Weg des Salzes

Salt has been lying in the mountains of the Salzkammergut for more than 250 million years.
In 1311, the Habsburgs formally renewed the legal basis for salt mining in the Kammergut, making salt production a sovereign responsibility of the imperial family - Salinen Austria remained a state enterprise without interruption until 1998. Salt not only gave this magnificent region its name, but in the later 17th and 18th centuries ,the salt trade increasingly contributed to the economic rise of the Salzkammergut.

START Currently in Steeg, as the section from Hallstatt to Steeg is closed.
CHARACTER Not a particularly difficult downhill hike, but short exposed sections require surefootedness and a head for heights.
ENTRANCE see stages

New in this edition is tour no. 20 "The Path of Salt", which leads from Hallstatt to Lambach. From the mining and production sites, along the brine trail and the transport routes by the water as well as the horse-drawn railway, you can experience and hike through the history of salt. The Salt Trail consists of 4 stages totalling 93.4 km.

Hiking on the Salzkammergut Brine Trail
STAGE 1 Steeg - Bad Ischl4:55 hrs. 19.5 km ^53 v80
Along the oldest pipeline in the world
The Soleweg is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Austria and runs alongside Lake Hallstatt and the River Traun from Steeg via Bad Goisern, Laufen and Kaltenbach to the imperial town of Bad Ischl (destination: Trinkhalle). It follows the pipeline from Hallstatt to Ebensee, which first went into continuous operation in 1607. As the brine runs down a gentle slope from the Rudolfsturm, the path leads gently downhill.

DRIVE IN Steegwirt - Bad Goisern, www.tripadvisor.at/ Bad Ischl
ACCOMMODATION www.tripadvisor.at/ Bad Goisern, Bad Ischl

STAGE 2 Bad Ischl - Ebensee5:20 hrs.19 km ^84 v 199
From the Trinkhalle, head towards the railway station and cross the Steinfeldbrücke bridge over the Traun. Now keep left and cross the Rettenbach. Turn left at the next junction to the Roith district. After the information board, take the factory bridge over the Traun (factory crossing not possible). Now 2 km downstream on the footpath and cycle path next to the main road to Traunbrücke Mitterweißenbach (bus stop). Cross the bridge, past Mitterweißenbach railway station, straight ahead at the Kößlbach level crossing on a gravel road through a forest to Langwies railway station. Cross the Traun again and after 300 metres turn right along the asphalt cycle and hiking path, cross the main road at the bridge (Langbach) and climb 70 metres to the start of the actual brine trail (information boards). This one to two metre wide and level path leads straight ahead for 9 km to the centre of Ebensee (Landungsplatz railway station). Attention: There are gates that can be passed! Always keep straight on at houses! Once the path leads 300 metres along the old Langwieserstrasse!

Industrial culture: Salinen Austria AG, museum ebensee

ARRIVAL / ACCOMMODATION 16 Landhotel Post - Ebensee







STAGE 3 Ebensee - Gmunden 5:20 hrs.19.2 km ^ 285 v 271
From the railway station Landungsplatz Ebensee along the Traunsee on the old B145 to Traunkirchen (4.8 km).
From the town centre to the Kalvarienberg and via the Zellerlweg to Eben and via the Pichlhofstrasse to the
Ebenzweier Castle in Altmünster. Continue through the town centre to Traunsee - Württemberg Castle. Then head towards Gmunden, first past the Toscana Congress and the Seeschloss Ort, continuing along the Esplanade to the stage finish at Rathausplatz Gmunden.
Alternative: Take the Traunsee boat trip from Ebensee Landungsplatz to Gmunden Rathausplatz.

Industrial culture: Forest Campus Forestry Training Centre Traunkirchen,
Gmundner Keramik, Traunseeschifffahrt GmbH, Stern & Hafferl Verkehrs-
m.b.H., K-Hof Museum Gmunden

ENTRANCE / ACCOMMODATION 14 Wirtshaus Poststube 1327 - Traunkirchen, 15 GruberWirt - Traunkirchen,
10 Wirt z`Minster -Altmünster, 8 Seehotel u. Restaurant Schwan - Gmunden, Keramikhotel Goldener Brunnen - Gmunden

ETAPPE 4 Gmunden - Lambach8.35 hrs. 33.9 km ^ 156 v 214

Along hiking tour 16 on the horse-drawn railway, the route leads from Gmunden town hall square via Klosterplatz to Engelhof railway station. Continue past the Engelhof inn to Oberweis, along the Schweigthaler Kirchenweg to Laakirchen, then to Steyrermühl and Oberbuch to the natural jewel of the Traunfall. From there continue to Roitham (GH Forstinger - ÖBB Postbus stop) and via the villages of Außerpühret - Stötten - Deising - Bergham - Laholz - to the Neydharting moor bath and the centre of Bad Wimsbach ("Tempus" ¬ Museum of Archaeology, Museum Hackenschmiede). Next you come to the Villa Rustica and on to the Stadl-Paura - Lambach railway station. From there, the hike continues via the Lambach power station to Lambach railway station, the destination of this impressive tour.

Industrial heritage: heinzel-paper Laakirchen Papier AG, Austrian Papermaking Museum, Miba AG

ARRIVAL / ACCOMMODATION 9 Gasthof Engelhof - Gmunden, 22 Landgasthof Kastenhuber - Desselbrunn,
33 Gasthaus Forstinger - Roitham a. Traunfall, 24 Gasthof Dickinger - Bad Wimsbach/Neyd., 32 Stiftskeller Lambach, Benediktinerstift Lambach