Summer Activities

Walking & Hiking

There are enough walks and hikes just from our doorstep to keep you busy for more than two weeks, hop into a car or our minibus and the whole of the Lungau biosphere reserve is open to you.  Wherever you go you will be rewarded with wonderful views, beautiful alpine flowers, wild berries to pick, pretty butterflies, fresh sparkling water ways, tinkling cow bells and places to rest.

There are lovely walks, including themed children’s walks, and hikes for all abilities. Hidden away at the top of many of the mountain hiking trails are beautiful mountain lakes which in the heat of the summer, if you are brave enough, can provide you with a refreshing dip...or at least a paddle to cool off your feet.

Whichever you choose you will always find a welcoming mountain hut serving refreshments somewhere along the route. 

Free lift rides with the Lungau card allow you an easy route to the top of the Grosseck, Speiereck and Fanningberg mountains.

Once here we can provide you with maps and all the information you need.

Cycling and E-biking

This area is a biking paradise, quiet roads and designated tracks all amongst beautiful scenery, in one of the sunniest parts of Austria. Road or mountain bikes can be hired whilst you are here, which we can organise for you.

E-bikes – most hire bikes are e-bikes; bikes with battery assisted power, when you require it. You still need to pedal but a flick of a switch provides each pedal push with extra power. These bikes are great for getting around hilly areas without too much effort.

Cycle tracks
There are numerous designated cycle tracks with stop off rest areas and mountain huts, bars and restaurants en-route.  Many of the paths are along flat valley floors and are suitable for families with small children; it is possible to hire children seats for bikes or small trailers. Many of the routes take you through villages and past points of interest where you can stop and take a break.

Road cycling
For the ‘Tour de France’ enthusiasts we have great road cycling along quiet, well maintained roads in and out of the valleys and up and over mountain passes providing stunning views.  Each year we have our own Tour the ‘Tour de Mur’ which follows the path of the Mur River.

Mountain Biking
Our Lungau region has developed a specific network of mountain bike trails providing 17 laid-out MTB routes, clearly and uniformly marked from start to finish, a total network length of 167 kilometers with vertical metre gains ranging from 100m to 1000m.
Bikes can be carried for free up the mountain on the Grosseck and Speiereck gondolas.
Details of the routes are available on line at - lungau.at /mountain-bikes

Swimming and Wellness

As well as 60 natural lakes in the region we have excellent swimming pools, sauna and spa facilities all within easy reach. 

For example:

In Tamsweg just 10 minutes away, we have the wonderful BadeINSEL facilities.  Indoor there is a beautiful swimming pool, spa area, water slide and separate small children’s pool plus sauna facilities.  Outdoors you have a fun pool, swimming pool, diving pool and a separate children’s pool which is part canopied for shade from the sun.  Indoors and outdoors you have lockers and showers and refreshment facilities.  Outdoors there is plenty of room to put up a beach umbrella, put out your towels, sunbathe, and take in the amazing views of the surrounding mountains.
It is possible to swim from the indoor pool to the outdoor pool and vice versa, a facility that is also available in the winter.

 In the village of Mariapfarr just over 10 minutes away is the Samsunn Wellness and Health centre, a place where anytime during the year you can relax and truly unwind. Along with saunas, steam baths, spa pools it offers a comprehensive selection of massage and beauty services. During the summer months June to September the outdoor pool is also available for swimming and sunbathing or relaxing and taking in the views.

 Just over 15 minutes away is the Mautendorf adventure pool with a combination of different pools to swim and play in, with a water slide, water fountain and massage jets with plenty of grassed area to lie out and sunbathe. There is also a children’s adventure area with swings, slides, climbing facilities, an 18-hole crazy golf course, changing  rooms and a snack bar.

Within about an hour’s drive you can also access some of the large lakes in Carinthia with their own beach areas and boating activities.

Outdoor Adventures

For the more adventurous there are lots of activities to take you high up, through the water or whizzing through the air!  We can help arrange and organise what you want to do.

In and on the water
Take a white-water rafting trip down the river Mur through the rapids with a stop off for some white-water swimming or of you prefer sliding and scrambling then try your hand at canyoning. Canoeing and kayaking are also available.

