Stage 3: Dienten am Hochkönig - Mühlbach am Hochkönig

This is the day of the alpine pastures. A concentrated, exceptional trip through the countryside in the shadow of the mighty Hochkönig. And there is an alpine hut almost behind every bend. Many of them are only used by farmers for alpine farming. But there are also some where you can stop for a bite to eat with wonderful sun terraces. Day 3 is a seamless series of box seats.

But first things first: The route initially heads towards Dientner Sattel on the road, but then turns right towards Bürglalm. The first mountain of this stage has been conquered there and at the top, not only does the Hochkönig offer a magnificent view behind you, but the view to the south towards the white giants of the Hohe Tauern is also enchanting. This is followed by a racy descent down into the quiet, sun-drenched alpine pastures. After a short meadow path, alpine and forest trails, past the picturesque Hirschegg-Alm, complete the descent at the foot of the Sonnberg. Here on the sunny side, a small asphalt road winds its way along the slope to the Schwarzenbach Valley a little further south, where the longest climb of the day awaits.

Soon, the valley opens up into a wide, sunny basin with large, hummocky alpine meadows where cows graze. And dotted around are alpine huts, some of which, such as the Moosalm, also house a restaurant. The Schwarzenbach Valley seems to have fallen out of time, with heavenly tranquillity reigning supreme. You might encounter a few hikers, a couple of alpine farmers at work or a few stray cyclists. Wonderful! At the top, the wide gravel paths give way to a somewhat earthier alpine path until it soon joins the connecting path to Wastlhöhe, which was created for cyclists. This is a well-maintained trail, which is now a good metre wide and gains a little altitude. After a few metres, it finally spits you out onto a green-brown alpine meadow path on Wastlhöhe at an altitude of 1,737 metres. It ends here at the best viewing balcony in front of the Hochkönig. This is also where the short descent begins, down an earthy alpine meadow path to the Zachhof-Alm, the next alpine farm with an Instagram-worthy panoramic terrace. Now the roads become wider and take you briskly to the pass road to the Dientner Sattel, which is easy to climb from here. Another alpine hut up here invites you to take a break. But there is also the Scheppal-Alm at the finish, in front of which the Hochkönig once again makes a grand appearance. Once again, a wonderful hut awaits you at the finish, where you can bring this mountain adventure to a worthy close. Day three is a short, condensed load.