After the rain: A spontaneous hike in Austria’s Kleinwalsertal Valley

After my mountain adventure up Sorgschrofen, I said auf wiedersehen to Jungholz and drove towards the lush valley of Kleinwalsertal. Just like Jungholz and Hinterriß-Eng that I also visited last summer, Kleinwalsertal is an Austrian pene-exclave or practical exclave, as it can only be reached by road via Germany. The Allgäu Alps stand between Kleinwalsertal and the rest of Austria.

Since both Austria and Germany are part of the EU and Schengen and use the Euro as currency, Kleinwalsertal no longer has a special status. It used to be part of a customs union with Germany and use the German Marks as currency, but now you barely notice when moving from one country to the other. There is no border control whatsoever, just a sign informing you that you’re now entering Austria!

Kleinwalsertal is by far the busiest of the three pene-exclaves with approximately 5,000 inhabitants and almost two million tourists per year. It’s known as a ski and hiking resort, and it’s especially young families and seniors that come to enjoy some of the over 800 cycling and hiking trails that can be found in the valley!

I came to the valley mainly because of its odd geography, but it was the incredible views and hiking opportunities that made me stay for longer than planned. I hadn’t planned to be in the valley for longer than a few hours, thinking it would be sufficient to drive through, take a few photos and then leave again.

I did what I came for; I drove the entire length of the valley, to the end of the village of Baad, where the road ends with only the mountains beyond. I even found a beautiful viewpoint near a tiny chapel above the town of Riezlern, but it was not enough.

I felt as though I wasn’t doing Kleinwalsertal justice by merely driving through, so I decided to stay for the night. And I was going to treat myself after camping and sleeping in the car for several nights. I looked up hotels on Booking.com, hoping to miraculously find something cheap. I didn’t, but I found a place in Riezlern for 68 euros which gave me the luxury of my own room and bathroom plus wifi and a free drink at the bar. It was expensive for my budget, but I couldn’t resist. I had to see more of Kleinwalsertal and I also needed to rest – and not in a car or a tent!

I checked in, relaxed for five minutes and got up to head out the door. But to my great surprise, I looked outside the window and saw rain pouring down. Heavy rain that went on for ages. I was worried that it would never stop, that I had just spent 68 euros to see absolutely nothing, but the weather forecast said the sun would return two hours later, at 6 PM. And sure enough, the rain stopped and the sun came out again – at exactly 6 PM!

So I put on my hiking gear and set off! I’d researched hikes in the area beforehand and settled for a 5 km loop hike through the Gemsteltal Valley, a side valley with one of the side streams that feed the Breitach river which runs through the entire Kleinwalsertal Valley. It was an easy trail that didn’t involve any ascending, which was perfect for my sore legs that had climbed a mountain in Jungholz that same morning. I was crazy for even going on another hike that day, but I couldn’t resist!

As I strolled further and further into the valley, my heart smiled with gratitude and appreciation for the choice I’d made. The Gemsteltal Valley was absolutely breathtaking, and the post-rain scenes as dramatic as can be with low-hanging clouds over the mountains and forests.

For the entire 1,5 hour that I spent on the trail, I was in a constant state of awe, snapping away for every metre I walked. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to linger much as the sun was setting, but that only made the scenery better. I love a good evening hike in the summer as the temperatures cool down and the light is soft and beautiful.

The hike was one of the most beautiful I did in all of 2020. I’m so happy I didn’t just hurry through Kleinwalsertal as I would’ve missed out big time! My only wish is that I could’ve spent even longer in the valley. I guess I’ll have to come back!

If you’re interested in doing the same hike through the Gemsteltal Valley, you can find a map and route description here!