I met Connor once six years ago in Vancouver to shoot for his photography project, Project Pilgrim, which he completed in support of mental health before walking the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain back in 2016. On his way to walk the Camino again this summer, he made a few stops throughout Europe including Austria where I'm currently living.
We met up in the little mountain city of Innsbruck, Austria's fifth-largest city and the capital of the state of Tyrol. We also hiked the Zirbenweg above the city which was a beautiful, easy trek overlooking Innsbruck with plenty of cows.
→ Check out my guide to visiting Innsbruck!
Our second hike was a bit more adventurous; we met up with a friend of Connor's at 3:30am and drove about half an hour out of the city to Kaserl to hike up in the darkness in time to reach the stunning Salfeiner See for an outstanding sunrise.
→ Check out all my other Austria hiking guides!
This lake is famous for its mountain reflections and for soft pastel sunrises over Innsbruck. We were the only people there and it was such a surreal moment... before getting back to Innsbruck by 8:30am and getting straight back in to bed!
→ Follow along my Austrian adventures on Instagram @JanaInAustria!
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The Salfeiner See is located in Kaserl, southwest of Innsbruck. The hike begins at Parkplatz Salfeinersee.
By car: The easiest way to reach Salfeiner See is with your own wheels. Driving takes just over half an hour from Innsbruck. Parking itself is free but the toll road to the parking lot costs €5 per vehicle.
By public transport: It is possible to reach the Salfeiner See by bus but it will add an extra 4km each way from the bus stop to the start of the trail head. I also don't think it is possible to use public transport if you want to make it in time for sunrise at the lake because the bus does not run at that time of morning!
Bus 404 departs every 15 minutes from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof. About half an hour later, get off at Grinzens Abzw Kemater Alm. From there, you'll need to follow signs for Kemater Alm, all the way to the Parkplatz Salfeinersee in Kaserl.
Just a five-minute drive (or half-hour walk) past the parking lot you'll find the Kemater Alm, a popular mountain hut serving up delicious, traditional food, including vegetarian options.
When: June to October
Where: hike begins in Kaserl at the Parkplatz Salfeinersee
Difficulty: intermediate with a pretty steep elevation gain of about 600m
Length: from the Parkplatz Salfeinersee, we did a return hike of just under 7km which took us about two hours of moving time, plus time for photos at the lake at the top
Directions: from the parking lot, follow the gravel road all the way up to the small mountain hut. Cross the fence to pass through the alpine meadows to continue on the trail up to the crest of the mountain. From here, you'll have views of Innsbruck and reflections in the Salfeiner See.
→ Check out my exact route on Strava!
Bathrooms: no
First light over Innsbruck after hiking in the dark
Sunrise over Salfeiner See
Hiking with Connor and his friends
Hiking back down in the morning light
With lots of cows!
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
