LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA FROM THE LIBRARY OF F. VON BOSCHAN UCSB LIBRARY y-^>/(s^ The Numerals refer to the Stctixms The Letters to the Bomo&s Edw^WeUer Balls Alpine Guides NOETH TYROL, BAVARIAN AND SALZBURG ALPS BY JOHN BALL, RRS., M.E.I.A., RL.S., &r LlATK president op the ALPINE CLUB LONDON LONGMANS, OREEN, AND CO. 1873 si'-jTTISWOODE AXD CO., XEW-STKEET AXD FAEI-'LV^ENT STKEET LIST OF MAPS. Key Ma.p . . . . To be pasted inside the cover at the heciinning The Easterx Alps— Gfof-ral Map .... To face title-page The Berchtesgadex District To face page 71 ABBREVIATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS. The following are the chief abbreviations used in this work : — hrs., in. — for hours and minntes. "When used as a measure of distance, one hour is meant to indicate the distance which a tolerably ffood walker will traverse in an hour, clear of halts, and having regard to the difficulty of the ground, la cases where there is a considerable difiference of height, the measure given is intended as a mean between the time employed in ascending and descending, being greater in the one case and less in the other. ft., yds. — for feet and yards. The heights of mountains, &c., are given in English feet above the level of the sea, and are generally indicated in the manner usual in scientific books, by the figures being enclosed in brackets, with a short stroke. m. — for mile. Unless otherwise expressed, distances are given in English statute miles. rt., 1. — for right and left. The right side of a valley, stream, or glacier, is that lying on the right hand of a person following the downward course of the stream. The points of the compass are indicated in the usual way. Names of places are referred in the Index to the pages where iome useful information respecting them is to be found. Throughout this work the reader is frequently referred for further information to the Section and Route where this is to be found. "Wlion the reference is Tufuiii to a pass:ig*' occurring m the same Section, the Route alone is mentioned. ALPINE GUIDE. CHAPTEE XII. SUABIAN ALPS. Section 41. Route D- - Munich to Innsbruck, by Par- tenkirch .... 2« ALGAU DISTRICT. Route E - -Munich to Partenkirch, by Route A - -Immenstadt to Landeck, by the Algau and Schrofen Route F - Ammergau .... -Partenkirch to Imst in the Innthal .... 28 31 Route B - Pass -Bregenz to Oberstdorf in Al- gau, by the Bregenzer Wald 3 5 Route G- - Munich to Innsbruck, by the Walchen See . . . 34 Route C - - Bregenz 'to Sonthofen, by the Bregenzer Wald . 8 Section 43, Route D - -Sonthofen to Reutte in the Lech Thai .... 9 KREUTH district. Route E - - Feldkirch to Reutte, by the Route A - - Munich to Innsbruck, by Wild- Walserthal and Lech Thai . 11 Route B- bad Kreuth .... - Munich to Innsbruck, by Kuf- 35 Section 42. Route C - stein and Schwaz - Munich to Brixlegg in the Inn- 40 ZUGSPITZ district. Route D - thal. by Schlieisee - Munich to Kufstein, by Baier- 43 Route A - - Landeck to Innsbruck, by the isch-Zell .... 45 Innthal .... 14 Route E- -Tegernsee to Mittenwald, or Route B - - Augsburg, or Lindau, to Inns- Partenkirch 46 bruck, by Fussen and Ler- RouteF- -Walchensee to Pertisau on the moos 20 Achensee .... 49 Route C- - Reutte to Landeck, by the Lech Route G- -Schamitz to Jenbach in the Thai 24 Innthal .... 50 To THE eye of the geologist, the general arrangement of the Eastern Alps is more symmetrical than that of the portions of the great chain described in the preced- ing volumes of this work. A central mass, composed almost exclusively of crystalline rock, extends nearly due E. and W. from the frontier of Switzerland to that of Hungary, flanked to theN. and the S. by ranges of sedimentar\' rocks, amongst which Jurassic limestones pre- dominate, especially on the southern side N. T. { ofthe main chain. The principal valley:', ' and more particularly those immediately connected with the central chain, are parallel to it in their general direction, whereas those ofthe exterior ranges are less regularly disposed, though even there the relation between the minor ridges and valleys and the adjacent portions of the main chain is closer than can reasonably