Ardning Alm Normalweg

We hike through the village of Ardning — a grocery store along the way still offers provisions and drinks — passing the charming village church. For about 1 km, we continue on a paved road, then switch to a forest road after the last mountain farms.

Shortly on the left, we make a brief detour to the Brandl Chapel. It was part of the Windischgarsten pilgrimage route, and from here, pilgrims saw their destination, the Frauenberg Pilgrimage Church, for the first time. Even today, the pilgrimage takes place annually on the Sunday after Ascension Day, though nowadays only a few still cross the mountain on foot, while most arrive by train or car.

The forest road mostly winds through wooded areas until we reach Hochreith, where the trees suddenly open up to reveal the Haller Mauern, forming a breathtaking semicircular mountain panorama. One more curve and our destination, the Ardning Alm Hut, comes into view.

The hut is open year-round, with Thursday as a rest day. Currently, overnight stays are not available. It is widely known for its oven-roasted specialties and Styrian cheese dumplings (Steirerkas-Nockn).

Gesäuse Tourist Association
Hauptstraße 35, 8911 Admont, Austria
t: +43 3613 2116010
Email: info@gesaeuse.at
www.gesaeuse.at