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Zireiner See: Mountain lake with breathtaking views in the Alps

Lake Zireiner is picturesquely nestled in the Tyrolean Alps and is a popular destination for hikers and nature lovers. The crystal-clear mountain lake, surrounded by steep rock faces, offers an impressive backdrop and invites you to linger after a challenging hike. The climb is particularly worthwhile for the spectacular view and the tranquility of the untouched nature.

Short info:

  • Where is the Zireiner See? In the Rofan Mountains, Tyrol
  • Can you get there by car and can you park there? No, there is no road leading up.
  • Where can you park? Parking spaces at the valley station of the Rofan cable car
  • Can you swim in the lake? Yes, but it is usually quite cold
  • How deep is the lake? 5-10 meters
  • Where is he? Zireiner See, Rofan, Tyrol
  • How long does the hike take? Around 3-4 hours

Generally

In the impressive Rofan Mountains lies an absolute highlight, the Zireiner See, also known as the “Blue Eye of the Rofan”. It lies at an altitude of 1799 meters on a sunny plateau. This mountain lake is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in all of Tyrol. Nestled between the imposing Rosskogel and the majestic Rofanspitze, the Zireiner See offers a picturesque backdrop. The color of the lake varies depending on the weather, which adds to its fascination.

The ascent to Lake Zireiner rewards hikers with a breathtaking panorama; on clear days you can even see the imposing Grossglockner in the distance. This tour requires a good level of fitness, but the path itself is quite easy. But the effort is richly rewarded with the beauty of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

How do you get to the lake?

There are several ways to hike around the beautiful Zireiner See, and although the tours are challenging, they reward you with fantastic views. You can refresh yourself at rustic snack stations and mountain huts along the way.

Here are some tour tips:

1. Hike from the Aschau-Wimm car park in Brandenberg (approx. 6 hours walking time)

The starting point of this hike is Aschau in Brandenberg. First, the path leads towards Eilalm to the charming Anderl's Almhütte. From there, you hike further over the Lobeggalm and the Kreuzein-Hochleger to the Rosskogelsattel. You will soon reach the desired destination of the hike - the enchanting Zireiner See at an altitude of 1,799 m. The lake is picturesquely nestled between the Rosskogel (1,940 m) in the east and the majestic Rofanspitze (2,259 m) in the west. It is worth mentioning that the European long-distance hiking trail E4 also passes by here.

For the return journey, you use the same route as the ascent. This popular route is a beautiful, varied path.

Duration: 6 hours walking time at 14.7km length

2. Start at the Sonnwendjochbahn car park, Kramsach to the lake (approx. 8 hours walking time)

This physically demanding tour with many meters of elevation gain begins at the car park of the Sonnwendjochbahn, which is no longer in operation. From there, follow path no. 9 to the Kaltwasserbründl junction and continue the hike on path no. 8 to the middle station of the lift. The walk continues below the lift route to the mountain station, which takes about 3.5 hours.

From the Sonnwendjoch mountain hut, the path leads straight up to the Rosskogelsattel and then north past the Rosskogel over the Rosswies to AV path 401, which leads down to the Zireiner See (approx. 1 hour's walk). After the climb at the western end of the lake, you come to a fork in the path. Here, turn left and continue the hike towards the Zireiner Alm. From there, it goes downhill for a short distance until you turn right onto a path at the next bend (follow the signs). This leads to the Bayreuther Hütte and Bergalm (approx. 1.5 hours' walk). Finally, from there, it goes back downhill to the lift car park in Kramsach (approx. 2 hours' walk).

Distance 17km, walking time 8h

3. By e-bike along the 8 km long forest road from Kramsach lift parking lot to the Bayreuther Hütte,

The most popular tour is from the lift parking lot in Kramsach by e-bike.

Starting point: Kramsach lift parking lot along the forest road steeply uphill towards Bayreuther Hütte.
after 4.8 km: At the junction turn right towards Bayreuther Hütte, at
Kilometer 6.0: At the fork, turn left uphill.
Kilometer 7.8: At the fork in the road below the hut, go left a few meters uphill to the Bayreuther Hütte (the path on the right leads to the small Bergalm).
After 8.0 km: Arrival at the Bayreuther Hütte.
From there about 1.5 hours walk to the lake.

4. Zireiner See from Rofan cable car mountain station (approx. 5 hours walking time)

This more difficult route for experienced hikers to Lake Zireiner begins at the Rofan mountain station, which can be reached by gondola from Eben am Achensee. The gondola ride itself is an experience as you float over Lake Achensee and enjoy the view. Within a few minutes you reach the mountain station between the Erfurter Hütte and the Berggasthof Rofan. The hike to Lake Zireiner starts from there.

At the beginning, follow the hiking signs pointing towards the Rofanspitze. This peak is on the way to Lake Zireiner. The hike is demanding and requires a return hike of around 1000 metres in altitude. The key point of the tour is the very steep Schafsteig, which is located below the Rofanspitze and leads down along a rocky ledge. Surefootedness and, in some places, a head for heights are required here, so it is not for inexperienced hikers. A wire rope along the Schafsteig makes the descent easier.

After the successful descent you reach Lake Zireiner, which flashes from above like a shimmering blue eye between the grey rocks.

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