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Schwarzwasserbach Wald Walser Omgang @Dominik Berchtold (13).jpg
Hike along the Schwarzwasserbach stream

Beautiful flora, a natural bridge and the Kessellöcher pools

The trail along the Schwarzwasserbach stream leads you through biodiverse moors to the Kessellöcher pools and the beautiful natural bridge. Right at the start of the tour – just a few hundred metres from the car park – you may even be lucky enough to find rare moor plants like menyanthes or carnivorous sundew along the upland moor. The trail is bordered by several moors with beautiful cotton grasses, marsh marigolds and other rare plants in places.
Important: Do not walk on the wetland meadows and moors! Footsteps irrevocably destroy peat mosses that have been growing for centuries.

Sumpfdotterblumen und Schlüsselblumen im Frühling (c) Vorarlberg Tourismus
Kessellöcher im Schwarzwassertal (c) Andre Tappe / Kleinwalsertal Tourismus eGen

The Kessellöcher were cut by the water masses in thousands of years.

The part of the Schwarzwasserbach stream leading down to the natural bridge is completely dry at times. While visitors at these times miss the water cascading into the pot casts, they get a particularly clear view of the many erosions in detail. Just south of the Walmendinger Haus, the horse meadows, some of which are still farmed extensively, are home to the juniper plants (Juniperus communis) in Kleinwalsertal valley. The hilly landscape here was created by the glacial moraine deposits.  These rough pasture meadows host a particularly wide variety of insects, with the bumblebees and butterflies being especially prominent.

After the natural bridge over the Schwarzwasserbach stream, the trail takes you through the Höflemoor moor, another special habitat in Kleinwalsertal valley. Roughly from July on, the rare felwort (swertia perennis) blossoms here. This variety of gentian is endangered and can only be found here.

Depending on the weather and your fitness level, you can cut the tour short at several points, returning by bus.

Hiking route with a route description and map
  • Schwarzwasserbach

    Along the Schwarzwasserbach

    Walser Omgang hike - follow the course of life - summer. A regenerating half-day…

    • 12.18 km

    • 3.5 h

    • mittel

    Difficulty: mittel
    Distance: 12.18 km
    Ascent: 102 m
    Descent: 397 m
    Duration: 3.5 h
    Deepest point: 907 m
    Highest point: 1304 m
    Condition:

    Experience:

    Landscape:

    Along the Schwarzwasserbach

    Walser Omgang hike - follow the course of life - summer. A regenerating half-day tour

    Start of tour

    Hirschegg

    End of tour

    Riezlern

    Description

    On this route you can experience water – the elexir of life – with all its spirit and facets. Waterfalls, water filled rock holes, the natural bridge and finally the entrance to Breitachklamm gorge are the highlights of the tour.

    Best season
    JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
    JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
    All route info
Naturbrücke im Kleinwalsertal (c) Markus Gmeiner / Vorarlberg Tourismus
Sumpfdotterblumen und Schlüsselblumen (c) Vorarlberg Tourismus
Schwarzwasserbach im Kleinwalsertal (c) Markus Gmeiner / Vorarlberg Tourismus
Schwarzwasserbach @Dominik Berchtold (4).jpg
Kessellöcher im Schwarzwassertal (c) Andre Tappe / Kleinwalsertal Tourismus eGen

On a root path, you reach the natural bridge at the beginning of the hike.

Kingcup (Caltha palustris) and cowslip (Primula veris) are blooming in spring.

The hike leads along the Schwarzwasserbach stream.

The waterfall is most amazing after rainfall.

The Kessellöcher were cut by the water masses in thousands of years.

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