Mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal take you to the summit
Going into the mountains without at least reaching a summit is like going to the sea without even going for a swim. In the Kleinwalsertal you can spend a holiday in Austria with hiking for connoisseurs. There are eight mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal and Oberstdorf for this. Five of them are in the Kleinwalsertal. Often our program does not allow excursions on our travels, but this time we have luck and time for them. So we decide to take our time to explore one of the mountains in the Kleinwalsertal in Austria seen from above. We ask which of the Walser mountains offers the most beautiful view and decide to take the mountain railway up to the Walmendingerhorn.
Mountain railways in the Kleinwalsertal
Cable cars in the Kleinwalsertal make it possible to see the mountains of the Alps from above without any effort. This is easy in Kleinwalsertal. We had already checked in Travel Charme Ifen Hotel get a map pressed in their hand with the note: “With this you can use the Walserbus on all routes in Austria and ride the mountain railways as often as you want.” We didn't have to be told twice and used the offer for an excursion to the Walmendingerhorn from Mittelberg. Mountain meadows as in the Schwarzwassertal we did not see here. But the alpine pastures of the Mountain farmers. We had been told that the view from above should be the most beautiful in the valley and we wanted to test it. There are a total of eight mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal and Oberstdorf: five cable cars and three chair lifts that take hikers up to the mountain peaks in summer and skiers in winter.
Mountain railways in Oberstdorf
The map of the Ifen Hotel opens all the gates without any problems. We do not even need to buy a ticket, just hold the card to the reader at the valley station and get access to the gondola. It's that easy! The beauty of this map is that we can use it for all eight mountain railways in the valley, and if we like it very much on a summit, we can even go up several times. A great deal of our hotel, as we find. It is also practical that you can use the Walserbus, which stops near the valley station. This will save you the parking fees that you have to pay at the parking lots throughout the valley, while protecting the environment by leaving your own car at the hotel.
With the cable car to the Walmendingerhorn
We reach the Walmendingerhorn via a gondola lift, which reaches up to 40 people and climbs past avalanche slopes, spectacular crags and steep mountain sides to the top station. This is still slightly below the summit, which can be reached via a winding path. If you do not want to do that, you can enjoy the view from a viewing platform directly at the mountain railway. The view of the surrounding mountain ranges is terrific.
viewing platform
We go out onto the platform and can't get enough of the mountain ranges, one behind the other. The most striking is the Widderstein, at 2533 meters the highest mountain in the Kleinwalsertal. Topographically it belongs to the Allgäu Alps and rises directly in front of us from the Kleinwalsertal. We watch as more and more cloud formations slowly accumulate around its flanks. There will probably be thunderstorms again like the day before. But it is still pleasantly fresh on the summit of the Walmendingerhorn Vorarlberg, more pleasant than down in the valley, where it is already summery, hot and humid. You can enjoy the mountain air with the mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal.
You want to know the name of the mountains you see? Then have a look at Gepackt & Los. Janine has discovered ingenious apps with which you find out the mountain names .
Hike or chill out?
We have the choice of taking an elevator down to the hiking trail that leads into the valley, past wooden loungers that invite you to relax. I haven't been to a mountain peak in the Alps for a long time, but that surprises me. In addition to the wooden benches along the way, hikers can now rest on these wooden loungers or relax in the light of the afternoon sun from the exertions of the ascent.
The alternative that presents itself to us and that we choose is to drink a spritzer in the summit restaurant before we take the train back down to the valley, because we want to go to the gourmet region in the afternoon Kleinwalsertal explore further. You could say we “chill with a view” and enjoy the view as much as we enjoy our apricot juice with sparkling water. At such a moment, I wished that this moment would last forever and I am happy that this is my work. How beautiful our world can be! If you have more time, you can start a day of hiking with the mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal and hike into the valley.
Travel Charme Ifen Hotel
Top street 6
6992 Hirschegg
Austria
Information, availability query and online booking*
Hotels in the Kleinwalsertal*
You need that for a tour with the mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal
- We definitely recommend comfortable walking shoes for a hike in Kleinwalsertal, Vorarlberg.
- It is also practical for on the go backpackin which you drink, snack in a lunch box, a jacket and store odds and ends.
- What you need for a picnic – For example, you can have a picnic on one of the mountain meadows with a view of the mountains in the valley in Vorarlberg.
- Binoculars * – On this hike you can, for example, watch birds and keep an eye out for other animals.
- With these you are definitely well equipped for hiking in Kleinwalsertal, Vorarlberg, Austria Hiking maps * and Hiking guides *.
- Do you have everything? With our hiking checklist You can also easily check this.
- Do you like to travel with the motorhome? There are several campsites in the valley. Our packing list for campers It also helps ensure that you don't forget anything.
- In winter the Kleinwalsertal offers ski areas for winter sports enthusiasts. Our Packing list winter vacation helps with packing your suitcase for your winter vacation.
- Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?
If you purchase via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.
Travel Arrangements
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Arrival by plane, car, bus and train to the mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal
Compare and book flights here*. The nearest airport is Munich. Arrival by train is also possible. The train goes to Oberstdorf. From there, bus #1 will take you to Kleinwalsertal: Timetable and booking*
Car Rentals:
Cheap car hire - book quickly and easily!
Rent Motorhomes:
Book Motorhomes in Europe here! * Or do you like traveling with it instead? roof tent on the car? In addition, the overnight stay in camping tents possible. For example, you can find a campsite at Alpencamping Haller, Köpfleweg 10a, 6991 Riezlern, Austria. With our motorhome packing list you will never forget anything again.
Accommodation near the mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal:
Accommodation for online booking is also available in Kleinwalsertal* via Booking.com.
Do you know this?
- Road trip through the Kleinwalsertal
- A Pernakultur garden in the Kleinwalsertal
- How the Walser came from the Valais Alps to the Kleinwalsertal
- Farms in the Kleinwalsertal
- Kleinwalsertal Eating and drinking
- Restaurants in the Kleinwalsertal
- Gifts for hikers
Source mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal: research on site. We would definitely like to thank Tourismus Kleinwalsertal and the Travel Charme Ifen Hotel for inviting us to this trip. However, our opinions remain our own.
Text mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TWO
Photos of mountain railways in Kleinwalsertal: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TWO
