Salzburger Almenweg - Stage 08: Angertal - Bockhartsee - Sportgastein (Nassfeld)

The starting point of the eighth stage is the historic Angertal valley. Clearly shaped by centuries of mining, many stations in this side valley tell legends about the precious gold and the life of the miners. From the Angertal hiking starting point, a wide forest road (No. 115A) runs further into the valley on the left side of the stream past the Angertal forest inn to the junction turning left towards Miesbichlscharte-Schattbachalm.

Through a dense mountain forest, the path (No. 128) steadily climbs uphill to the managed Schattbachalm at 1,683 meters, which can be reached in about 2 ¼ hours walking time. A short break is advisable here because the next managed hut, the Bockhartseehut, is about 3 hours of walking away and still requires mastering 554 meters of ascent.

From the alp, path No. 110/128 leads through a huge archaic, partly block-filled cirque on the west side of the 2,246-meter-high Stubnerkogel uphill to the highest point of today’s stage, the 2,237-meter-high Miesbichlscharte. From there, it is all downhill and the Lower Bockhartsee is reached via path No. 110/128. The dam wall is crossed, and after a short ascent, the Bockhartsee hut (1,933 m) comes into view. Once there, it’s worth taking a short rest to enjoy the view of the surrounding three-thousanders.

The approximately 45-minute descent past the hut down to the valley floor of Sportgastein follows an ancient mining path (path No. 110) and passes relics of the mining past, glacial polish, and quartz veins. The trail initially crosses a slope quite comfortably until it reaches a steep ridge, and you can already see the houses of Sportgastein below you. The trail winds down this steep ridge—partly with a rope railing—over roots, wooden and stone steps until it becomes flatter just before Sportgastein. On the valley floor of Sportgastein, there are numerous managed alpine farms, a National Park visitor center, and the eighth stage destination, the Alpen Restaurant Valeriehaus.

The Sportgastein plateau is part of the Hohe Tauern National Park and in winter a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts and those seeking relaxation.

Places to Eat and Overnight Stays

Alpen Restaurant Valeriehaus, Sportgastein/Nassfeld (1,588 m), from late May to early November / Tel. +43 660 289 24 00 Email / accommodation / Logispartner Salzburger Almenweg Info and Booking Center by Trail Angels

Schattbachalm (1,683 m), (about 2 hours) early July to early September / +43 664 511 22 16, +43 664 454 55 62 Email / accommodation 

Bockhartseehut (1,933 m), (about 5:45 hours) mid-June to mid-October, closed Wednesdays / +43 664 183 22 18 or +43 664 181 53 15 / Email 

Viehauserhut (1,630 m), (after 6:30 hours / Nassfeld valley floor) / +43 0664 732 89 450/ Email 

Schareckalm (1,620 m), (after 6:40 hours / Nassfeld valley floor) mid-June to mid-September / +43 664 3415 703 or +43 6433 7273 / Email 

Moisesalm (1,620 m), (after 6:45 hours / Nassfeld valley floor) mid-June to mid-September / +43 664 9106 618 / Email 

Pottingerhut (1,603 m), (after 6:45 hours / Nassfeld valley floor) mid-June to the end of September / +43 664 1815 188 / Email 

Veitbauernalm (1,645 m), (after 7:10 hours / Nassfeld valley floor) early July to early September / +43 664 5346102 / Email 

Nassfeldalm (1,605 m), (after 6:50 hours / Nassfeld valley floor) early June to the end of September / +43 6434 3425 or +43 680 2086650 Email 

Numerous places to eat and stay in Bad Gastein, www.gastein.com Email / accommodation

Logispartner Salzburger Almenweg Info and Booking Center by Trail Angels:

DAS SCHIDER Aparthotel, more information at:  https://www.dasschider.at/, Tel. +43 6434 93080

Here you can find everything about the right hiking shoes, perfect gear, and correct walking technique.

To ensure your day in the mountains becomes a truly unforgettable experience, we offer some tips for safe mountain travel.

The Angertal valley can be reached by public transport via the Postbus connection from the Bad Hofgastein bus station.

There is a large car park in the Angertal where you can leave your own car for several days. Please display the “Almenweg parking clock” from the brochure in the parked car!

All further information about the Salzburger Almenweg can be found here.

Today you walk through the heart of the former gold mining area. Many names and places remind of this significant era in the Gastein valley. For instance, on the way to the Miesbichlscharte, you see on the right the Silberpfennig and the Erzwiessee: both owe their names to the namesake tunnel in the upper Erzwies area. To this day, slag heaps and entrances to old tunnels are visible. The Bockhartscharte was once called Pochkarscharte, a name derived from the hammering on the rocks in the Poch-Kar. On the way to the Valeriehaus, numerous relics point to the mining past, such as a demonstration power plant, former miners' houses, and the Imhof tunnel.