Most beautiful hiking routes

A cozy box seat for the sunset

Sunset at the Fraßenhütte.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

Sunsets are particularly beautiful on warm summer evenings. So why not combine a hike with such a nature experience and an overnight stay in a refuge? One such tour starts in Ludesch and leads along less frequented paths to the Fraßenhütte.

This variant is for experienced hikers with a good level of fitness. From the center of the village, you first head towards the little church of St. Martin, which is located slightly outside on a hill. Past the church, a narrow path leads uphill through the forest, which eventually leads to a forest road. From there, follow the signpost to Ludescherberg. In places, the path climbs steeply over meadow slopes. At an altitude of almost 1050 meters, you will pass the rustic "Paulinarium" seminar house, where bread baking courses are regularly offered.

Tips and information

Type: Two-day tour
Starting point: Ludesch, town center
End point: Mutterbergbahn valley station, Nüziders
Requirements: for experienced hikers with a good basic level of fitness
Equipment: hiking boots (ankle-high) with good tread soles, clothing suitable for the weather, hiking poles, rucksack with sleeping bag, drink, snack, change of clothes, wash bag, etc.
Ascent: over 1000 meters in altitude
Important: an overnight stay at the Fraßenhütte is only possible by prior reservation
Public transport: Bus route 560 to Ludesch Gemeindeamt (from the train station), bus route 501 (from Oberdaneu/Muttersbergbahn) to Bludenz train station

The view back to Ludesch or towards Walgau is already quite impressive. A little further uphill you pass the "Berghof" snack bar (open from 11 am). It serves snacks such as toast, soups, sandwiches, cakes and ice cream. Continue along the marked hiking trail and soon you will have left the last houses on Ludescherberg behind you. The trail climbs steeply uphill through a wooded area. The path is now a little more difficult to spot in places, as the route is obviously not used regularly.

1000 meters of altitude to overcome
The tour really gets into your legs, as you have to climb over 1000 meters in altitude from Ludesch to the Fraßenhütte. However, the route is very scenic. The trail leads across flowering pastures, lush wet meadows and through shady woodland. Looking back, there are always great views and distant vistas.

View over the Walgau.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

Viewpoint plateau near the Fraßenhütte.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

In this natural landscape, you can still see a variety of different insects, including various butterflies. As soon as the air is warmed by the rising sun, they sway and glide from flower to flower. There are large numbers of the carrion butterflies. Most of them have light grey-brown, dark brown to black forewings and hind wings with red, red-brown, orange, yellow or even white bands and eyespots of different sizes, positions and numbers. It is not always easy to identify the different species. If you are interested, it is best to take photos and look them up in a specialist book at home.

View over the entire Walgau region
After a steep climb, you finally reach the Nitzkopf (1709 meters). Here you can take a seat on one of the wooden benches and enjoy a well-earned break with the best views over the entire Walgau region. The most strenuous part of the hike is now complete. From the viewpoint, a narrow path leads gently uphill over the mountain flank covered in mountain pines. Finally, you reach the high plateau a few meters above the Fraßenhütte. After checking in, you can enjoy a leisurely dinner on the sun terrace. From there you also have a box seat to watch the sunset.

The gray-banded moth

The gray-banded spider butterfly is also known as the forest devil or forest spider butterfly and belongs to the noble butterflies. The size of these butterflies, which are mainly found in mountainous regions, decreases with increasing altitude. The basic color of the upper and lower sides of the forewings varies from dark brown to black-brown. On the upper side of the forewings, males and females often have three large, black to black-blue, usually also white-cored eyespots. How many eyespots a butterfly has and how strongly they are colored varies from region to region. There are also usually three to four black, white-cored "eyes" on the hind wings. The habitats of the gray-banded spider butterfly include forest edges and clearings (with mixed forests being preferred) and adjacent dry or damp meadows as well as juniper heaths and cabbage thistle meadows. In the Alps, the butterflies can be found from around 600 meters to over 2000 meters above sea level. This butterfly species can be seen flying from the end of July to mid-August, more rarely until the beginning of September. At lower altitudes, the animals are more active in the morning hours and visit flowers. They spend the hottest part of the day resting in the shade.

The next day, well rested and refreshed, we head up the Hoher Fraßen (1979 meters). The summit cross is reached after a 40-minute climb from the Fraßenhütte. You then descend via the Tiefenseesattel. Finally, follow the goods road to the Muttersbergbahn mountain station. This then takes you comfortably down into the valley.