Krakau High altitude hike

From the hiking starting point in Unteretrach, you hike along trail no. 8 to the Holzerhütte, on to the Woadschober (highest point) and then along an alpine road, with views to the sunny side of the Krakau, to the Schattensee.

This hike first leads uphill through a rustic mountain forest. Ancient giant spruce trees and slender larch trees are the main attractions on this beautiful but challenging ridge hike on the Schattnerberg high above the Krakautal valley. Nature lovers and those seeking peace and quiet will be delighted. The main attraction of this hike is the wonderful panoramic view of the Gstoder, the neighboring Lungau, the Etrachtal, the Rantental, and the Prebertal.

The beautiful alpine pastures and the hidden high moors lend the tour a special magic.
Gates and fence passages are proud witnesses to rural craftsmanship and living alpine culture.

The highlight of this hike is the summit experience at Woadschober, but also the finale at the idyllic Schattensee. This tranquil moor lake is a real gem in the midst of nature – perfect for a well-deserved rest.

Characteristics

Skill

Fitness

Best season

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The tour in numbers

medium

Level of difficulty

13,5 km

Route

5:30 h

Time

671 hm

Uphill

481 hm

Downhill

1789 m

Highest point

Map & downloads

Download GPX data

Download KML data

More information

East:
From Vienna on the A 2 and S 6 to Leoben and St. Michael i. d. E., continue on the S 36 to Judenburg and on the B 96 to Murau. From Murau via Ranten to Krakau.

From Graz on the A 9 to St. Michael i. d. O.. Further see above.

West, North:
From Bregenz/Innsbruck via the A 12, A 93 and A 8 to Salzburg. From Salzburg on the A 10 to St. Michael im Lungau. From here on the B 96 to Tamsweg and further towards Murau via Sauerfeld to Krakau.

South:
From Klagenfurt on the B 83 to Scheifling. Then take the B 96 to Murau and on to Krakau.

The starting point is the hiking starting point in Unteretrach, opposite the Jagawirt hiking village partner business. On the short way to the first marker post (trail no. 8 - towards Holzerhütte), you pass the beautiful 18th century Fortner Chapel, where you can admire the “Styrian Lord God”. This is the name given to St. Isidor, who is dressed in leather trousers and hovers on a cloud of rain.

During periods of drought, the saint was prayed to for rain. After the chapel, continue along the road for a while, then turn right. After the housing estate, the small forest path soon begins, which leads steeply up into the forest of the Schattnerberg for the next 40 minutes. With a difference in altitude of around 700 m, the entire hike takes 4 - 5 hours. From the Woadschober, you then hike downhill on an alpine road to the Schattensee lake. This tranquil moorland lake is a real gem in the middle of nature - perfect for a well-earned rest.
It is 5 km from Schattensee to the starting point at Jagawirt.

The return journey by cab should be organized before the hike or you can park a car at Schattensee. This way you can end the day in a relaxed and comfortable way.

You can stop off at the following establishments along the way:

Gasthof Jagawirt
Fischerhütte at the Schattensee (currently closed)

With the BusBahmBim app from the composite line, timetable information is easier than ever before: all bus, train and tram connections in Austria can be queried by entering locations and/or addresses, stops or important points. The app is available as a free app for smartphones (Android, iOS) - on Google Play and in the App Store.

ÖBB www.oebb.at | Styria connection line www.busbahnbim.at

Parking spaces are available directly in Krakauschatten.

Information brochures are available at the various information offices (Entrance/vestibule at the municipal office, info office in Krakauebene, info point in Krakaudorf).