Outdoor activity parks
We have a number of activity parks which are fun for all the family. The largest one is our nearest at Mariapfarr, approximately 15 minutes’ drive, which has climbing walls, rope ladders, zip wires, giant swing and a lake for wind surfing, kayaking, stand up paddling and zorbing.

Children’s activities
For smaller children we have Smartyland at Mauntendorf approximately 10 minutes’ drive, providing all sorts of fun games and activities and an animal petting area. 
There is Pirate rafting – rafting on the river dressed as pirates!
The Katschhausen  nature and adventure world at St Michael provides a large modern playground, colouring workshop, bridges, a water world, petting zoo and picnic area.
At the ponyalm in Katschberg children can watch, pet and ride ponies.

Specialist activities
The following activities are all available with lessons and guidance: Climbing, abseiling, paragliding and gliding.

Attractions

If you are interested in learning more about the history and culture of the area there are lots of castles, churches, museums, and other interesting places to visit or activities to enjoy.

Castles

Mautendorf Castle – This 13th century castle can provide almost a day of activity.  There is an English audio guide available taking you through the many rooms and taking you through the history of the castle and much of Salzburgeland.  There is a museum, a dressing up area, a tower to climb for spectacular views and a view of what life was like back in the middle ages on the way up, plus a shop and restaurant.  The castle also holds weekly children activities and other themed events throughout the summer.

Schloss Moosham –  with its origins dating back to the Roman times, Moosham Castle has had a chequered past witch trials are said to have been held behind its walls.  After falling into to decay it was bought in 1886 by the famous explorer and patron of the arts Count Hans Wilczek Nepomuk , who restored it and donated it as a Museum.  It is still owned by the Wilczek family today and although not the prettiest of castles it provides a fantastic look back at the history of the Lungau and a wonderful museum of furniture and treasured arts collected by its owners.  It is really worth a visit. They also do special tours every Thursday for children aged 3 and above.  It has a restaurant and there are fantastic views of the Lungau valley below.

Thurnschall Castle Ruins, Lessach – The ruins of the Thurnschall castle are worth a stop off on one of the walks or hikes down the Lessach valley.  The castle is first chronicaled at the beginning of the 13th century.  During archaeological excavations in 2001 the remains of an 8m high tower and castle walls as thick as 4m were unearthed.

Churches

Every village in the Lungau has a beautiful church with its own history and the road sides and mountain trails are dotted with small chapels and monuments.  Here are some details of those closest to us.

St. Paul’s Church, Lessach – just across the road, the church besides its beautiful interior is famous for its graveyard.  Unique in all of Europe are the wooden grave borders – known as Sarchen, these along with the cast iron wrought crosses are all regulated, based on the fact that we all come into the world the same so we should all go out the same, so no one grave should be grander than another.  The graves are all immaculately kept and decorated with flowers.  Another unique feature of this neo-Gothic church is the sundial on its south side dated 1763.

St Leonhards Church, Tamsweg – This magnificent church that stand on the hill above Tamsweg is regarded as one of the most beautiful Gothic country churches in the southern German speaking region.  It has beautiful glass windows and the carved altars are also masterpieces.  In addition to being open for viewing it also hosts evening concerts during the summer.

Pilgrimage ‘Our dear lady’ Church, Mariapfarr - Originally built in Romanesque style, the church acquired its current form in the 15th century.  However, there are still frescoes dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, as well as a purportedly miraculous painting from the 15th century.  There are weekly guided tours and the church has its own ‘Silent night’ museum.

Museums

Lungau Heritage Museum,  Tamsweg – This museum provides a fascinating cross-section of life in the town and country, tools, folk, costumes, sacred art and examples of popular piety, a collection of furniture chests , Roman finds and much more.  There are guided tours throughout the summer.

Silver Mine, Ramingstein – Take a guided tour and find out what it was like to be a miner over 350 years ago.  Mining in the middle ages provided much wealth to the Lungau region as it was rich in both silver and copper.

