If “wandern” is your cup of tea, then a Salzburg holiday will be a dream come true! The province of Salzburg alone has more than 7,200 km of signed hiking paths and more than 30% of the land mass is designated nature reserve. Don’t spend your whole Austrian holiday eating Mozartkugeln….take a HIKE.
Hike the Gaisberg
If you want to get your heart pumping just a stones throw from the city center, hop on Bus #6 to the end of the line in Parsch…Ludwig Schmederer Platz. You will find yourself at the foot of the Gaisberg, a popular destination for day trippers since the 18th century. Between 1887 and 1928 a railway, the Gaisbergbahn whisked tourists to the top of the mountain. In 1929 the railway was replaced by a road. Today you can catch a public bus to the top, but you can also get there with a pair of good hiking shoes and a bottle of water!
The Gaisberg stands at 4,226 ft above sea level and is part of the Northern Limestone Alps. From the city center you will recognize it to the east by the 330 ft. Gaisberg FM and TV transmitter facility located at the top. From Ludwig Schmederer Platz you can choose a 1 1/2 hour hike to the popular Zistelalm restaurant or continue another hour to the Gaisbergspitz.
When you get off Bus #6, start heading up Gaisbergstraße and take your first right on to Judenbergweg. On Judenbergweg look for a cluster of yellow signs pointing the direction to go. The path will also be marked occasionally with the Austrian flag (red/white/red) painted on tree trunks. It is a popular trail and difficult to get lost. Expect stony travel, babbling water, birds chirping and enough vertical to get the blood flowing.
If you are all tuckered out 2/3rd of the way up, don’t hesitate to stop at the Zistelalm for a break and a view. The Zistelalm is a perfectly respectable hiking achievement! Have a cup of coffee and a slice of freshly baked apricot cake, or why not a Stiegl beer and plate of goulash!
From both the Zistelalm and the Gaisbergspitz you can either head back down the same direction you came (bring a pair of hiking poles, give your knees a break) or catch Bus 151 which runs every 1 1/2 hours from 1030 – 2030 back to Mirabellplatz.
Oh for a piece of Marillenkuchen mit Schlag and that view …right now:)