Zederhaus: Nature Park, Hiking Trails and Lungau Culture

Riedingtal Nature Park is located in the municipality of Zederhaus in the province of Salzburg, on the southern edge of the Niedere Tauern mountain range. Its most prominent landmark is the 2,711-metre-high Weißeck, the highest elevation in the nature park. This makes Zederhaus an impressive starting point for anyone wishing to combine mountain scenery, trails through nature and regional highlights.

Hiking trails between lakes, valleys and mountain huts

For longer tours, the Central Alpine Long-Distance Hiking Trail No. 702 runs through Riedingtal Nature Park on the northern side of the valley, above the road. The themed trail “The Power of Quiet Waters” connects the Niedere Tauern with the Hohe Tauern. If you would like to plan a manageable circular tour, you can choose the circular hiking trail around Lake Schlierersee: It starts at the nature park centre, passes the Hubertus Chapel and takes about one hour. Another hiking trail from Schliereralm around the Rieding Reservoir also passes the Hubertus Chapel on the south-western shore.

Cyclists and mountain bikers will also find specific opportunities for an active day in Riedingtal. Cycling and mountain bike routes lead through the mountain landscape, passing lakes and mountain huts. Guided tours of the nature park provide children and adults with expert information about the local flora and fauna, traditional mountain pasture customs and geological features. The Zederhaus Forest Nature Trail complements this offering with stations covering plants, insects, birds of the region, forest habitats and ways of using wood.

Mills, customs and regional impressions

Zederhaus presents its history not only through its landscape. Four of the nine mills that once stood in the valley have been renovated and house the “Mühlen-Leben” exhibition. The Mill Trail starts in the village of Zederhaus and is an approximately 1.5-hour circular hiking trail with five stations about the mills. The “Maurergut” heritage farm is a typical Lungau single-farmstead; its origins date back to the late Middle Ages.

The Zederhaus Prangstangen are among the most striking traditions. The wooden poles are wrapped in thousands of alpine and meadow flowers and can reach up to 8 metres in height. The Hubertus Mass takes place every year at the end of September in the Hubertus Chapel in Zederhaus. Cultural experiences like these complement a stay if, in addition to hiking, you would also like to discover regional history and living traditions.

Mountain huts and accommodation planning

Riedingtal Nature Park has nine serviced huts, including six certified Alpine Summer huts. They offer regional specialities, fresh alpine milk and homemade cheese. When looking for a holiday apartment in Zederhaus, it may therefore be useful to decide on your preferred travel rhythm early on: Will you mainly plan hikes and guided nature park tours, with the Mill Trail, Forest Nature Trail and cultural sites as the focus, or would you like to combine days of cycling and mountain biking with a stop at a mountain hut?

During the main summer holiday season, a valley bus operates in Riedingtal Nature Park. Guests can use it for the return journey after hut tours. This seasonal option should be included in your planning, along with the choice of trails and activities you would like to enjoy during your stay in Zederhaus.

More destinations for orientation

For your further search, you can also open the pages for Thomatal, Mauterndorf, Sankt Margarethen Im Lungau, Wölting, Lessach, Sankt Andrä Im Lungau, Zankwarn and Katschberg.

To the overarching travel overview: Tamsweg.