowly and with special care. Pay constant attention to potential dangers and always observe traffic. Do not leave the routes featured in descriptions.
The potential use of private roads, in particular forestry roads and agricultural transport roads, can be subject to legal restrictions, which must be observed and adhered to.
The normal traffic rules apply. Each user (e.g. biker, motorbiker) is responsible for adhering to these rules and maintaining his/her bike/vehicle and its equipment (lights, brakes etc.) in good working order. Each user is also responsible for ensuring that he/she rides at a velocity that is appropriate for the conditions and his/her skill level and for maintaining sufficient distance to the rider in front. We explicitly recommend adjusting velocity to correspond to the respective field of vision, wearing a helmet, using reflective clothing (or similar) and employing bicycle lights in line with regulations.
3.Each tour requires good physical fitness as well as detailed planning. We explicitly recommend only taking the tours in the case of optimal healthiness.
We recommend that you conclude an accident and liability insurance policy. Use an onboard computer that displays the respective kilometres travelled per day and is calibrated for the front wheel.
4.Special for mountain bikers – Fair-play rules:
Mountain biking is one of the most wonderful outdoor leisure-time activities. Whilst biking or on a mountain biking tour, mountains and lakes, meadows and cabins are re-discovered in new ways. A couple of rules for fair play in the forest help to avoid conflicts whilst mountain biking.
a.Pedestrians have the right of way: We are accommodating and friendly to pedestrians and hikers. Upon encountering these fellow travellers, we alert them by using the bicycle bell and slowly overtake them. We avoid paths with heavy pedestrian traffic altogether. Take nature into account: We do not leave refuse behind.
b.The braking distance should be half of the total distance visible: We ride at a controlled pace, are ready to brake and maintain a braking distance half as long as the total distance visible, especially in curves, because we always have to count on obstacles on the path. Damage to the path, stones, branches, wood piles, grazing livestock, cattle grids, barriers, tractor-type forestry machines and authorised vehicles pose dangers that we need to be ready for.
c.Don’t drink and drive!: Do not drink alcohol when mountain biking. Take care at stop-off points (dealing with bike racks, dirty shoes or clothing).
It is obligatory to provide first aid!
d.Marked routes, closed paths and blockades: Keep to the marked routes, observe the blockades and accept that these roads are primarily for agricultural and forestry use!
Blockades can often not be avoided and are in your own interest. Biking beyond the intended path and outside of opening times is punishable and turns us into illegal bikers.
e.We are guests in the forest and behave accordingly, including vis-à-vis forestry and hunting staff. Whilst mountain biking, mobile telephones and music players are forbidden! Biking requires your full attention.
f.Avoid unnecessary noise. Out of consideration to the animals living in the wild, we only bike during full daylight. As a principle, we always wear our helmet (even when riding uphill)! Don’t forget emergency supplies: We always have a repair set and bandages along.
g.Don’t overestimate your skills: We should not overdo it when it comes to biking technique and physical fitness. Take the level of difficulty posed by the route into consideration and make a precise estimate of your experience and skills as a biker (braking, bell, lights)!
h.Close gates: We approach grazing livestock at a walking pace and close every gate behind us. We should avoid causing escape and panic reactions in the animals. Nothing stands in the way of the fun and athletic challenge in the mountains and forests!
i.Traffic rules: The general traffic rules (StVO) apply for all the mountain biking routes and we adhere to them. Our bike therefore needs to be in perfect technical condition and equipped in line with the traffic rules, including brakes, a bell and lights. We inspect and service our mountain bikes regularly anyway.
5.We assume no liability for the contents of external websites; in particular, we assume no liability for their statements and contents. Moreover, we have no influence on the design or contents of the websites to which hyperlinks on www.salzkammergut.at lead or from which hyperlinks lead to www.salzkammergut.at. There is no on-going review of websites to which hyperlinks on www.salzkammergut.at lead or from which hyperlinks lead to www.salzkammergut.at. We do not appropriate the contents of websites to which hyperlinks on www.salzkammergut.at lead or from which hyperlinks lead to www.salzkammergut.at.
Vis-à-vis bloggers
PLEASE OBSERVE:
1. Each of your tour recommendations for hiking, walking, biking and road biking, mountain biking, motorbiking, horseback riding, climbing, cross-country skiing, and going on skiing and snowshoe tours etc., along with other details and information, is free of charge. In particular regarding the correctness of the information, we assume no liability, nor do we assume any liability whatsoever for the consequences of the use of your tour recommendation by a third party (in particular by a user of this website). We do not review the tour recommendations you post, including other details and information, at any time.
We have no intention of concluding a contract with persons who post tour recommendations and/or other details and information on this website. Posting data (information) does not imply that a contract has been concluded.
By recommending a tour, we assume special responsibility vis-à-vis other athletes. Please take this responsibility seriously and describe your tour recommendation with utmost care and to the best of your knowledge and belief.
2.Your tour recommendations must therefore clearly and unambiguously include at least the following criteria and provide a sufficiently detailed description:
• Starting point
• Detailed route description
• Distance/Overall distance
• Level of difficulty
• Dangerous spots
• Average duration of trip
• Change in altitude
• Finishing point.
If possible, please provide the change in altitude.
3.When you post a tour recommendation, you give us the order to save your tour recommendation and/or the details you provide on our website and to make it/them accessible to third parties, in particular to users of this website, in the long term. We reserve the right to block or delete tour recommendations and/or other details and/or information that you post, either partially or entirely, at any time without providing a justification. Should this occur, it grants you no rights whatsoever.
Thank you for your efforts!
4. We are not responsible for the contents of external websites; in particular, we do not assume any liability for their statements or contents. Furthermore, we do not influence the design or contents of websites that can be accessed from www.salzkammergut.at via hyperlinks or that use hyperlinks to refer to www.salzkammergut.at. The websites that can be accessed from www.salzkammergut.at via hyperlinks or that use hyperlinks to refer to www.salzkammergut.at are not regularly monitored. Furthermore, we do not assume any claims to the websites that can be accessed from www.salzkammergut.at via hyperlinks or that use hyperlinks to refer to www.salzkammergut.at.
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