Alpine Pasture Hike l Bezau/Baumgarten – Niedere – Sonderdach

Upon arrival at the 1660 m high Seehöhe via cableway, you get a chance to enjoy the breathtaking distant view from the Baumgartenhöhe. The panoramic view is rather spectacular: Lake Constance, Germany in the Northwest, the mountains of the Austrian Kleinwalsertal in the East, Arlberg, Silvretta and Rätikon in the South and the Swiss mountains in the West.

After arriving via cableway (there is a new panoramic restaurant at Baumgarten) the first Alpine Pasture is only a few minutes away, the Vordere Niederalpe. You can get something to eat at the Bergrestaurant Niedere. The Feuerstein family offers mountain cheese, yoghurt, fresh milk, butter, Sennsuppe (a typical local soup), drinks and other home cooked meals. If you arrive around 11 o’clock you might get the chance to test a freshly cooked Sennsuppe (Seagin). The newly built mountain chapel (typical Vorarlberg wood architecture by Cukrowicz Nachbaur) provides another resting opportunity where you can enjoy the sight of Lake Constance and the Swiss Mountains. At the crossing to Stongerhöhe the track leads us through the rockfall site to the Stongerhöhe and down to the swamp terrain of Stongen and the Wildmoosalpen. There are three alpine pastures that provide hikers with self-made alpine treats: Alpe Stongen, Alpe Windmoos and Greußing’s Wildmoos. We walk through forests and over meadows until we get to the Vorsäß Sonderbach, near the mid-station of the cableway Bezau-Baumgarten, where the Alpe Leugehr awaits us with homemade mountain cheese, milk and butter.

During your hike you come across the «Lehrweg» that provides information about the historic Alps. You can also start your hike at Andelsbuch. You can take the cableway Andelsbuch-Niedere up to Niedere, the local mountain of Andelsbuchen. Experienced hikers should consider taking the route from the Stongerhöhealpe via Hasenstrick (via ferrata) to the Winterstaude and via the south side back down to the Lingenaueralpe, Sammeralpe and Stongenalpe. Additional effort: 250 m in altitude, approx. 2 hours hiking time. Experience and a good head for heights are necessary (blue/white marked track)!

Author: Düringer Helmut