I started early. At 6 AM I drove for about 40 minutes to the little village Kasten next to Lunz am See. I planned a long round-trip. At the end of the day, I will have covered 30 km and ascended/descended 1600 m. My goal was to reach the Dürrenstein (1878 m) and then follow the three lakes downwards towards Lunz. I had a long day ahead of me.
In the morning it was still pleasantly cool. I got goosebumps while I changed into my short hiking clothes at the parking spot. The huge mountain massif cast its shadow over the area. A few hundred meters from my parking spot lay my entrance to the massif, the steep Lechnergraben. A little stream rushed downwards. The grass and flowers still carried dew. The hike through the Lechnergraben was quite straightforward, always up. I only once lost the path. I crossed the stream and tried to climb up the stream bed itself. My shoes didn’t agree with it because the rock was so slippery from the water. Luckily the stream didn’t carry a lot of water because it didn’t rain for days otherwise, the Lechnergraben would’ve been certainly a dangerous section.
At the top of the canyon, the landscape opened up and the path split. One led to the Ybbstaler Hütte (1343 m), my next destination, and the other to Grünloch, the coldest place in Austria and even Central Europe. In 1932 −52,6 °C was measured there. The Grünloch forms a cold-air pool which lets the temperature drop far below the temperature of the surrounding area. Therefore, the vegetation also resembles a Tundra. I didn’t descend to experience it myself instead, I continued with the path to the Ybbstaler Hütte. It led through a beautiful plateau lined with mountain flowers (globe flower, narcissus anemone and a few more) bog pines and spruces.
Soon I heard the ringing of bells. The hut was close, and I walked over the open meadows of its surrounding alp, the Wiesenalm. A lot of cows were grazing and resting. I was dodging cow pop left and right on my way to the hut. In Summer the cows are sent up there for grazing. A couple was already resting at one of the tables next to the hut. You can order drinks or food there or even stay overnight, but I pressed on. I wanted to take a break at the top.
The path to the Dürrenstein gently sloped upwards and with every step, I gained a better view. The landscape changed again. The Dürrenstein now revealed why it got its. Dürr means baren or dry in German. The bog pines and a few patches of grass remained the only vegetation. Rocks dominated the incline and in sinkholes snow was well hidden from the warm sun rays. The Dürrenstein is part of the Northern Limestone Alps. These mountains are characterized by huge rock walls, sinkholes and deep cave systems. Over thousands of years water is digging paths through the soluble limestone and left a rather rugged terrain.
A cool breeze blew, thankfully. I could see the summit and its winding path ahead of me. I filled up my water bottles at the Legsteinquelle, the last water source before the mountain top, and I was ready to tackle the last part of the climb.
On the summit a few hikers were already enjoying the marvellous view. You could see pretty far into the Alps because it was such a clear day. Even a dog made it up that far and was drinking some water from its nap. Big rock walls drop from the South and East to the valley. On these slopes lies the Rothwald, the last primeval forest of Austria. It was never used for wood cutting. Today it’s the core area of the UNESCO Natural Heritage Dürrenstein. Lynxes and maybe bears found a refuge in this forest. But we can’t be sure, because only a few scientists visit it each year. It’s highly protected from any human influence.
Before my descent, I drank a bit and ate my nuts. I took a different path down and arrived at the Herrenalm (1327 m) soon afterward. While on the descent I could take a glimpse of the Obersee. It’s one of three big lakes in this region (Obersee, Mittersee, Lunzer See). They collect all the water from the Dürrenstein massif.
Again a lot of cows were waiting on this alp. The hut Herrenalm is a particularly old building. It’s made out of stone and dates back to the middle age. You can get some drinks there or stay overnight.
I continued downwards towards the three lakes. The following part of the hike wasn’t as breathtaking. I mostly ran on a broad forest street. I walked past a high waterfall and the two upper lakes. The temperature was creeping continuously up. The middle lake was particularly dry.
The start of the valley marks Schloss Seehof, an old estate of the local monastery in Gaming. After the monastery closed in the 18th century the estate and its vast forest was sold to private buyers. At the end of the 19th century, Karl Kupfelwieser bought it through his wife’s dowry and rebuilt it in a neobarocke style. His wife was a Wittgenstein who were once one of the richest families in Europe. She was an aunt of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Currently, it’s still held in the property of his ancestors. I then followed the lake path back to my parking spot.