Silent Night Museum, Mariapfarr - In 1995 it was discovered that whilst Joseph Mohr was a priest at the Mariapfarr Church between 1815 to 1817, he wrote the lyriccs to the famous Silent Night Christmas carol.  The museum documents the history of the carol and of Joseph Mohr himself.

Steam Trains

Taurachbahn narrow-gauge railway - five minutes down the road at St Andra you can catch the steam train to Mautendorf on the Taurach Railway; Austria’s highest and one of its last 760mm narrow-gauge railways.

The Murtalbahn - Whether in the imperial hunting carriage or in the fairytale carriage, a ride on the Murtalbahn with its historical steam locomotive promises a train ride with a difference. Starting from Tamsweg the train travels to Murau following the route of the Mur River (Austria’s second longest river) along a beautiful scenic route.

Horse Riding

The Lungau area is a wonderful area for horse rides and trekking through the mountain valleys and forests of the area.   There are numerous stables close by providing a range of activities. Some of the stables specialise in certain breeds of horses such as the Austrian breeds of Noriker and Haflinger and some have Icelandic horses and provide horse rides in the fresh snow of winter.

A range of activities are available:

• Horse rides, for a few hours or all day.

• Riding lessons

• Horse drawn carriage rides.

• Indoor Equestrian centre.

• Pony rides for children.

• One and multiple day treks.

Sport

In addition to all the activities mentioned above we have:

• Golf

• Nordic Walking

• Tennis

• Mini-golf

• Fishing

• Sporting events

Golf
The St Michael Golf course just 15 minutes drive away boasts an 18 hole championship course, a 9 hole par 3 course for beginners, practise and indoor facilities besides the wonderful views of the Alps.  In late April there are golf and ski packages available.

Nordic Walking
There are many Nordic walking routes in the area with Mariapfarrr just a short drive away boasts the country's biggest certified network of Nordic walking trails. A total length of 120 km, there are 15 clearly posted routes ranging from 3.1 km to 14.5 km in length.  Free maps and walking poles (just a returnable deposit required) are available at most of the village tourist information offices.

Tennis
The nearest Tennis courts are just down the road in Tamsweg at the sports centre which has 4 large outdoor courts and 3 special children courts.  There are 6 additional facilities including an indoor court in the surrounding villages.

Mini Golf
For those wanting just a bit of sporting fun there are three 18 hole mini-golf courses available, 1 at the BadeINSEL sports centre down the road in Tamsweg, 1 at the open air pool area in Mautendorf and 1 at the open air pool area in St Michael.

Fishing
River and lake (natural and manmade) fishing is available at 8 different locations close by in clear crystal waters with wonderful alpine views.

Sporting Events
We have a number of sporting events which take place in the summer such as:

The Lungauer Murtallauf usually takes place at the end of June and is a celebration of all types of running /walking, from children runs, through Nordic walking to a 21.1 fitness run. All are free to enter with an award and prize ceremony in Tamsweg square on the Sunday.

The International "Tour de Mur" Bike Tour usually takes place over three days in June. The route starts in the village of Mhur and follows the Mur Bike Path to Bad Radkersburg, a total of 333km covered in 3 stages.  

The Lungau Bike Rally takes place every year on the 15th August. It is a testing mountain bike route which starts in Tamsweg, tavels up to Prebersee, up and over to our village of Lessach, up and over to Goriach and back down to Tamsweg.

Back to nature

• Weather
• Biosphere Reserve
• National Parks and Nature Parks
• Flora
• Animals
• Birds
• Butterflies

Weather

Known as the sunniest area in Austria it is rare to go a day without seeing the sun.  Lessach is a mountain valley village and we tend to stay above the mist of the lower villages. The region is one of the most southerly in Austria and enjoys quite a Mediterranean feel in the heat of the summer. The thing to be aware of is that being in the mountains the weather can be quite varied. The day can start in beautiful sunshine and end in a heavy shower. The beauty of the place is the fresh clear air and even if very hot during the day (temps around 30ºC) the nights are usually cool making for a good nights sleep.  Being at altitude you need to be aware that the sun’s rays are a lot stronger so it is important to protect yourself when out during the day. The occasional rain shower keeps everything fresh and green and fills the streams and rivers with clear crystal water providing us with the best drinking water in Salzburg, and we have it available on tap in Chalet Gove

Biosphere Reserve

In 2012 the whole of the Lungau area was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.  Many nature reserves work on the sustainability of the wildlife and eco systems, a Biosphere reserve takes this further; it is an area where the sustainability of the people, traditions, culture, development, tourism as well as nature all work to the benefit of each other.

