Carinthia

Winter magic in Mallnitz

Silence, snow and pure freedom - a snowshoe hike to the Tauernhaus that touches the heart.

(Bild: WEGES Hohe Tauern Mallnitz)

By train to winter paradise: Three days with snowshoes and touring skis in Mallnitz - sustainable, eventful and full of history.

What do St. Moritz, Chamonix, Davos and Mallnitz have in common? They are not only winter sports pioneers, but also closely linked by railroad lines. While St. Moritz became famous thanks to the Glacier Express and Chamonix is served by the Mont Blanc Express, the Tauernbahn brought winter sports guests to Mallnitz early on - and with them Carinthia's first ski school and the first chairlift!

To this day, the lift is a comfortable way to travel to the alpine high valley with the surrounding 3000-metre peaks. The Intercity runs twice a day from Vienna to Mallnitz-Obervellach - in just 5 hours and 18 minutes. The journey passes quickly: a good book, the view out of the window of passing landscapes, and we are already approaching the Hohe Tauern. As the train slowly gains altitude, we enjoy the view of the Mölltal valley.

By train from Vienna directly to Mallnitz
Finally, at 1182 meters above sea level, we reach Mallnitz station, the terminus for all passengers until mid-July 2025. The reason for this is the renovation of the 116-year-old, 8371-metre-long Tauern Tunnel. Our hotel shuttle is waiting on the station forecourt, and after just a few minutes we check into the Hotel Bergkristall. We have deliberately reduced our luggage this time: Winter clothing, a rucksack with standard equipment, snowshoes, poles and the avalanche transceiver equipment. We rent the rest directly on site from Toni Wolligger - an institution in Mallnitz and also the best place to go for tour tips.

In the evening, we explore the center of Mallnitz. The silence, the snow and the mighty mountain backdrop create an almost timeless atmosphere. Much has remained unchanged here, we are told - and perhaps it is precisely this nostalgic charm that makes the place so special. The next day, Bernd Heller picks us up in his toboggan cab and takes us to the Tauern Valley.

During the ascent along the toboggan run, the now eighty-year-old tells us with visible pride about his skiing career and his home town of Mallnitz: "The first chairlift in Carinthia was here, there was a swimming pool early on, and three discos provided the right après-ski atmosphere - there was a real buzz here." Arriving at the starting point, he names the surrounding peaks and wishes us a great day.

Snowshoe tobogganing - a perfect combination! 
And that's exactly what we had: With snowshoes on our feet, we cross a breathtaking cirque landscape. While there is still fog in the valley, up here the world seems to consist of nothing but bright white and deep blue. Our route follows the historic Roman road that leads to the Tauernhaus and on to the Hagener Hütte at 2448 meters.

As the crowning glory, we climb the Greilkopf (2581 m) - a moment that leaves us speechless. After the snowshoe hike, we whizz the five kilometers back down into the valley on our sledges and bring the tour to a cosy end at the truly rustic Stockerhütte.

After a hearty breakfast, we pick up our touring skis from Wolligger Sports and take the ski bus to the Ankogelbahn valley station in just a few minutes. It is cool and shady in the valley, so we take the gondola up to the middle station at 1940 meters. The high alpine Ankogel ski area in the Hohe Tauern National Park is also famous for freeriding and ski touring.

INFO

• Hohe Tauern National Park Region
  Carinthia, tel. [phone],
  [e-mail] www.nationalpark-hohetauern.at
• BIOS National Park Center Mallnitz
  04825/6161, www.bios-mallnitz.at
• Hochgebirgsbahnen Ankogel
  04784/632, www.ankogel-ski.at

TIPS:

• Wolligger Sports (rental point for alpine, touring and cross-country skis, snowshoes)
  04784/322, www.wolligger-sports.com
• Toboggan cab, Bernd Heller
  0664/130 13 23
• Hotel Bergkristall
  04784/200 24, www.bergkristall-mallnitz.at
• Stockerhütte in the Tauerntal,
  0676/941 83 94, [e-mail]
• Hannoverhaus, 04784/213 45
  www.alpe nverein.de/hannoverhaus

The ascent proves to be more strenuous than expected - we have to contend with strong headwinds almost all the way. But the unobstructed view of the 3252-metre-high Ankogel and the prospect of a refreshment stop at the Hannoverhaus (2565 meters) quickly make us forget the cold and wind. After refreshments at the German Alpine Club House, one of the longest descents in Carinthia awaits us with a total altitude difference of 1370 meters - the perfect end to this impressive day of touring.

In the footsteps of Carinthia's first chairlift
Departure day: When we check out of the Hotel Bergkristall, we receive valuable tips from Regina Sterz, who is known as the former professional skier Regina Mader. She tells us about the Mallnitz hiking region and the Hohe Tauern National Park. But before our thoughts drift off to summer, we enjoy the winter day.

Today we have a special tour on the agenda: we set off in search of the traces of the first chairlift in Carinthia near the train station. From the valley floor, we hike through forests and follow the former ski slopes to the Häusleralm. From here we have a view of Mallnitz, the Ankogel ski area with the summit of the same name in the background and the deeply carved valleys. In the midst of this tranquillity and the tangible history of this place, we are grateful for what we have experienced. Conclusion: These days in the national park community of Mallnitz have shown that Nature, history and winter sports combine here in a unique way, and Mallnitz is rightly described as a pearl. A return is not a question - but a promise. And certainly without a car again.