Enjoyment Along the Alm River—Nearly 60 km of the Almuferweg Trail from Almspitz to Almsee in the Salzkammergut

At the Source of All the Senses—the Almuferweg, a trail just under 60 km long, stretching from Almspitz to Almsee

A hike through the towns of the Almtal Valley!

, Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting

Starting at the Almspitz near Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting (still within the municipal boundaries of Fischlham), coming from the left from Edt near Lambach after crossing the Traun Bridge and turning left again immediately to reach the alpine pasture, the trail follows the pasture to the first bridge (pedestrian), then follow the side road to the Almegg Bridge.

From there, you can head to the town center of Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting , where you’ll also find the boarding point at the Vorchdorferbahn train station, complete with a parking lot. Also worth visiting are the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishments—Mostschenke Huemer and Gasthof Dickinger —as well as the two museums: the Hackenschmiede Open-Air Museum and the Tempus Museum of Archaeology.

From the Almegg Bridge, the trail follows the Alm River through the beautiful riparian forest to the mouth of the Laudach.
The nearest train stop is only about 500 meters away (AU stop).
Here, you’ll need to follow the course of the Laudach River for a short distance to the bridge, cross it, and then continue following the river back along the Alm to Vorchdorf.

Vorchdorf

Pass through the Haresau neighborhood, continue along the Alm upstream until you reach the gravel plant. Walk a short distance on the access road until just before the Mühltal highway bridge, where the trail leads up the slope to the right. (A short, relatively steep section.) Pass through a pedestrian and bike underpass beneath the highway, past a nice residential area until you reach the road. Cross the road (please use caution) and follow the signs through the forest. After about 500 meters, turn right until you emerge at the Vorchdorf sports field. Stay on this side of the street, cross at the crosswalk next to the roundabout, then turn left toward the church; you’ll find yourself at Schlossplatz in Vorchdorf. The “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment, Hoftaverne Ziegelböck, is just a 2-minute walk away.

Cross Schlossplatz toward the Laudach Bridge, turn left after the bridge, and follow the path along the Laudach. Just past the outdoor pool, cross the pedestrian bridge over the Laudach. From here, you can also reach the Vorchdorf-Eggenberg train station in just 2 minutes, where you’ll find connections to the Stern & Hafferl train lines to Lambach and Gmunden. There are also plenty of parking spaces in Vorchdorf (e.g., the Schwarzlmüller parking lot right by the Laudach Bridge after Schlossplatz).

After the footbridge, turn right to reach the Vorchdorf rest stop. Enjoy the moment and take a seat in one of the wooden benches. Then continue along the Laudach, cross the street, and follow the path to the Schloss Eggenberg Brewery, the next partner establishment of “Genuss am Almfluss.” In front of the brewery, turn left and head up the hill right next to the entrance. From there, follow the path toward Pappelleiten/Einsiedling. Just before Pappelleiten, cross the street again and head down toward the Alm. Following the path, after a beautiful stretch along the Alm, you’ll briefly come out onto the road. Right across the street is a parking lot that you could also use for a multi-stage hike. Walk briefly along the road, then turn left immediately over the bridge toward Eggenstein, a district of Pettenbach.

Pettenbach

After the bridge, turn left and walk directly along the Alm for a good distance until you reach the Kronawettwehr demonstration power plant, a partner facility of “Genuss am Almfluss.” Right next to it is the Pettenbach massage rest area, which you’re welcome to use to relax and pamper yourself. A parking lot has also been specially created here so you can visit the demonstration power plant and the active rest area directly.

Note regarding the connecting path from the center of Pettenbach to Almburg, which is also marked with dots on the “Genuss am Almfluss” map. This route is intended as a hiking trail connection. There are no parking options in the Almburg area! Therefore, please use the parking lot at the demonstration power plant or directly at the train station in Pettenbach (or travel by train). And please also watch out for vehicle traffic from the numerous sawmills along the hiking trail!