be attributed to accidental causes. In the present chapter is described SUABIAN ALPS. § 41. ALGAU DISTRICT. the mountain region lying north and west of the Inn, extending 'vrestward to the Lake of Constance, and northward to the plain of Bavaria. The larger part of this region belongs to Bavaria, and hence the entire group is sometimes known as the Bavarian Alps. That de- signation being obnoxious to the people of the Austrian province of Tyrol and Vorarlberg when applied to the portions which they inhabit, it seems advisable to employ the somewhat more vague term, Suahian Alps, in default of any more generally recognised geographical denomination. The country described in this chapter abounds in attractions for the artist and the sportsman, but, save a few spots hereafter noticed, it is httle visited by English travellers. Ex- cept in the neighbourhood of Bregenz the mean temperature is lower than in any other part of the Alps, and hence it happens that although but few of these summits rise above 9,000', and the ge- neral level of the ridges is much below that limit, snow lies throughout the year in considerable masses, and small gla- ciers are found on several of the higher mountains. SECTION 4.1, ALGAr DISTRICT. In viewing the chain of the Alps from the Bavarian plain the first considerable valley on the west side is that of the Iller, the upper portion of which, be- longing chiefly to Bavaria, is known as the^Algau. It is enclo.'^ed by mountains which usually approach to, but seldom surpass, the limit of 8.000 ft. On the east and south sides, where they di\-ide the basin of the Iller from that of the Lech, the summits assume the bold and picturesque forms characteristic of the dolomite and Jurassic limestone ; while to the N. and W. the prevailing rocks are of cretaceous or tertiaiy age, and constitute a considerable highland re- gion known as the Bregenzer Wald, ex- tending to the Lake of Constance, and drained in great part by streams that flow through that reservoir into the Rhine. The frontier between the Algau and the Austrian province of Vorarlberg keeps pretty closely to the watershed between the Danube and the Rhine, except at the SW. extremity of the first- named district, where the upper part of the Breitach glen belongs to Vorarlberg. The latter province is divided into two nearly equal portions by the high road from Feldkirch to Landeck, which along with the southern portion of the province was described in § 34. Eastward of th^ Iller the next considerable stream that descends from the Saabian Alps into the plain of Bavaria is the Lech. From Fiissen, where it issues from the moun- tains, it follows a tolerably direct nor- therly course to Augsburg ; but the upper course of the same river circles round to WSW. and divides the moun- tain range at the head of the Algau from the parallel range which forms the N. boundary of the Inn valley between Imst and Landeck, and extends west- ward from the latter place to Bludenz. A glance at the geological map which accompanies the second part of this work shows that here, as well as elsewhere in the Alps, the principal ridges and the corresponding depressions are approxi- mately parallel to the lines marking the outcrop of the strata. Whatever may have been the causes that determined the direction from WSW. to ENE. of the great ridges and valleys throughout Switzerland, they have evidently ex- tended to the district here described, while there are no less manifest indica- tions of a line of strike running nearly due E. and AV. which characterises a large portion of tlie Ea^^tern Alps. The valley of the Lech forms the natural boundary of this district to the E. and SE., and to the SW. it is natural to in- clude in it the Walserthal and the mountains between that and the main branch of the 111 leading through the Klosterthal. ROUTE A. — THE ALGAU. Thus definpd the present district is bounded by the road from Bregonz to Feldkirch m the valley of the Rhine, and that Tvhich thence follows the 111 to Stuben at the foot of the Arlberg Pass. Then traversing- the low pass leading to the upper valley of the Lech it follows that stream to Fiissen ; the northern boundary being marked by the