Rofan Mountains: Touring trail becomes nature trail in summer

Updated 06.07.2021

Achensee Tourism promotes initiatives for environmental awareness - on the web and in the great outdoors

The educational touring trail in the Rofan Mountains at Lake Achensee will have a new look from this summer - the popular route will become an educational nature trail. Where in winter ski tourers and snowshoe hikers were taught correct alpine behaviour and how to use an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe at seven stations, in summer hikers and mountaineers will learn everything about the sustainable coexistence of nature, animals and humans. At the same time, the Facebook awareness campaign "Taktvoll" with a similar thematic focus goes into the next round.

Over a distance of around two kilometres and more than 200 metres in altitude, starting behind the mountain station of the Rofan cable car in Maurach, the particularly safe touring trail has been inspiring not only beginners in ski touring but also snowshoe hikers for three winter seasons. With the help of interchangeable information boards, the nature trail will in future be converted depending on the season - so the winter touring trail will in future become a nature trail in summer. "In this way, the trail can be used practically all year round," says Martin Tschoner, Managing Director of Achensee Tourism. True to the theme of the seven summer boards - sustainable coexistence of nature, animals and humans - the installation is done environmentally friendly by hand. No helicopter flights are necessary to change the boards depending on the season. Consequently, the boards were not fixed with the help of concrete blocks, but mounted on stone baskets that blend inconspicuously into the landscape.

The use of this analogue information system is made easy for mountaineers: while the blue touring trail boards convey valuable knowledge about the correct behaviour in open terrain, the green boards of the nature trail deal with the correct planning of hiking tours, but also with the sustainable handling of grazing livestock, wild animals and the alpine flora.

Maria Wirtenberger, deputy managing director of Achensee Tourism, is responsible for coordinating the content of the boards. "The information on the boards comes from various partners - such as the Alpine Association, the Nature Park, the Chamber of Agriculture or the Tyrolean Hunters' Association. The information is prepared with the help of many examples and graphics," says Wirtenberger. Achensee Tourism is also dedicated to raising awareness for nature in social media. "Our Facebook awareness campaign 'Taktvoll' (Tactful) also takes up the topics of responsible behaviour on the mountains, at the lake and in our valleys and conveys them in a humorous and serious way with the help of comics and pointed texts," Wirtenberger explains.

From the very beginning, there was exemplary cooperation between Achensee Tourism, the Rofanseilbahn and the landowner in the planning of the nature trail - and now we can proudly look back on a joint result. "I am very pleased that sport, tourism, land and hunting owners have worked together here to achieve an optimal result," says Ulrich Goëss-Enzenberg, land owner and hunting lord in the Rofan Mountains. "The nature trail reflects all the interests of those involved - first and foremost, of course, the safety of everyone who is out and about on the mountain. In addition, however, hikers are also made aware of our flora and fauna that are worthy of protection. This also includes the resting needs of wildlife, which - often unseen - are not even considered further by hikers."

From the very beginning, there was exemplary cooperation between Achensee Tourism, the Rofanseilbahn and the landowner in the planning of the nature trail - and now we can proudly look back on a joint result. "I am very pleased that sport, tourism, land and hunting owners have worked together here to achieve an optimal result," says Ulrich Goëss-Enzenberg, land owner and hunting lord in the Rofan Mountains. "The nature trail reflects all the interests of those involved - first and foremost, of course, the safety of everyone who is out and about on the mountain. In addition, however, hikers are also made aware of our flora and fauna that are worthy of protection. This also includes the resting needs of wild animals, which - often unseen - are not even considered further by hikers."

Conclusion: raising awareness - whether in summer or winter sports - is the primary purpose of the Rofan nature trail. "With the nature trail, but also with many other measures, such as the social media campaign 'Taktvoll' or the various summer and winter sports camps, we focus on raising awareness for safe movement in alpine terrain and the careful use of nature as a resource. Quality instead of quantity is our motto," Tschoner sums up.

Arrive, breathe a sigh of relief and dive in - in the region around Tyrol's largest lake, sporting activity, experiencing nature and relaxation are writ large. Nestled between the Karwendel and Rofan mountains, Lake Achensee is a destination for mountain lovers and water rats alike. With the lake shore freely accessible all around and the impressive paths into the valleys of the Karwendel Nature Park, scenic worlds of experience are offered in summer and winter. Whether on foot, by mountain bike, cross-country skis or snowshoes - Lake Achensee inspires and is full of moments that move! Achensee Tourism is the point of contact for both guests and the media when it comes to information about the tourist activities in Tyrol's Sport & Vital Park. Media representatives can find printable photos for download on the image database www.achensee.org. After initial registration and confirmation by e-mail, files from the Achensee image database can be viewed and the selected photos downloaded. An overview of the current Covid 19-related safety regulations and recommendations in Tyrol can be found at https://www.achensee.com/achensee-urlaubstage/daswichtigstezucorona/.