The best walks and hikes in Hohe Kugel - Hoher Freschen - Mellental

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Nice stopover on the way to Sünser Spitze

One of the eye-catchers in this area: the mountain range runs almost all around and despite the high location there are midsummer days suitable for swimming

And then it lies down there like a forgotten eye of the landscape: Lake Süns. Dark and round, framed by undulating meadows where summer dwells. No noise, no boats, no paths that claim to lead to the shore. The lake simply looks back – as if you yourself were the stranger in a story that has been told here for much longer. Whoever reaches the pass stands on a line between worlds. Behind you is the lake, in front of you the path to the peak – and to the side, the view stretches far down, where the Rhine Valley disappears. On a clear day, some say you can see Lake Constance. I think you see yourself above all – smaller, but also lighter than you thought. It's not the grand gestures that characterize this hike. It's the way the light clings to the slopes, the way the wind accompanies the path, the way the trail doesn't lead you but invites you. And anyone standing up there—between the Ragazer Grat, the Sünser Joch, and the dark blue of the small lake—may notice: The most beautiful places don't scream. They whisper.

Deeply embedded in the hilly, melancholy highlands lies Lake Sünser See, like a mystery no one can explain. No shore beckoning for a swim, no jetty that becomes a postcard – only this dark mirror, round like a point of thought. You look down, and the lake looks back. A silent understanding develops between man and landscape, hard to name, but easy to feel. All around, the green spreads out like a tired cloak, crisscrossed by paths that no one hurries along. Up here, silence becomes space, and space becomes something that seems almost sacred. Those who sit down stay longer than planned. And those who leave take something with them that needs no name.

Small, very short cave, but interesting!

The Örfla Gorge is accessible from three sides. Most hikers choose the family-friendly starting point at the swimming pool in Riebe. The trail follows the placid Emmebach stream to the gorge. Another access point leads from the St. Arbogast Church up to Stählli. The trail continues along the lowland moorland near the Mitzgebach stream to the gorge entrance. Those wishing to hike the entire length of the accessible gorge can turn off at the junction with the moor towards Meschach. Source: https://goetzis.at/freizeit/ausflugsziele/oerflaschlucht/

A wonderfully quiet little mountain village, it's an ideal starting point for many hikes in the area, as it's located at just over 1,000 meters above sea level. The drive there along the small paved mountain road and through unlit tunnels and rugged natural rock faces is always a much-anticipated driving adventure for me before the actual hikes. If you'd like to stay in the area for a few days, you can check out the Kolping Village next door (www.kolping-ebnit.at).