With the dog to the mountains
Mountain hiking with your four-legged friend
All about tours, planning, and equipment
The mountains are calling! What could be more beautiful than enjoying nature, the landscape, and the experiences of the High Alps together with your four-legged companion? Here with us, in the sight of the Großglockner and in the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park, you can experience unique mountain adventures together. Our mountains offer countless opportunities for mountain hikes with your dog, away from the hustle and bustle and crowds of tourists, where you can enjoy magnificent mountain panoramas, and your pet can discover unique new smells, sounds, and the joy of movement. Something that simply doesn't exist anywhere else.
Our national park region offers a nature experience for every taste and ability, whether you have a relaxed pug or a well-trained hunting dog. As animal lovers and an official partner of the Hohe Tauern National Park, we know exactly the routes that are ideal for a mountain hike with your dog. This makes it possible to enjoy summiting summits together, well above the 2,500-meter mark.
The hike to the Mohar summit (2,605 m) is a summer classic on one of the most beautiful panoramic mountains in the Hohe Tauern, and is doable with any dog that enjoys walking. The tour starts right outside our front door and initially leads through shady mountain forests before continuing across gentle alpine meadows and with breathtaking views of the Großglockner, the 3,000-meter peaks of the mystical Schober Group, and the Goldberg massif to the summit cross. Halfway along, the Almgasthaus Glocknerblick offers the opportunity to rest and refresh yourself.
The Mohar Tour can also be done as a circular hike, with a visit to the abandoned gold mines at Kluidscharte (2,546 m) on the way back. Walking time from the Almchalet at a leisurely dog-friendly pace is 7 to 8 hours. If that's too much for you, you can also drive to the Glocknerblick Inn and the romantic St. Anthony's Chapel, which cuts the walking time in half. St. Anthony's Chapel, with the majestic Grossglockner in the background, is an Instagram photo op par excellence 
.
Like any tour in the high mountains, a mountain hike with a dog requires appropriate planning and equipment. We're happy to advise you on choosing a mountain tour that's tailored to your personal abilities, your dog's fitness, and the current weather conditions. We also provide you with detailed route descriptions and hiking maps to take with you. Especially for tours that go above the tree line, at around 2,000 meters above sea level in our case, or that lead into high alpine terrain, there are a few special considerations to keep in mind when traveling with your four-legged friend.
- When hiking above the tree line, bring enough water for your dog. In the alpine pastures and forest regions, there are usually plenty of creeks and mountain streams where your dog can cool off and drink. The air in the high mountains is much drier than in the lowlands, so your dog loses more fluid through breathing when panting than usual.
- Of course, your dog will also appreciate a treat from your backpack. This is especially true if there is no alpine hut or mountain inn nearby for a rest stop. By the way, dogs are welcome in all mountain huts in our region.
- On high-altitude tours, weather protection for your four-legged friend should be in your backpack, unless your dog is an Arctic-experienced Husky or Samoyed. Even in midsummer, a sudden drop in temperature, for example, during thunderstorms, is possible at any time in the high mountains. Suitable rain jackets are available from specialist retailers and mail-order companies starting at around €30.
- If the hike takes you over high-alpine scree, or if your pet has sensitive paws, special dog boots can be useful as paw protection. The gravel from granite and gneiss can sometimes have sharp edges like a knife. Whether this is useful depends, of course, on your dog's breed and robustness. On forest and alpine trails, thanks to his paws and claws, he usually has better grip without dog boots.
Water plays a very special role in our mountains. The mighty alpine waterfalls of the Schober and Goldberg massifs in our Upper Mölltal Valley are striking. Fed by the snowfields and glacier zones of the 3,000-meter peaks, mineral-rich, pure spring water cascades down into the valley in impressive cascades of up to 100 meters. The most famous of these, the Gartlfall and the Jungfernsprung, as well as the legendary Neunbrunnenfall in the deserted Zirknitz Valley, can be reached on foot from the Almchalet as a comfortable half-day hike.
Our countless mountain streams and the Upper Möll, the river that gave our valley its name, also offer refreshment and water fun for your furry friend. Along the Möll River, there are many natural swimming spots where your dog is welcome to take a dip, and at the Frauenbach, a romantic mountain stream located right next to our alpine chalet, your four-legged friend can splash around as much as he wants every day. By the way, all the rivers, streams, and lakes in our Upper Möll Valley are of drinking water quality, so your pet can drink them without worry.
In the high alpine pastures, wildly romantic, crystal-clear mountain lakes invite humans and animals to rest and play. The most beautiful of them are accessible via easy mountain hiking trails that are also suitable for dogs and children. Just a few examples:
- The Winkleralmsee, at 2,070 m above sea level at the beginning of the Schober Group, is only about an hour's leisurely hike from the Winklerner Hütte snack bar and offers lovely picnic areas. Those who wish can continue from there on a longer panoramic hike via the Winkler Viehalm. It is possible to drive up to the Winklerner Hütte (1.906 m).
