Hiking in the most beautiful valley of the Eastern Alps

The Gschlöß valley near Matrei in East Tyrol is often called the most beautiful head of a valley. And rightly so, because hardly elsewhere you can explore such a romantic landscape and enjoy such a fantastic view to glaciated mountain as here in the National Park Hohe Tauern.

In order to discover every facet of the unspoiled nature, you have to roam on food through meadows and forests. In the Gschlöß valley in the National Park Region Hohe Tauern you'll find a very beautiful hiking tour and just as you like to, you can even go on farther.

Starting point is the car park next to the Tauern House of Matrei (1,511 m). There it starts a quite broad, slightly sloping trail to the mountain hut Außergschlöß, where you'll have a breathtaking view to the glaciers of the Venediger group dominated by the mighty, eponymous Mt. Großvenediger.

Then you can comfortably follow the Gschlöß stream until you reach the famous rock chapel and the Venediger House (1,689 m). Till there the walk will last about 1.5 hours. The excursion is suitable for families with children and baby carriages and there is an eco-friendly shuttle service, too.

If you still aren't tired, you can walk on till you reach the head of the valley or make also the glacier path Innergschlöß. The latter, however, requires a good training and suitable mountaineering equipment. From the Venediger House the trail follows the stream until the ascent in the direction of the glacier Schlatenkees. Then you hike along a path on former moraines to an old sheep meadow (the so-called salt ground) and to the snout of East Tyrol's biggest glacier.

For the way back you take the Prager hut path. With start next to the Tauern House in Matrei the whole glacier path will take you about 6 hours.

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