This scenic trail offers hikers a combination of lush green meadows, cascading waterfalls, and impressive mountain views and very interesting geological features making it a popular route for nature lovers and photographers.
The hike typically begins in the charming village of Hinterbichl, located at the end of the Virgental in the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria.
The trail leads first from Hinterbichl into the Umbaltal Valley, following the Isel River. Along the route you get to see Umbal waterfalls, considered some of the most beautiful in the Eastern Alps. Once you progress deeper into the valley, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks, including the Großvenediger, one of Austria's highest mountains. The lush alpine meadows and forests add to the idyllic scenery. The Umbaltal Valley is a glacial valley with a rich variety of flora and fauna. The area is known for its pristine natural beauty, with opportunities to spot wildlife such as marmots and chamois. As you gain elevation, the views become more expansive, with the towering peaks of the Venediger Group visible in the distance.
The trail eventually becomes steeper and more rugged terrain, including rocky paths and alpine pastures, before reaching the Neue Reichenberger Hütte at an altitude of 2,586 meters (8,484 feet). The hut is beautifully situated by Lake Bödensee, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The Neue Reichenberger Hütte is located on a beautiful plateau east of the Bödensee, on whose surface the surrounding rocks are reflected. The Gösleswand, made of serpentinite, stands out in particular. It looks like a large thumb and, depending on the light, has a beautiful green color. A detour to the nearby, easily accessible Bachlenkenkopf is recommended. The Bachlenkenkopf is around 30 minutes' walk away. From there we can get an indescribable view of the Großvenediger. This is optional for the first day. The second day after breakfast, we start hiking direction east. Our first target is Gösleswand (2,923 m), a strikingly beautiful mountain in the Venediger Group in East Tyrol. The structure of the mountain is also geologically interesting, consisting of a wide variety of rock types: Rauhwacke, mica schist, Federweiß, quartz, paragneiss, serpentinite and marble. It doesn't take long (less than half an hour) from the Rote Lenke to the Gösleswand (2912) and you are rewarded with a fantastic view! We get down to Kleinbachtal and then Micheltalscharte (2652m). We catch then the famous Muhs panorama trail, well marked and offering a great view of dozens of three-thousand-meter peaks. We finally reach Bergerseehütte (2,182 m) that is located on the edge of the idyllic Berger See in the Zopatnitzental, which is in the mountainous region of the Lasörling group in East Tyrol. From Bergerseehutte after having a nice break and for those who likes take a round tour around the lake (about 1km) offering wonderful photo opportunities, we reach a waterfall, we cross a bridge till we reach a slope covered in alpine roses (Zopanitzen). From there the path brings us down to our car crossing the Zopanitzental.
