Nordalpenweg Trail 01 through Steiermark

Accessible by public transport

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

The tour in numbers

Level of difficulty challenging

Route 281,6 km

Time 94:00 h

Uphill 15984 hm

Downhill 16029 hm

Highest point 2293 m

The section of the Northern Alps Long Distance Trail through Styria leads from Spital am Semmering to Ausseerland in Altaussee. The Rax, Hochschwab, Gesäuse and the Tote Gebirge are just a few of the alpine highlights along the tour. Those interested in culture will enjoy the Admont Abbey with the largest abbey library in the world.

The long-distance trail with the number 01 was opened in 1975 and is the first Austrian high-altitude transversal through the Eastern Alps. It stretches from Lake Neusiedl through the northern Limestone Alps to Lake Constance. In addition to alpine equipment, surefootedness, in some areas a head for heights and orientation skills in fog are absolutely necessary. Our starting point for crossing the entirety of Upper Styria from the foot of the Semmering to the Ausseerland is in Spital am Semmering. From here, we go via the Kampalpe to the Rax, the first 2000m peak on the tour. The trail continues through the Mürzer Oberland natural park to the Schneealm and the Veitsch and finally enters the Hochschwab massif at Seewiesen. Again and again, we encounter the long-distance hiking trail of Styria, the hiking route "From the Glacier to the Wine".

The crossing of the Hochschwab massif is certainly one of the absolute highlights on the entire Northern Alpine Trail. The abundance of flowers and chamois as well as the landscape of the Kalkstock will captivate every mountaineer and nature lover. We now reach Eisenerz and enter the Gesäuse. Part of this enchanting mountain region can call itself Austria's youngest national park. Last but not least, we cross the Tote Gebirge (Dead Mountains) on our tour and finally, after crossing the Loser at the Blaa Alm, we leave the 01 trail and hike to Altaussee.

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

More information

Detailed information on how to get to Spital am Semmering can be found here.

From Spital am Semmering at the foot of the Stuhleck, we head via the Kampalpe and the Preiner Gscheid to the Karl Ludwig Haus, 22 metres in altitude below the Rax summit. Via the Gamseck, which gives us a partly rope-secured descent, and the Lurgbauerhütte, we soon reach the wide plateau of the Schneealm with the Schneealpenhaus. Across alpine meadows and through beautiful mountain pine landscapes - we head down into the valley to Neuberg an der Mürz. Tip: Visit the minster with its beautiful inner courtyard and impressive works of art. The rest of the tour takes us over the Hohe Veitsch, one of the most beautiful mountains in Styria to the Hochschwab massif, certainly one of the most stunning mountain regions in the Alpine region.

The crossing of the Hochschwab massif is one of the highlights of the Northern Alpine Trail. A special feature: the Schiestlhaus on the Hochschwab is the highest passive house in the Alpine region, an architecturally and above all ecologically impressive building. Via the idyllically situated Leopoldsteiner lake, we arrive in Eisenerz, an old mining town that is home to an exciting cultural life.

Next stop: the crossing of the national park Gesäuse. Numerous ascents and descents as well as beautiful peaks of this impressive mountain world are our companions along the way. We leave the mountain world of the Gesäuse with the descent to Admont with its beautiful abbey, which is also home to the largest abbey library in the world. Via the neighbouring village of Hall, we continue via the Rohrauerhaus to the Bosruckhütte. We have now left Styria and hike through the south of Upper Austria to soon return to Styria. First, we go to Spital am Pyhrn and then via the Wurzeralm and the Zellerhütte to Vorderstoder and Hinterstoder.

Then, we enter the Tote Gebirge, an impressive karst landscape. First, we continue without any great differences in altitude across the high plateau of the Tote Gebirge to the Albert Appel Haus and the Loserhütte, where we return to Styria. Finally, the descent to Altaussee awaits us, probably one of the most beautiful villages in the Alpine region. For those who have not hiked enough already, we recommend the circular route around Lake Altaussee.

Details of the Northern Alpine Trail 01 can be found (in German) on the website of the Austrian Alpine Association.

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

Numerous parking spaces are available near the valley station of the Stuhleck mountain lifts in Spital am Semmering.

Steiermark Tourismus, Tel. +43 316 4003
www.steiermark.com