The Saalfelden-Leogang region is a dream for foodies, hikers, bikers and wellness enthusiasts alike
BY BEN WEST
Within only ten minutes of driving from Salzburg Airport we’re in glorious mountainous scenery peppered with lush green pastures, seemingly endless pine trees, colourful wildflowers and little wooden chalets.
However, when we reach our destination an hour later, the village of Leogang, we unfortunately hit a traffic jam: a procession of cows sporting floral headdresses, garlands and bells, led by villagers wearing traditional Austrian costume – the men and boys of course decked out in the obligatory lederhosen.
We’re witnessing the cattle festival, or Bauernherbst und Almabtrieb. When cows are brought down from the mountains at the end of summer, the villagers throw a welcome-home party in their honour.
I couldn’t wish for a better introduction to this region of SalzburgerLand, and am so glad I left Salzburg to discover what’s beyond it. Many people visiting Austria’s fourth-biggest city never leave it, unaware that there’s a surprising range of heavenly activities outside it – all year round.
There’s no disputing the fact that Salzburg is one of Europe’s top destinations. Ridiculously pretty, with a regal baroque centre and medieval fortress all framed by picture perfect Alpine landscapes, it is compact, easily walkable, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has a better choice of museums, galleries, concert halls, cafes and bars than many cities.
Birthplace and home for some years to Mozart, The Sound of Music was filmed there, and outside the city the Beatles filmed Help!. Indeed, both films are celebrating their 60th birthdays this year.
Yet venture outside the city into what’s known as SalzburgerLand, and more specifically the region of Saalfelden-Leogang located within it, and you hit one of the largest, most beautiful and most popular hiking areas in the Austrian Alps, which is also renowned for its fine cuisine.
Saalfelden-Leogang is around 70km southwest of Salzburg and also perfect for outdoor sports like biking in the spring, summer and autumn, with excellent skiing in winter, all enhanced by the picturesque backdrop of the Steinerne Meer and Leoganger Steinberge mountains.
Swish Hotel Krallerhof, situated at Leogang, makes the perfect base to explore here. Owned by the Altenberger family for four generations, the five-star hotel enjoys breathtaking views of the mountains and has a recently installed a very impressive modern spa and wellness centre designed by renowned architect Hadi Teherani. The building’s design is outstanding, with glass and mirrored walls, floor to ceiling windows and sleek, curved lines.
Opulent facilities include spacious wellness and water zones, saunas, whirlpools, and a yoga studio. Outside, the hotel’s alpine Zen garden and water staircase complement the heated 50m infinity pool incorporated into a vast natural swimming lake. It’s hard to believe that this large hotel started out as a modest pension from old farmhouse origins.
The hotel is situated very near the Steinberg lift, which effortlessly transports you from Leogang up the local Asitz mountain to an altitude of 1,762 metres. Krallerhof guests receive a free pass for this and the nearby Asitzbahn gondolas. Once at the summit, it’s possible to spot Austria’s highest glacier, Grossglockner, on a clear day.
From here there are bike, eBike, walking and hiking trails, a children’s toboggan run, zip wires, and a naturkino (cinema of nature), which is essentially a stunning panoramic view enjoyed from a series of wooden loungers, chairs and outdoor hammocks. The trails all invariably pass stunning scenery throughout. The Tauern Cycle Trail, for example, features the spellbinding Krimml waterfalls and the world’s largest ice caves.
Also very near the hotel you can go on a tour of Stockis Distillery, where you can taste and purchase from a choice of dozens of varieties of schnapps plus gin, vodka, whisky and sweet liqueurs.
This being one of the largest hiking regions in the country, with 400km of well-marked trails for every fitness level, a hike the next day is clearly obligatory.
The one I take (three hours, 6.4km) starts in the Ullachtal valley and is to Europe’s lowest-lying glacier, Birnbachgletscher, at an altitude of 1,200m within the Leoganger Steinberge mountain range. In the 19th century the glacier was used to stock the ice cellars of Munich beer breweries. Our guide, Anna, explains the local fauna and flora as we walk through ancient woodlands, lush green meadows and rocky paths that gradually get steeper. It’s not a walk in the park, but it’s pleasingly not too challenging either. It’s generally blissfully silent except for the sound of the occasional cowbell. When we reach the mouth of the glacier we are rewarded with the nearby icy Birnbachloch karst spring, to cool down. Once down the mountain again we sample some alpine cheeses at a nearby organic farm – indeed 73 per cent of farmers in the SalzburgerLand region are certified organic, the highest concentration of organic producers in Europe.
The region’s alpine cuisine is rich in wild and foraged ingredients, and from rustic mountain huts to gourmet restaurants, there’s a delicious, distinct cuisine to discover. Dishes include braised beef roulades, stuffed with onions, carrots and gherkins, served with Spätzle egg noodles and cranberry red cabbage. Berglamm, or mountain lamb, is also popular due to its aromatic and tender flavour. Palatschinken, the Austrian version of French crepes, the sweet dumplings known as Salzburger Nockerl, and the lightly sweetened Kaiserschmarrn pancake, named after Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I, who was a fan of the dessert, are also worth trying.
My group have dinner one night at a rustic farmhouse restaurant called Huwi’s Alm, with views over the Leogang valley and Steinberge mountains. Housed in a converted hayloft, our table is given a heated iron ‘hat’ for us to barbecue strips of local steak of the best quality. A beef soup with finely chopped vegetables simmers in the ‘brim of the hat’ and baked potatoes are the perfect accompaniment.
Winter transforms the landscape into one of the largest ski destinations in Austria and SalzburgerLand overall has nearly 70 resorts across 22 distinct ski areas and more than 2000km of groomed piste. There are also more than 100 ski schools and a state-of-the-art infrastructure in place for quick, safe access to well-connected slopes.
Snowboarding, winter hiking, ski touring, sleigh rides, ice rinks, ice-climbing, snow-kiting and numerous other exhilarating outdoor sports and experiences are on offer during this time of year too. It goes without saying that the mountainous snow-covered scenery effortlessly creates a perfect Christmassy winter wonderland feel during December and early January.
Saalfelden-Leogand really is an unsung, all-year Alpine destination.
Further information
Saalfelden-Leogand: saalfelden-leogang.com
SalzburgerLand: salzburgerland.com
Stay at
Krallerhof Hotel (krallerhof.com). Doubles from €334 per person per night, two sharing half-board. Discounts for stays of more than 3 nights.
Travel information
Fly from London Gatwick to Salzburg with British Airways from £50 one way, based on a return fare: ba.com/gatwick
Bus between Airport and Station: No 2 daily every 15/20 minutes (takes 20 mins), priced from around €2: salzburg-airport.com/en
Rail transfer between Salzburg and Leogang available with Austrian Railways: oebb.at/en, approximate duration 2 hours
Road transfer between Salzburg Airport and Krallerhof in Leogang is approximately 1¼-hours. It is a two-hour drive from Munich.
