Walserweg
Overview
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Distance 31 km
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Duration 10 h
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Ascent 1550 m
Intro
Walser people settled early in Partnun, below the Schijenflue, as they did in Gafiatal. Today an alp area with typical timber houses in the middle of the Rätikonmassiv - an outdoor eldorado. Schweizertor: Alpine crossing to Brand (A), where the first Walsers settled in the 14th century.
Description
The Walser Trail follows the tracks of the Walser people in the high valleys of Graubünden in 19 one-day stages, running along historical, pristine hiking trails. The approximately ten-hour hike begins in the Walser settlement of St. Antönien. It's the last stage of the long-distance hiking trail covering around 300 kilometres and 40,000 vertical metres.
Past the pretty, late-Gothic church in St. Antönien, the trail leads slightly uphill on asphalt through the lush green hilly landscape. Partnun was settled by Walsers as early as the 14th century and inhabited all year round. Following the Schanielabach stream, you can see scattered huts and houses on the slopes to the left and to the right, the typical Walser settlements. After Partnun, the route continues up the valley on a narrow path. By the crystal-clear Partnunsee lake, large erratics invite you to do some climbing. The small lake is nestled between the limestone rock faces of the Sulzfluh and the Schijenflue.
At the foot of the imposing Sulzfluh, the trail continues uphill to the Carschina Hut, 2,236 metres above sea level. The views from the southern slope over the Prättigau's peaks are breathtaking. Climbers, hikers and bikers meet at the hut, which has around 85 beds. Those who stay overnight can see the limestone cliffs of the Rätikon in a silvery light when the weather is clear and the moon shines.
Via a narrow path between steeply sloping meadows and scree, the route leads past the three towers of the Drusenfluh. To the south, they form vertical, up to 600-metre-high walls. At Chilchi, the Walserweg branches off to the right and separates from the Prättigauer Höhenweg (high-level trail). From here on to the Austrian border, concentration is required. Exposed, over an iron staircase, partly steep and secured with ropes – the path winds its way up to the Schweizertor. Massive rock formations rise vertically nearby. It's hard to imagine that there was once a customs hut here that was occupied all year round and can still be seen today.
Once in the Austrian Montafon, you hike on narrow footpaths through alpine meadows at the foot of the Kirchlispitzen. Via the Verajoch, you reach the end of the Brandnertal valley, where Lünersee lake lies. With an area of about 112 hectares, it was once the largest natural mountain lake in the Eastern Alps and is now one of the major reservoirs in Western Austria. It is suitable for fishing, and a walk around it affords fantastic views of the glaciers of the Brandner Valley. The lake, shimmering in brilliant turquoise in the sunshine, was voted Austria's most beautiful place in 2019.
A long, narrow dam leads to the Douglas Hut, where you can spend the night. The hike to this point takes about seven and a half hours. It's not for nothing that the descent that now follows is called "Böser Tritt" (wicked step). You can skip 400 metres in altitude difference by taking the cable car. The path has been cut into the rock, fixed with iron steps and secured with ropes. Along the Alvier, the route continues down the Seetal valley to the tree line. A beautiful forest path leads through coniferous woods.
The hike leads past the Kesselfall. Roaring and foaming, the Alvier flows through a narrow, 40-metre-deep rock gorge. The Kesselfall is easily accessible via footbridges, and a forest road continues to Brand. The long route ends in the tiny village with its pretty church, located in the valley basin at 1,050 metres above sea level.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
St. Antönien
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Brand (A)
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
2100 m
|
| Ascent |
1550 m
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| Descent |
1950 m
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| Distance |
31 km
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| Duration |
10 h
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| Duration back |
10 h 30 min
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| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Season |
June - October
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| Theme |
With panoramic view, To an alp
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Quick Facts
Route number
