Stage 1: Fernpasshöhe – Fernsteinsee – Nassereith
Vertical metres uphill: 373 vertical metres, walking time: 2.5 hours, distance: 8.7 kilometres, highest point: 1,216 metres above sea level, difficulty rating: easy
The first stage begins at the top of the Fernpass at 1,216 metres above sea level. Head west along the Via Claudia Augusta, an ancient Roman road, until you reach a gravel pit. Continue south through dense woodland. After roughly 800 metres, turn left and head to the Schanzlsee lake, then follow the Römerweg trail until you reach the Fernsteinsee lake. From there, walk southwards parallel to the main road up over the Fernpass. Just before you reach the village of Nassereith, turn left and continue through meadows until you get to a road called Schulgasse. After a few hundred metres, turn left and walk around the Nassereither See lake before this first stage concludes at the Postplatz square in the village of Nassereith.
Stage 2: Nassereith – Sinnesbrunn – Obtarrenz
Vertical metres uphill/downhill: 704/529 vertical metres, walking time: 4.5 hours, distance: 10.2 kilometres, highest point: 1,520 metres above sea level, difficulty rating: intermediate
From the Postplatz square in the centre of Nassereith, turn right onto Karl-Mayr-Straße. Walk briefly in the direction of the Fernpass, then after 30 metres turn left towards the fields. After crossing the Briglbach stream, follow it southwards on its western side to the Mühlsprung Kneipp facility, where you can take off your hiking boots and plunge your feet into cold water. This method of relaxation was popularised in the German-speaking world in the 19th century by a pastor by the name of Sebastian Kneipp, hence the widely use term "Kneipp facility". From the Mühlsprung Kneipp facility, the Starkenberg Panoramic Trail leads uphill along several hairpin bends and continues through the forest to Sinnesbrunn. After around 1.5 kilometres, cross a gravel pit above the hamlet of See-Eck at around 1,200 metres above sea level. Follow the panoramic trail to Sinnesbrunn (1,520 metres), the highest point of this long-distance hiking trail, which is known for its pilgrimage chapel. From there, walk back a short distance and turn right at the car park onto the Way of the Cross (Kreuzweg). Soon after you will first reach Kappakreuz and then the finishing point of this second stage in Obtarrenz.
Stage 3: Obtarrenz – Schloss Starkenberg
Vertical metres uphill/downhill: 155/275 vertical metres, walking time: 1.5 hours, distance: 4.5 kilometres, highest point: 1,071 metres above sea level, difficulty rating: easy
In Obtarrenz, keep right and follow the path past the Lenzenanger football pitch. A forest path leads uphill into the forest, where you pass a wild animal feeding centre. Follow this forest path, take a left at the first fork in the trail and walk to the "Hohe Übergang" bridge. Forty metres below the bridge you can look down on the rushing water of the Salvesen Gorge. From there, the path continues southwards to the hamlet of Oberer Rotanger. Just five minutes later, you will see the Starkenberg Castle Brewery.
Stage 4: Schloss Starkenberg – Imst – Hoch-Imst
Vertical metres uphill/downhill: 537/378 vertical metres, walking time: 3.5 hours, distance: 8.5 kilometres, highest point: 1,520 metres, difficulty rating: easy
From Starkenberg Castle, follow the wide Schlossallee road over the Vogelbühel hill in a south-westerly direction a lake called the Starkenberger See. From there, follow a path above the Lassig housing estate in Imst and below the Rastbühel hill until you reach the Lehngasse road. Cross the Hahntennjochstraße at the hairpin bend and hike into the forest. After about half an hour, turn left. The panoramic trail now leads slightly uphill in several hairpin bends and across streams in a southerly direction. On the way, it is worth making a detour to the Vorderer Scheibenbichl with its beautiful views. Once you reach Hoch-Imst, the trail joins a road. Now turn sharp left back into the forest and walk over the Wetterkreuz above the Rosengarten gorge down to Imst and the Johanneskirche church. Return to Hoch-Imst directly through the gorge. Once at the top, the bathing lake is ideal for a refreshing dip.
Stage 5: Imst – Imsterberg
Vertical metres uphill/downhill: 299/460 vertical metres, walking time: 3.5 hours, distance: 10.4 kilometres, highest point: 1,043 metres above sea level, difficulty rating: easy
In Hoch-Imst, walk past the Sonnecksee lake at the southern end of the large car park and cross the Schinderbach bridge at the blue grotto. From here, the wide path leads uphill and downhill in many hairpin bends towards Gunglgrün. Keep right at the elevated reservoir on the Sonnberg mountain and follow the forest path to Gunglgrün. Once there, head west through a settlement into the forest again and finally downhill to a collection of farm buildings known as the Gschnallenhöfe. Walk down the steep road into the Imster Au. In the valley basin, cross the bridge over the Inn river and walk towards the hydroelectric power station. Turn right before the power station and hike uphill along a series of switchback corners in the forest, past a viewing platform, until you reach Imsterberg at just under 850 metres above sea level.
Stage 6: Imsterberg – Kronburg
Vertical metres uphill/downhill: 502/447 vertical metres, walking time: 3.5 ours, distance: 10.2 kilometres, highest point: 1,173 metres above sea level, difficulty rating: intermediate
Stage six leads from Imsterberg along a winding village road uphill to the settlements of Vorderspadegg and Hinterspadegg. The route continues in a southerly direction uphill through fields and forests and finally via a path through the Risselbach gorge and several hairpin bends downhill to Obsaurs. There, follow the road further downhill to the west via a hairpin bend and past the Roman tower of St Vigil's Church. The road joins a hiking trail again here, which continues through the dense forest above Schönwies over the Kronburg Gorge and up to the Kronburg fortress itself.
Stage 7: Kronburg – Landeck
Vertical metres uphill/downhill: 179/270 vertical metres, walking time: 2 hours, distance: 7.5 kilometres, highest point: 978 metres, dificulty rating: easy
From the Kronburg fortress, the route heads west towards Landeck along a mostly flat forest path. Past the Zammerberg and through Rifenal, the trail leads to Anreit and finally south-westwards through dense forest. Hikers then pass Trams, a small settlement between Zams and Landeck at around 950 metres above sea level. From there, hike along the Tramser Weg trail to Landeck Castle, the end point of the Starkenberg Panoramic Trail.
Information about travelling back to the starting point. Bus routes 150 and 4206 operate between Landeck and the Fernpass. The Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) runs trains between Landeck and Imst. It is also possible to book luggage transport for the Starkenberg Panoramic Trail, leaving you free to hike with just a small backpack while the rest of your luggage will be waiting for you at the next stop. For more information click here.
