Snowshoe walking

Where there’s a walking trail in summer, there’s an opportunity for a snowshoeing adventure in winter. The Gesäuse, cloaked in its white winter garb, makes you forget all sorts of things – for example, that appointments and commitments are waiting for you at home, or that there might not even be any snow back home. A winter hike on snowshoes is a gentle alternative to the adrenaline rush of skiing on deep-snow slopes. On snowshoes, you trudge along the marked trails, experience the much-vaunted tranquillity of winter at first hand and reach places where no one else goes. Peace and quiet outside and peace and quiet inside – where else can you find that?

If you don’t want to set off on your own or aren’t quite sure, you can join a guided snowshoe hike or sign up for the Snowshoe BaseCamp, where you’ll be ‘taught’ how to snowshoe independently over several days. The National Park has even come up with something special that guarantees sightings of red deer: the guided tour ‘Snowshoeing to See Red Deer’ offers a wildlife-spotting experience accompanied by a professional hunter from the Styrian State Forests. Information on tours in the Styrian Eisenwurzen Nature Park is available from the Nature Park office in Sankt Gallen.

Step by step

You have to work hard to explore the Gesäuse, especially in winter. If you want to reach the heights, you have to walk. But not necessarily on ski skins. Non-skiers aren’t condemned to staying in the valley. They can explore the mountains on foot – not in hiking boots, of course, but in snowshoes. And they’re far less dependent on good snow conditions than ski tourers: whether it’s powder or crust, it makes no difference to the snowshoe hiker. Thanks to snowshoe crampons!

Touringportal

Highlights

Our mountains are more than just their legendary peaks. They form a living, breathing whole – a blend of the Gesäuse’s natural beauty and its people – that we experience every day. We’ve put together a summary of our absolute highlights for snowshoeing here. The only thing missing from this masterpiece is you.

Johnsbach valley

Johnsbach lies in the heart of the national park, tucked away in a side valley, in the middle of nowhere, on the southern side of the Hochtor Group. This makes Johnsbach a popular starting point for snowshoe hikers, particularly in winter.

Salzatal

Steep gorges, striking rock formations and vibrant vegetation. This is the setting for the Salza and the valley surrounding it. But even in winter, this landscape offers wonderful snowshoe walks.

Around the Kaiserau

The Kaiserau is a high plateau at 1,100 metres above sea level, offering a wide range of opportunities for winter sports enthusiasts of all kinds.

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Good to know

Before you really get started exploring the Gesäuse, we’ve put together the most important tips and information on snowshoeing for you. If you still have any questions, just get in touch with our team – we’ll be happy to help you.

Outdoor Companies

Guided tours

Gesaeuse Nationalpark

Snowshoe walking

Step by step