Kals Am Großglockner – Skiing and Trails into the Dorfertal Valley

If you are looking for accommodation in Kals Am Großglockner and would like to combine skiing with trails, nature and culture, the Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei is the most important winter focal point. It lists 44.6 km of pistes and 4.6 km of ski routes. Current openings, snow conditions and operating conditions should be considered separately from this information.

The winter focal point: pistes and ski routes

The information provided for the Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei distinguishes between kilometres of pistes and ski routes. This shows that the stated offering comprises 44.6 km of pistes plus an additional 4.6 km of ski routes. It does not provide a breakdown by individual difficulty levels or specific routes from accommodation to the respective access points. There is also a clearly described connection to the Großglockner for ambitious days in the mountains. From the Ködnitztal Valley, the mountain can be climbed via the Lucknerhütte and Stüdlhütte huts, and onwards via the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte hut or the Stüdlgrat ridge. The Glocknerkrone route runs over five daily stages and around 60 km. Each stage can be approached and left by descent, meaning that the individual sections can also be used as day hikes.

Trails through the Dorfertal Valley

The valley circular trail is 19.5 km long and takes around six hours. Individual stages or shortcuts are possible, so you do not necessarily have to complete the entire circuit in one go. The hike into the Dorfertal Valley begins at the Hotel Tauerwirt and follows the stream through the Dabaklamm gorge to the Kalser Tauernhaus hut, making it suitable as a family hike. The Dorfertal Valley in Hohe Tauern National Park features waterfalls, gravel plains, moors, larch forests, flower-rich meadows, glaciers, lakes and alpine wildlife. The Dorfertal History Trail adds listening trees with audio stories from dairywomen, mountain farmers, mountain guides, hut keepers and other knowledgeable people from Kals about life in the valley. Kals is also one of the national park communities to which hikers can descend after completing an individual stage of the GlocknerRunde.

Culture and special experiences

In the centre of Kals, the Ködnitz cultural trail leads through the historic village centre of Ködnitz as a circular tour. St. George's Church is the oldest church in Kals and was also built as a fortified church. The ruins of St. Peter's Church are a sacred building from the 16th century erected by members of the Counts of Gorizia dynasty. At the Kalser Glocknerhaus, the Glockner exhibition provides further insights into the region's mountain world as an interactive experience exhibition. At the Kalser Stockmühlen mills, miller Johann demonstrates how grain is turned into flour. For climbers, the climbing garden has 32 climbing routes and five multi-pitch routes with difficulty levels ranging from 3+ to 8-. The climbing park is accessible in summer from the Lucknerhaus car park. This clearly illustrates the seasonal difference: not every activity you find around Kals is part of the winter ski operation.

Nature, panoramic views and practical alternatives

The Großglockner Panorama offers panoramic views of the 3,798 m-high Großglockner. The exhibition there explains the BIG FIVE of Hohe Tauern National Park: ibex, chamois, marmot, golden eagle and bearded vulture. The Schotterfluren recreational area has a barbecue area and a fishpond. During the summer months, the Dorfertal Valley can be reached by the national park hiking bus. The hiking bus service operated by Postbus route 952 runs to the Lucknerhaus. Another clearly described option is the easy, wheelchair-accessible Rollitour in the Kalser Ködnitztal Valley: it provides access to Hohe Tauern National Park at the foot of the Großglockner all the way to the end of the valley. From the Glocknerwinkel car park, an all-terrain SwissTrac can be used free of charge on the accessible hiking trail towards the Großglockner. For comparing other destinations, you can also look at Lienz, Gsaritzen, Prägraten Am Großvenediger, Virgen, Erlsbach, Strassen, Innervillgraten and Anras.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lienz District.