{"id":122762,"date":"2017-03-10T12:23:36","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T11:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salzburgerland.com\/en\/?p=122762"},"modified":"2020-12-21T03:06:11","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T02:06:11","slug":"paradise-high-above-the-gasteinertal-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salzburgerland.com\/en\/paradise-high-above-the-gasteinertal-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"Paradise high above the Gasteinertal valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Gasteinertal valley without its water \u2013 that would be like skiing without snow, summer without the sun or sailing without the wind. Simply unimaginable. But it\u2019s not just the wonderful streams, roaring rivers, imposing waterfalls or even the scenic mountain lakes that make this valley so unrivalled. It is especially the high-quality drinking and thermal water that emerges from the depths of the mountains to the light of day. For many decades and even centuries, the water has been the main reason for the Gasteinertal valley\u2019s reputation and disseminates its name throughout the world. The valley\u2019s natural treasure can be obtained from 17 sources in the Hohe Tauern national park at the foot of the Graukogel mountain, once the rainwater has hit the mountain at a height of 1,8000 metres, trickled away, sunk for 2,000 metres through the various rock layers only to re-emerge shortly after in Bad Gastein. When this miracle of nature crosses my mind, I look up to Graukogel mountain\u2019s summit and finally conclude to pay it a visit after all. And who would be more suitable for this endeavour other than Hans Naglmayr. The Gastein native is not only a ranger at the Hohe Tauern national park, but also one of the greatest mountain aficionados that I\u2019ve ever met. In other words, the conditions for a great mountain tour could not be any better.<\/p>\n

Stone pine magic<\/h2>\n

Punctually and actually a bit early, we meet at the valley station of the Graukogel chairlift so that we can begin our ascent. You could, of course, always make the journey to the mountain station by foot, but since we also want to hike from Graukogel mountain to the Palfnersee lake and then finally make our way to the Palfnerscharte col, the ascent assistance comes in rather handy. Hans tells me a couple of things about today\u2019s tour while gesturing to the mountain repeatedly as we hop into the lift and take off. Before actually beginning our hike, we visit the relatively new Zirbenweg Trail at Graukogel mountain. \u201cThis is a really great project, you\u2019ve got to see it,\u201d says my guide just before making his way into the stone pine forest. He points toward the various treetops, pulls out his knife and digs out plants and shows them to me, and even calls the occasional bird with his barely distinguishable chirp. Crazy, it\u2019s actually working! The Zirbenweg Trail is meant to educate hikers about the stone pine, incidentally the \u2018queen of Alpine woods\u2019 and is a splendid path with a great panorama view across both the Gasteinertal valley and the surrounding summits. Up here, at a height of around 1,950 metres, everyday life and work stress are so far removed that they are almost completely gone. Brilliant! \u201cSome of the trees are more than 400 years old and continue to serve the many animal species as a habitat for many hundreds of years afterwards,<\/em>\u201d says Hans as he pulls me back out of my thoughts again. 400 years, up here? Incredible! We have been on our trip for 45 minutes now and pass by lunch benches, pine beds and pine swings. Over and over again, we jump across little glittering ponds and streams that complement the idyllic scenery. You could spend an entire day right here, perhaps spend some time at the Graukogel hut and then take in the wonderful stone pine forest all around. After all, stone pine is supposed to reduce your heart rate and be particularly good for your health. If you have ever slept in a pine bed, or if you at least own a pine cushion, you\u2019ll know what I\u2019m talking about.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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