National Parks and Nature Parks

The following National Parks and Nature Parks are all within easy reach of Chalet Gove. 

Nationalpark Hohe Tauern - Muhr

The resort town of Muhr is situated in a landscape of flourishing Alpine meadows surrounded by majestic mountains and is guarded by the mighty Hafner (3,076 m), the highest mountain in the Lungau. The beauty and diversity of this mountain landscape explains its ongoing designation as part of the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest national park in Central Europe.  Austria’s second-largest river, the “MUR” originates in the rearmost corner of the Mur Valley, at an elevation of 1,989 in the middle of Hohe Tauern National Park.  140 km of hiking trails are just waiting to be discovered.

Riedingtal Nature Park – Zederhaus.

The nature preserve encompasses 3,600 hectares and provides walks and trails for all abilities. Of the 10 alpine hill farms operating in the area, seven huts are open for business and serve products that have been produced on the farm.  In the nature preserve, you can hike along the Tauern High Trail, which leads you through a colourful and diverse display of flora and fauna, as well as numerous little mountain lakes. On the mountain and in the valley, many plaques provide information about the area’s agriculture and land – the history of the land use, habitat, flora and fauna, hunting, and wild animals.

Preber region

The Preber region is just a short drive, a couple of hours hike or cycle ride from Chalet Gove.  You can take a romantic stroll around the lake (a popular cross country ski route in winter) and take in the beautiful views, or encounter the traditional water shooting event (shooting at target’s reflections in the lake).  Then stop off for some delicious nourishment at one of the local huts, the Ludalm by the Lake in particular serves up some excellent food.

The Hut Village - Goriach

At the far end of the Göriach Valley  (next valley along from Lessach)  is a unique hut village surrounded by the gorgeous Radstädter Tauern Mountains.  The village is easily accessible just a five-minute walk from the closest parking area and refreshments are available at 2 of the huts.  It also the starting point for a wonderful hike to the Landwierseen lakes (with further refreshment at the Landwiersee Hut!)  plus several other moutnian hikes including the ascent to the highest mountain in the Niedere Tauern, the Hochgolling (elev. 2,863 m).

Flora

Much of the land in the region is natural pastureland (which is allowed to grow to be reaped and stored for animal fodder) providing a rich variety of wild flowers and herbs and very pretty sight. A short circular walk down the Lessach valley and back this spring we identified over 20 different wild flowers and herbs. As you move up into the mountains the variety of alpine flora increases and in summer there are wild strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cranberries to pick.

Animals

Whilst out and about besides the cows and their tinking bells and the sheep with their floppy ears or the Llamas of Lessach(!) you might if you are lucky up the Lessach valley on a walk spot a red or roe deer or chamois.  Higher up on the mountain trails you may hear the warning whistles of the Marmot. The Pine and stone martins are also common in the area although rare to spot; you are more likely to see a squirrel.  The squirrels in our area are related to the red squirrel and are very dark brown, almost black in colour but very sweet.  Foxes, badgers, rabbits, hares, stoat, otters can be sighted and even wolves and the Brown bear can be found in parts of the Lungau.

Birds

The Lungau Mountains are home to many birds of prey including the golden eagle, bearded vulture, hen harrier, Northern goshawk, black kite and numerous species of owl to name a few.  There are of course many smaller birds to spot and enjoy such as the Wheatear, Alpine Brown Ellen, Black Redstart, Choughs, Nuthatch and various species of  woodpeckers besides the traditional garden birds.

Butterflies

With the rich abundance of wild flowers comes a wonderful variety of butterflies of all beautiful colours. We are not specialists so can not name them all, we just know that there are so many more than we ever came across back in England