Austria: Hiking Baumgartnerhof to Schwarzkoge

AUSTRIA DAY 3: A strenuous & beautiful hike

The write up for this hike says the following: “Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required. The starting point of the Tour is right next to a parking lot.” I agree with this assessment!

Hiking Highlights: For todays hike we headed to our starting point, Baumgartnerhof 919 m (3015 ft) and hiked through Mitzl Moitzl Hütte 1639m (5,377 ft) to the peak, Schwarzkogen 1842 m (6043 ft).

As we were driving from our lovely inn on Faaker See, the first thing we had to do is stop and take pictures of the lake itself.

The color is stunning, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a lake this color.

This hike was spectacular…in so many ways. Spectacularly challenging & spectacularly beautiful. The challenge...it was literally straight up the mountain for 2.5 hours+ with only a handful of moments where it flattened out for far too short of a time. We couldn’t buy a switchback to save our lives, and even when we were given a switchback, the steepness didn’t let up. It was relentlessly steep.

We started the hike at the family-run Hotel Baumgartnerhof in Altfinkenstein situated on a hillside above Faaker See, 10 km from Villach. There is easy parking there and, for the first time in our adventure, the trailhead starting point was obvious as it’s located right at the parking lot.

The views of Faaker See from Hotel Baumgartnerhof are quit lovely as well!

We hiked through gorgeous alpine forests, along a stream that was all waterfalls given the mountain is so steep, all the way to the peak with the prerequisite cross marking the spot. 923 m (3,028 ft) straight up means we also did 923 m (3,028 ft) straight down the mountain. Was it worth it?…absolutely a YES! Will we do this again tomorrow?…absolutely NOT!

We stopped both coming and going at the Mitzl Moitzl Hütte, closed for the season yet still a great place to rest, recover, and enjoy the views. The good news is, we know how to support each other. When the going got rough and one of us was starting to feel cranky…we know the antidote. For Kris…we brought chocolate which miraculously boosts her energy instantly. For me…we brought red wine, that’s the key to my super powers and takes me to my happy place!! haha.