- The path to the Kegelesee (2,164 m) leads directly from our alpine chalet through the virtually deserted Zirknitztal Valley. Along the way, you pass the legendary Neunbrunnen Waterfall and make a detour to the former gold mines that operated here until the 17th century. The tour is varied and easy to walk, but due to its length (approx. 7 hours), it requires some fitness and a dog that enjoys running.
- The hike to the Zirmsee (2,529 m) near Heiligenblut leads into high alpine terrain, but is nevertheless easy to walk and only takes about 3.5 hours. You'll hike in the footsteps of the Tauern gold, surrounded by the 3,000-meter peaks of the Goldberg Group. The starting point is the gold mining village of Heiligenblut with the Alter Pocher Inn at 1,807 meters, which you can drive to. You can then combine the whole experience with a gold panning adventure in the gold mining village; great fun for your children and free for you as a guest of our Alpine chalet.
You can also easily reach the region of eternal snow with your furry friend. Either comfortably by cable car up to the Mölltal Glacier, or more sportively with the National Park Ranger on an excursion to the Pasterze Glacier on the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain at 3,798 meters. Both are very nice full-day excursions, and both are free for our guests thanks to the Kärnten Card and our National Park partnership. For your dog, this is not only a welcome cooling-off in midsummer, but also an exciting nature experience. Where else can you chase snowballs in August...?
For your pet, a vacation in the mountains is a true summer retreat. Even in the hottest midsummer, the thermometer barely reaches 30°C, and at night, the fresh air from the glaciers provides a pleasant cooling effect. Add to that the tranquility of our secluded location, and our hiking trails are uncrowded, even in peak season.
A true mountain adventure for an active dog is the hike to Gradensee and the Adolf Nossberger Hut (2,488 m) in the heart of the mystical Schober Group. Here, you'll immerse yourself in the rugged world of the High Alps and one of the least-visited mountain regions in the entire Alpine region. The Schober Group, with its 43 three-thousand-meter peaks, is considered an absolute insider tip for mountain hikers, even in high season. At the destination, you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking mountain panorama, including the 3,283-meter-high Petzeck, the highest peak in the Schober Group, and the hospitality of the Adolf-Nossberger-Hütte, where host Christian conjures up authentic culinary delights.
The trail to Gradensee is easy to walk, but requires a good level of fitness due to its approximately 8-hour hike and an elevation gain of 900 meters. For dogs who are used to mountains, enjoy running, and are strong, this is a unique experience in the high mountains. However, it's definitely not a "beginner's hike" for a lowland dog. You are welcome to leave your dog with us for dog sitting if you would like to do this mountain hike alone. The starting point is the Gradental car park in the Putschall district of Großkirchheim, about a 20-minute drive from our Almchalet Goldbergleiten.
Of course, there are more leisurely options. The panoramic hiking trail along the Möll River, down in our valley, is beautiful, miles long, sunny, and also perfect for truly "lazy dogs." You hike practically flat along the river, through meadows and sparse floodplain forests, always enjoying views of our three major mountain ranges: the Schober, Goldberg, and Grossglockner groups. There are benches along the trail for resting, and every 2 to 3 kilometers there's a cozy inn or snack bar for a break. Your dog will enjoy the numerous natural swimming spots where he can jump into the water.
The panoramic hiking trail can also be easily combined with a visit to the Gartl and Jungfernsprung waterfalls, which are not far from the trail. A day hike to Heiligenblut is also doable, and if you don't have enough energy for the return trip, the post bus will take you back comfortably. From our alpine chalet you can reach the entrance to the panoramic hiking trail in 25 minutes on foot or in 10 minutes by car.
Your base for your hiking holiday is our Alpine chalet Goldbergleiten, a stately, beautifully situated mountain chalet with perfect comfort, large enough for a pleasant holiday with family, dog, and friends. A former mountain farmhouse, built of solid wood construction, situated at 1,300 meters above sea level in an absolutely quiet, sunny location. Here, you'll experience the romance of a mountain hut with the comfort of a chalet. With three fully-equipped bedrooms, a perfectly equipped country-style kitchen, the rustic, wood-paneled farmhouse parlor, and the hunting room with valuable antiques, paintings, and trophies, it offers plenty of space for five people and up to three large dogs.
Learn more about holidays with your dog at the Alpine chalet Goldbergleiten here.
All information is provided without guarantee. Walking times are based on the total outward and return journey, assuming a normal walking pace and good weather conditions. Please check the opening hours of the huts mentioned online or with us before starting your tour.