The trail then continues along the Alm; one or two Almwellenliege loungers are waiting for you to claim them. Almost at the edge of Pettenbach, near the Steinbach Bridge, you’ll have the option—just a 5-minute walk from the trail—to reach the boarding point at the Steinbach-Brücke station on the Almtalbahn. In the neighboring village of Steinbach am Ziehberg, you’ll find the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment, Ferienhaus Schwarzenbach.

Detour information: Between Steinbach Bridge and the Schatzlmühle in Viechtwang, the trail currently follows a road with little traffic (which is also the Almtal Bike Trail R13). We’ll let you know as soon as this detour is no longer necessary. Thank you for your understanding!

Scharnstein

The trail continues along the Alm toward the Schatzmühle near Viechtwang. The Schatzlmühle campground is also a “Genuss am Almfluss” partner. Passing the sports field , you’ll reach the high ropes course, Scharnstein’s active rest area. You’ll also find a rest area with alpine lounge chairs right by the Alm. Continue along the Alm until just before the large Scharnstein Alm Bridge. There, you can take a detour into the village, or you can continue on and carefully cross the railroad tracks. From here, it’s just a 2-minute walk to the Scharnstein-Mühldorf train stop. Walk across the footbridge to the next “Genuss am Almfluss” partner business, the Geyerhammer Scythe Museum, which you’re very welcome to visit. Continue along the Alm to the next train stop, Kothmühle.
From there, you can take hikes toward St. Konrad, where you’ll find the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment, Pührethof. On the way there, you’ll pass the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment, Gasthaus Taverne Thann.

Grünau in the Almtal

The trail continues along the Alm to the next Alm bridge. Here you have the option of taking a short detour to the beautiful Wieselmühlweiher pond and, for example, staying overnight at the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment, Forellenhof Wieselmühle.

Continuing toward Grünau im Almtal, you’ll pass the Redlmühle power plant, which features a remarkable wooden sculpture of a bull. From the “Almwellenliege,” you’ll already have a fantastic view of the mountains of the Totes Gebirge. Continuing along the Alm, you’ll reach the next bridge, where you can take a culinary break at the Landgasthof Schaiten, a “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment. The route continues to the center of Grünau im Almtal, where the tourist office is also located. In town, you also have the option to stay overnight at one of the many “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishments, such as the Pension Kasbergblick, the Sportlerhof farmstay, or the Sporthotel Grünau Wimmergreuth.

The trail continues through the village, then turns left across the village footbridge. From there, it’s a 2-minute walk to the Grünau im Almtal train station. The trail continues to the left, past the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment, the Romantikhotel Almtalhof. There, we cross the bridge and walk along the Alm for a short distance, past the “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishments Pension Wanderruh and the JUFA Hotel Almtal, until we reach the Fischerau.

From there, the trail runs parallel to Almseestraße through the forest to the next highlight, the Cumberland Wildlife Park

The Cumberland Wildlife Park is also a “Genuss am Almfluss” partner establishment. It’s well worth a visit and should really be included in your hiking itinerary. A loop through the wildlife park (approx. 5 km) offers many shortcuts. You can also enjoy the park’s dining options (open only to visitors).

The trail then continues on to the turnoff for Hetzau (access road to the Ödseen). From there, the trail leads back along the Alm and through the forest to the Almsee.

Almsee

Passing the mouth of the Almsee, you’ll walk along the eastern shore, past the Viscope—where you can enjoy a fantastic and informative panoramic view—all the way to the parking lot at the Seehaus. Continue a short distance further to the Echoplatzerl, above which you’ll find the new hanging chairs where you can enjoy the view and the echo. Here, the trail is a bit steep, and the gravel makes the climb somewhat difficult!

Please use only the designated parking lots at the trailheads and be considerate of private property! Thank you for your cooperation!
The variations in the kilometer and time estimates are due to the distances from the parking lots to the trail or rest areas.