Winter in Kleinwalsertal – snowshoeing and winter hiking trails

Beautifully secluded, at least for the rest of Austria – after all, the Kleinwalsertal can only be reached via a detour through Germany. The idyllic high mountain valley with its three villages of Riezlern, Hirschegg and Mittelberg is accessible from Oberstdorf via a cul-de-sac. This ends in front of an imposing mountain backdrop that blocks the way to the rest of Vorarlberg. But the enclave offers everything that makes winter sports enthusiasts’ hearts beat faster. 128 kilometres of slopes, 45 kilometres of cross-country ski trails, over 50 kilometres of groomed winter hiking trails, toboggan runs and on top of that many brilliant panoramic views. Reason enough for us to get on the train in Zurich, chug comfortably to Oberstdorf and get on the bus with the final stop “Winter Wonderland”.

Delight – snowshoe tour on the Gottsacker

Of course, the stop is not called “Winter Wonderland”, but “Ifen Talstation” – but on this day it would have lived up to this name. We have chosen the absolute dream day for our Kleinwalsertal excursion. The fir trees are freshly sugared and the sun in a cheeky play with the Allgäu fog (that’s what the Kleinwalser call the clouds from the north). The Kleinwalsertal is perfectly accessible by bus and aims to motivate as many guests as possible to travel by public transport. The offer is actively used and the bus is filled to the last seat. We’re aiming high today! The virgin Gottesacker plateau and the spectacular rocks of the Ifen are waiting for us. At the valley station we meet Birgit, our snowshoe guide. The mountain school offers various guided snowshoe tours every week – the one on the Gottesacker is one of the popular classics.

Before we go up, Birgit equips us with an avalanche transceiver and shovel. We took our own snowshoes with us because it’s more practical to know how the closure works. After all the material has been distributed and made sure that we have packed all the food (not a bad idea with a walking time of 3 – 4 hours), we comfortably overcome the first meters of altitude with the old Ifenbahn. In contrast to the lightning-fast Olympic track next to it (newly put into operation for the 2016/2017 winter season), we hardly make any progress. But there is more time to really soak up the great panorama. My legs are itching and I can’t wait to take my first steps in the fresh snow – what a glorious day.

The starting point of the snowshoe tour is the Hahnenköpfle mountain station at 2,000 m above sea level. The first few meters are steeply uphill to the summit cross. A last look at the ski area and then we leave the hustle and bustle behind us and immerse ourselves in the fabulous world of the Gottesacker plateau. A phenomenally beautiful tour! And since four hours of trudging through the fresh snow burns a lot of calories, we treat ourselves back to the Auenhütte for a hearty local refreshment.

Culinary delights – at the Chuchi-Disch of the Walserstuba

The Kleinwalsertal not only scores with a well-developed winter sports infrastructure, but is also one of Austria’s pleasure regions. This requires a portion of regionality, authenticity, seasonality and security of origin. In short: Good products from the valley prepared with a lot of love. One person who is particularly good at this is Jeremias Riezler. Austria’s Gourmet Host of the Year 2015/2016 swings the wooden spoon in the Walserstuba. With success! His restaurant is filled to capacity during our visit. About half of them are hotel guests with half-board, the other half come especially for the gourmet menu. And when I look into the restaurant, I’m afraid that there won’t be a table left for us. But we have the honour of spitting Jeremias and his team over the shoulders at the “Chuche-Disch” and being served a selection of his specialties by the chef himself. For this culinary experience alone, the trip to Kleinwalsertal is worth it!

Jeremias and Bettina Riezler live the alpine, regional top cuisine through and through. My highlight: “A Brüüa” – power broth of Walser beef served in a (real) cow’s horn. The “Chrustabraata” from Austrian organic pork is also very fine. And if you want to taste Walser Bergwald, you can order semi-frozen Walser spruce, larch and mountain pine for dessert. We were thrilled by the homemade sorbet selection – Jeremiah’s passion. Tarragon, plum, sage, blueberry, mountain hay, currant or marjoram, cranberry? As you can see, you’re spoilt for choice. The only thing he hasn’t yet found is a suitable fruit for basil, Jeremias says with a laugh. Thumbs up for so much creativity and passion!

Genussvoller Hüttenausflug

In addition to the gourmet innkeepers, there are six different gourmet huts in Kleinwalsertal. One of them, the Bärghunthütte, is also open in winter and can be reached via a one-hour winter hiking trail from Baad. In addition to the pleasure huts, there are other easily accessible, beautifully situated mountain pubs. One of them is the Bergstüble above Riezlern. The almost 45-minute ascent is rewarded with a seat on the sun terrace with a view over the Kleinwalsertal.

Practical tips for the Kleinwalsertal

• Arrival from Zurich via Lindau / Immenstadt / Oberstdorf by public transport in about 4 hours
• There is a wide range of hotels in the valley. We stayed at the centrally located Hallers Posthotel in Riezlern
• The guided snowshoe tours cost 56 euros (excluding the cable car ticket) and are organized by the Kleinwalsertal mountain school
• The day ski pass for the Kleinwalsertal-Oberstdorf region costs 46 euros during the high season
• The alpine surprise menu at the “Chuche-Disch” of the Walserstube is available for 99 euros (incl. individual wishes and drinks)
• And if you want to recreate the fine dishes at home, you will find the right ingredients from the valley in the Xond farm shop

Note: This trip was supported by Kleinwalsertal Tourismus and Österreich Tourismus. All impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.