Walser Cultural Walk: Mittelberg
Tour description
On this cultural hike, old houses, barns, and other historical witnesses tell their centuries-old stories. Information boards are placed at the buildings and cultural-historical sites along the Walser Cultural Trail, providing fascinating historical insights. In addition, each station can be explored further with the audio guide available via Outdooractive. The cultural trail—and thus the history of the Walser people—is set within a unique natural landscape offering stunning panoramic views.The walk begins at the bus stop in Mittelberg. It leads past an atonement cross at Kirchabühl and up to the parish church of St. Jodok and the Lourdes Chapel. Here, you’ll see a stone slab known as the "Ausrufestein" (Proclamation Stone). The next culturally significant sites are the rectory and the sacristan’s house, where reading and writing were taught until 1842. Passing another atonement cross, the walk continues to Hofstatt, where centuries-old feed barns line the path.
From there, the trail leads over the Erlenboden, an estate in Mittelberg, to the Alpenwald—a meadow steeped in legend, located between Erlenboden and Baad. The route continues along the Baader Höhenweg to Baad. Once there, you’ll pass the former school and chaplain’s house, as well as the chapel of St. Martin. Nearby is Haus Paul, which once served as a kind of health retreat due to its proximity to a sulfur spring.
Through Vorderboden—also tied to a local legend—the walk leads to Bödmen. Here, the trail passes a typical Kleinwalsertal-style house and the former school building of Bödmen. Near the third atonement cross at Jörihalde and an old mill that once housed three grinding mills, the route returns to the center of Mittelberg.
The walk finishes along the main road out of the valley, at the final stop of the cultural trail: the oldest house in the village of Mittelberg.
Mittelberg
Mittelberg
Route description
Further info & links
Tips
Look closely at the house in Gemstelweg 4: Here you can recognise a pest hole, a soul hole and the size of the former windows.Further links
How do you consciously experience nature?Nature is so much more than the backdrop for unforgettable mountain experiences. It is a habitat for animals and plants. It provides drinking water and supplies us with high quality food. Not only does it provide valuable raw materials such as wood, it also protects against avalanches and mudslides and regulates the climate. It is up to us to support nature in everything that it does for us. One thing is certain, together we can achieve more:
Smart in NATURE
CONSCIOUS together
EXPERIENCE foresight
Smart in NATURE
Take a deep breath and recharge your batteries, be outside and feel free. When we enjoy nature, we are guests in the living room of shy animals and rare plants. If you behave smart, they will be happy to share their living space with you in the future too.
Stay on paths and marked routes
If you follow the marked paths and routes, you are sure to come to new favorite places. In this way you also respect protected areas, because many animals and plants need special protection. Especially in winter, any disturbance unnecessarily costs the wild animals the strength they need to survive.
Avoiding twilight times
Standing on a mountain at sunrise is a special experience. The morning and evening hours are also the time when most wild animals are in search of food. If they are disturbed, they get stressed. If it cannot be avoided, please stay on the marked path, do not use a bright headlamp and enjoy the silence.
Stay clean & take rubbish with you
It goes without saying: You take rubbish with you again, on the mountain and in the valley. Please also organic waste, because it is composted much more slowly at altitude. You can dispose of the rubbish properly at home or in your accommodation - please remember that there are no rubbish bins in public spaces in Kleinwalsertal.
On the natural toilet
If you are looking for a quiet place, please be at least 50 m away from water. Bury excrement or cover it with a large stone. Use fallen leaves or recycled toilet paper and put the paper back in the trash bag.
On tour with a dog
Are you always in control of your four-legged partner, even if he gets his nose for marmots, deer or other wild animals? You are both on the safe side on a leash. Keep dogs on a short leash near grazing cattle. If an attack by a grazing animal is foreseeable: leash off immediately. There are numerous dog stations in the valley for the disposal of dog bags. The farmers and alpine farmers thank you because manure in meadows and fields contaminates the feed and makes grazing cattle sick.
CONSCIOUS to each other
Consideration for other athletes and those looking for relaxation
Everyone loves to enjoy a special piece of earth for themselves. But most of the time we are not traveling alone. No problem, because there is enough space. Allow time, open the way in an accommodating manner, provide support when someone needs help and always give a smile. So nothing stands in the way of friendly cooperation and relaxed enjoyment of nature.
Appreciating the preservation of the cultural landscape
Alpine landscapes are touching with their contrast: Imposing peaks and natural forests alternate with gentle valleys, well-tended meadows and pastures. In the Kleinwalsertal too, this delightful landscape at three altitudes is no coincidence, but the result of an interplay of natural and cultural landscapes. Behind this is the work of farmers, alpine and forestry as well as hunters. With their work, they ensure that the attractiveness of the recreation and leisure area and the diversity of species are preserved. We already say thank you if we stay on the marked trails and enjoy regional products.
EXPERIENCE farsighted
Safe on tour - for you and others
Whether on a ski or snowshoe tour in winter or on a mountain tour in summer, anyone who is out and about in alpine terrain has to be well prepared. This includes careful information and tour planning as well as the right equipment. Correctly assessing alpine dangers requires a lot of knowledge and experience. Why not learn from professionals and go on tour with one of the experienced guides?
Nature experience map, scale 1:12,000; Kleinwalsertal tour map (with hiking guide), scale 1:25,000; DAV hiking map, scale 1:25,000; the respective cards are available for a fee in the Walserhaus Hirschegg. More information in the booklet "Originales und Originelles" (only German), available at Kleinwalsertal Tourismus.
