Lake hike: from Reiteralm to Spiegelsee and Untersee

On this hike to Mirrorse, you can discover several lakes. There was even a big surprise for us, but more on that later.

Tour info

Route: 5.1km
Duration: about 3 hours with short breaks
Ascent & Descent: 284m
Start and finish: Reiteralm hiking portal, Preunegg-Jet mountain station
Difficulty: light
Season: recommended May to October

The cable car takes you up

From Schladming It takes about 15 minutes by car to the valley station of the gondola, address: Preunegg 70, 8973 Schladming.

As one of the first in the morning, we reach the valley station of the “Preunegg Jet” cable car shortly before 9 o'clock.
You don't need to be here much earlier, as it usually only starts operating at 8:45. The exact You can find times and days here.
By the way, the Schladming Summer Card one cable car ride per day for free, which we are happy to redeem here. Here you can find the prices.

In just a few minutes we are at the top. The panorama is already stunningly beautiful on the way, even if the weather is not ideal. The journey begins directly at the mountain station, where the glittering Reiteralm Lake welcomed.

The hike to the Spiegelsee

Your first goal is the Mirror lake, which can be reached in about 45 minutes. Just follow the well-signposted path, which leads you through a magical forest, sometimes uphill and sometimes downhill. This route is also ideal for families with children, as it is easy to manage. Our 4-year-old certainly joined in. On the way you can already catch a glimpse of the fascinating Untersee which stretches majestically beneath you.

At the Mirror lake When we arrived, we were in for a huge surprise: the lake had dried up completely. Unfortunately, this information was not available online and no one had informed us in advance. So if you are hiking up there in the fall, you better find out beforehand, as this is apparently an annual phenomenon. But there is usually at least some water left in it.

We get over our shock and walk through the lake instead of around it. We find the "no swimming" signs funny.

At this point we would like to thank the region Schladming-Dachsteinfor providing us with a photo. After all, you should see what the lake actually looks like.

Continue to the Untersee

Since we really want to see another lake up close, we make our way back via the Untersee. To do this, you first go back the same way, but then turn right as soon as you see the Untersee.

The way down is a bit more challenging as it leads over rocks and scree, but with a sure footing you can manage it without any problems. Our 4-year-old managed it with a little help.

The view of the Untersee is breathtakingly beautiful, and you can walk along the shore to the viewing platform to admire the idyllic scenery. The lake is undoubtedly the highlight of this hike, a calm body of water that captivates everyone. There is also the autumn colours in the background.

By the way, this path, which is known as "Quiet waters" can be easily managed from the mountain station to the Untersee even with a slightly sportier stroller. We approach it from the other direction.

Still Waters Hike

From the Untersee the path then continues to the Forest Lake, which is only 3 minutes away from the Untersee. Here we find time to relax and swing.

You pass it and after a few minutes you reach the picturesque Moor lake which also has its own charm. The path eventually leads to the mountain station and here there is an important fork in the path. We decide to continue straight ahead, which later turns out to be a small mistake. It would probably have been wiser to take the left and more direct path.

Finally we reach the mountain station of the Reiteralm and we let ourselves be in a cozy Gasselhöh hut to enjoy a rich and delicious lunch. There is a lovely children's playground right in front of the hut and there are even great opportunities for children to run around near the mountain station.