Carinthia: Hike into Seebachtal – Hohe Tauern National Park

This easy hike takes you along the valley path to various natural history stations. The natural jewel Stappitzer See at the entrance to the valley is a unique high mountain steppe lake and an important rest stop for migratory birds. One of the largest flying birds in the world, the bearded vulture, also feels at home here.

Starting from the Ankogelbahn valley station, the easy-to-walk hiking trail leads along the almost flat valley floor to Lake Stappitz. Halfway to the lake you can turn right to the Seebach and marvel at its turquoise water and the fine, white sand in the stream bed.

The Stappitzer See offers a special view, framed by steep rock faces, numerous waterfalls and the proud 3,000-meter peaks of Ankogel, Hochalmspitze and Pillareck. Here you can either stay on the path, which is also suitable for strollers, or follow the nature trail on the right. The educational trail mostly leads through forest areas and is therefore a little cooler.

The first stop is just before the information point on the lakeshore and describes the special features of the lake. It is a habitat for more than 50 species of birds and an important resting place for migratory birds in spring. It's hard to believe that this natural gem almost had to make way for a storage power plant in the 1970s.

A little further into the valley, below the Schleier waterfall, young bearded vultures were released into the wild as part of the reintroduction. This once extinct, largest bird in the Alps, has now found a home again in the Hohe Tauern National Park. With a bit of luck you will discover the “King of the Skies” here in the Seebachtal.

Following the information boards and an observation platform, the nature trail leads to the southern side of the valley and over a footbridge to the forest. Through an alpine meadow and past several streams you reach the next stopping points, which deal with the formation of the valley. After a short detour to the rubble area, from which you can enjoy a good view of the entire valley, you come to two particularly interesting stopping points: the praying forest and the ice hole. There, near the cracks and fissures between the boulders, you notice an icy air current.

At the level of the Schleierfall the path changes over the Seebach to the other side of the valley. Here, at the end of the nature trail, both paths meet again from the beginning at the road. As a way back, you can now choose the forest road on the other side of the river - past several waterfalls, accompanied by the pleasant sound of the stream that curves through the valley.