Lynx Trail - Stage 08 Mooslandl-Palfau

Description:
 Hiking along the wild Salza river and through the Nothklamm gorge

Directions:
Starting out from the Mooswirt Inn, you begin by retracing the last 15 minutes of yesterday’s journey, walking back until you reach a sharp left-hand bend (with a traffic mirror in its outer corner) leading down to the Enns Bridge. Instead of following the bend, you leave the main road and keep going straight onto a gravel road. The view of the river is blocked by some mixed woodlands with herbaceous undergrowth. Continuing on the gravel road, you pass first a large meadow on your right and then a farmstead. Eventually you reach a signpost for the ‘Gasteiger Rundwanderweg’ (Gasteiger Circular Trail), which you now follow. This comparatively long stretch of today’s journey is marked by delightful scenic diversity – taking you through woodlands and across meadows, with impressive downward views into the valley of the Salza river. Keep to the ‘Gasteiger Rundwanderweg’ (marked by frequent signposts) until you reach the main road up at the Radstatthöhe saddle. Having crossed the road, look out for another sign for the ‘Gasteiger Rundwanderweg’, and follow the small, even path for a short time, until you get to a forest road. Now turn right and continue until you see a small, rather difficult-to-spot signpost for mountain bikers, marked ‘Buchsteinrunde’. Take the path that forks off to the left, and make your way down a steep, overgrown woodland path. At the next ‘Buchsteinrunde’ sign, keep left. Once you notice some houses on your left, be sure to keep right, crossing over a little stream before making your way through a forest aisle to an asphalted road. Turn left and follow the road for a very short time – almost immediately turning off onto a footpath on your right (if you reach the stream, you’ve gone too far), which takes you to another paved road. Turn right onto the paved road, walking across a bridge towards the ‘Akogel Aussicht’. Having passed the ‘Gsellmann’ horse stables, go left over a small bridge, heading towards the GEO Workshops. In a short while, you reach the entrance to the Nothklamm gorge (entry fees apply), which was declared a natural monument in 1970. Carved deep into the hard limestone, the Nothklamm gorge is without doubt one of the most impressive natural features of the Styrian Limestone Alps. After an easy walk along the Gamsbach stream, you reach the 600-metre-long wooden walkway system that winds its way through the romantically wild gorge – first ascending, then descending. At the exit, you pass Styria’s only pebble mill. If you have enough time left, you might like to pay a visit to the nearby Kraushöhle cavern – the largest gypsum crystal cave in the German-speaking realm. Having left the Nothklamm gorge, ignore the Circular Trail (which would take you back to the entrance) and walk straight on until, just before a bridge, you see the left-hand turning for a hiking trail. Follow the trail to a meadow with a farmstead, and then on to the Reiteralm pasture, situated on a saddle between the Akogel and Grantenkogel mountains. At the end of the pasture, you follow a forest road through the Augraben and Püllgraben hollows, all the way to the main road near Palfau. Turn right to follow the main road in an easterly direction. After around 700 m, you turn left onto a small road, which takes you to Palfau in no time at all. 

Tip:
Top tip:

For more information:

www.luchstrail.at

 

We recommend that you make contact with the Lynx Trail Info & Booking Centre before making a booking.

 

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Safety guidelines:
Mountain Rescue 140

Equipment:
Sturdy mountain walking boots or trail shoes, as well as a rucksack packed with essentials (water bottle, plasters for blisters, trail map, food etc.). You should also be well prepared for changes in the weather. If you are staying overnight in mountain huts don’t forget your sleeping bag!

Additional information:
Hints and tips

 

Lynx Trail Info & Booking Centre

Trail Angels GmbH

Obervellach 15, 9821 Obervellach

Tel.: +43 47 82 93 093

Web: www.bookyourtrail.com

Email: info@bookyourtrail.com

 

Lower Austria Information Office:

Mostviertel Tourismus GmbH

Töpperschloss Neubruck

Neubruck 2/10, 3283 Scheibbs

Tel.: +43 (0) 7482 204 44

Email: info@mostviertel.at

 

 

Upper Austria Information Office:

Tourismusverband Nationalpark Region Ennstal

Eisenstraße 75, 4462 Reichraming

Tel.: +43 (0) 7254 8414

Email: info@nationalparkregion.com

 

Steiermark Information Office:

Tourismusverband Gesäuse

Hauptstraße 35, 8911 Admont

Tel. +43 (0) 3613 21160 10

Email: info@gesaeuse.at