Kleinwalsertal offers you an active vacation with loads of options
An active vacation in Kleinwalsertal is for the whole family. The Austrian Alps offer besides the obvious beauty and clear air a number of activities, that will make your vacation fun, active and healthy.
Active holiday in Kleinwalsertal is really for everyone: Many associate Kleinwalsertal with coziness and natural beauty, but the mountainous valley is a true mecca for adrenaline-inducing activities. If you have a weakness for climbing, canyoning, trail running or mountain biking, Kleinwalsertal offers plenty of opportunities.
Active vacation in Kleinwalsertal and mountain climbing
Climbing is a very popular summer activity in Kleinwalsertal, and the sport is surprisingly perhaps for everyone. Experts who master safety, engineering and climbing equipment can try their hand at the demanding vertical routes, while beginners can safely arrive at a Klettersteig, which is the local name for a route which is secured with steel cables on the steepest passages.
An obvious starting route is the classic Mindelheimer Klettersteig, which is considered to be one of the best of the Alps. The trip takes between eight and ten hours, and along the way you pass five mountain peaks while offering a first-class panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.
Walsersteig is another option, and the highlight is the passage of the 26-meter long freestanding Burma bridge that crosses a deep gorge.
Climbing fans can look forward to the demanding Zwei-Länder-Klettersteig that is built across the border. Due to the high mountain ranges, one can only enter the Kleinwalsertal via Oberstdorf in Germany, and traditionally the cross-border cooperation has been great – also in the field of climbing. But the route is not for beginners, it requires equal technique, fitness, and experience.
Mountain climbing and trekking in Kleinwalsertal
Jump in rushing waterfalls on an active vacation in Kleinwalsertal
In recent years, canyoning has become a big hit, and as the name suggests, the activity takes place in the deep rock crevices formed between the mountains. Most trips start high up on the hillside, and from here you go downhill via streams, steep cliffs, and waterfalls. In many places, the water has for thousands of years created natural slides that you can slide in, and a waterfall pops up, you get further by either jumping or rappelling. Experienced guides stand for route selection and safety, and tours are offered for beginners, practitioners and experts alike. In the Kleinwalsertal, Schwarzwasserbach is one of the most popular canyoning places. If the water level is high enough, daredevils have the opportunity to make rock jumps from 12 meters, while the rappelling takes place from a height of 25 meters. It is quite unique and yet another reason to consider an active holiday in the Kleinwalsertal.
Exquisite service for mountain bikers on an active holiday in Kleinwalsertal
One of the reasons for taking an active vacation in Kleinwalsertal is that you can cycle in the mountains, so bring your mountain bike or rent a mountain bike on the spot. Mountain bikers will be thrilled with the many opportunities available in Kleinwalsertal. While beginners and families can enjoy the flat walks in the valley, experienced bikers seek out the terrain, where there are steep downhill slopes that put their courage to the test as well as traditional panoramic views and technical passages. Another exciting option is the Bikepark Kleinwalsertal, located at Hirschegg. Here you have built a course that offers lots of challenges – including jumps, steep curves and wooden bridges. And don’t worry about getting into the heights, because in both the Zaferna lift and the Söllereck track you can bring your bike. There is great focus on pampering Kleinwalsertal’s cycling guests. In the terrain there are lots of cabins that invite for lunch break, and in several of them you have arranged service stations where it is possible to make small repairs. If you are on longer bicycle stays, Bike Classic hotels offer laundry facilities, locked bicycle storage, mini workshop and map material and information about the area’s bicycle possibilities. Even more luxury can be found at the Bike Pro hotels, which in addition to the workshop and bicycle storage room also provide guides and laundry facilities.
Trail running 2500 above sea level is a pretty active vacation
Unlike traditional races that take place on roads or even trails, trail runners move into the rough terrain. Here the tracks are narrower, the climbs are often more dramatic, and you can both hit roots, mud and water. Therefore, good fitness and experience of moving in uneven terrain is an advantage. In Kleinwalsertal, the terrain for trail running is so suitable that you have trained special instructors as well as laid a number of tracks in the mountains, and every year races and competitions are held. Kleinwalsertal’s trail running track is at different levels, and on the lower and lightest tracks you reach about one kilometer height, reaching the top and most demanding up to two and a half kilometers. Trailrunning is for beginners, practitioners and experts alike, and no matter what level you are at, you are welcome to participate in the Walser Trail Challenge, which is held every year in July. Beginners and more experienced can choose the ride on the Widderstein Trail, which offers 15 kilometers and 980 height meters. An even bigger challenge is the trip on the Walser Trail, where 29 kilometers and 1,900 altitude meters must be overcome, and finally the ultimate challenge – Walser Ultra – is extremely demanding. Here you run 65 kilometers in the uneven terrain, and before the finish line is passed, no less than 4,200 height meters must be defeated. Trailrunning in Austria
Horn music in the Alps. There is the Alpehorn Festival every September
Kleinwalsertal also has something else to offer than wild and adrenaline-inducing activities. An annual event is the Alpehorn Festival, usually in September. This is the ninth time the festival is held, and musicians from the entire Alpine region gather in the small town of Baad to give concerts and get new inspiration. For many centuries, the long-blown wood instrument has been used for long-distance communication, and if the tone is correct, the horn can be heard up to ten kilometers away. Therefore, the Alpine horn has been used by shepherds, and in several cases served as an alternative to church bells in countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Germany and France. This year’s Alpine Festival starts with a concert in the Mittelberg Pavilion, and the next day there is a workshop with the composer Berthold Schick. The following days there are additional concerts, common walks and lessons.
Active vacation in Austria
- Kleinwalsertal, the offical webpage
- Zillertal is very popular Austrian destination
- Zugspitz, perfect for hiking and beautiful mountains
- Go by car to the top of Grossglockner
Active vacation ideas worldwide
- The Azores. Here are a lot of trails on the volcanic islands suitable for mountain biking and for hiking. You will also find fishing trips for big game fish such as marlin and horse riding in the volcano landscape, and even very good golf courses, with international ratings.