plain of Bavaria. The road trom Kempten to Fiissen and Reutte, though included in the above limits, is more conveniently described in the next section. Good quarters for pedestrians are found in most of the chief villages of this district, besides which there are many small establishments connected with mineral springs, where the moun- taineer may resort during the summer months. Four or five days may be very well employed in the picturesque glens of this district, and may serve as a pre- paration for more arduous excursions in the higher region of the Tyrol Alps. The best head-quarters for the moun- taineer are found at Oberstdorf in the Algau, and at Schoppernau in the Bre- ^enzer Wald. EorTE A. IMiLEXSTADT TO LAXDECK, BY THE ALGAXJ A>-D 8CHB0FEX PASS. Sonthofen Ooerstdorf Lech Stuben . Landeck. Stiinden 2i •23i miles. 9 'I' 24 ~6gI The most convenient point for ap- proaching the valley of the lUer (Algau) or that of the Lech (Rte. D) is Immenstadt (Inn : Post, kept by Hil- senbeck, very fair), a small neat town on the rly. from Augsburg toLindau, stand- ing (about 2.080') at the point where the valley of the Iller opens into the pla- teau of Bavaria. The pretty Atjp See, lying W. of the town on the S. side of the rly. to Lindau, and several ruined castles, contribute to adorn the neigh- bouring scenery. A favourite excursion is the ascent of the Grunten (5,558'), a few miles E. of the town. The summit, reached in about 3^ hrs., commands an extensive panorama, including the Ca- thedral of Ulm to the N., the Lake of Constance, and a wide circuit of Alpine peaks to the S. and E. There is an inn with thirty beds about 20 min. below the summit. The eocene rocks at some points aboimd in fossils, and ores of iron are worked near the top of the mountain. The traveller may descend in 2 hrs. direct to Sonthofen. A guide is scarcely required. After passing Seyfriedsberg the road crosses the Iller, and soon after reaches Sonthofen (Inns : Engel ; Hirsch ; Adler\ a small market town (2,452'), the principal place of the Algau. Om- nibuses run twice a day between this and the rly. station at Immenstadt. Here the post road leading to Tyrol ascends eastward along the valley of the Ostrach(Rte. D), while the country road through the main valley keeps due S. on the E. side of the Iller, but at some distance from its banks. After passing Altstetten, and other small villages, as well as two ruined castles, the traveller reaches the point where the stream of the Iller is formed by the junction of the torrents Trettach, StiUach, and Brei- tack, issuing from the three principal valleys of the Algau Alps. A short distance beyond the junction stands O^ierstdorf (2, o9i'). on the tongue of land dividing the Trettach from the StiUach. This neat village, frequented in summer by visitors from Augsburg and Nuremburg, was in great part burned down in 1865. It aifords the best head-quarters for mountain excur- sions in Algau, with fair accommoda- tion at two inns (Sonne ; Mohr), ar.d a bold and efficient guid« in Blnttner; a gamekeeper ( Jagdbehiilfe) named Franz Schafhittl, is less to be reoommended for difficult ascents. b2 SUABIAN ALPS. ALGAU DISTRICT. Of the numerous excursions that may be maie from Oberstdorf, the following deserve special mention. The wild stony glen of the Trettach leads nearly due S. from the village to the Christlessee, a basin of dark-blue water at the S.E. base of the Mddde- cabel (8,67-i'), the highest of the Al- <:au Alps. The extent of snow is far greater tlian would be expected at so moderate an elevation. The Mddele- jorh Pass, over the ridge E. of the iladelegabel, leads in 7 hrs. from Oberst- dorf to Holzgau, on the Lech (Ete. E), from whence Landeck may be reached by the Kaiserjoch in rathi^r less time, Vut by a less interesting route, than that described below. The lateral glen of the Oythal, joining the Trettachthal near Oberstdorf, con- tains much interesting scenery. The lower portion is a mere defile, and at the narrowest part the torrent, spring- ing over two successive shelves of rock, forms a remarkable double water- fall. From the upper end of the glen a track leads over a pass on the N. side of the Kauheck (7,824') to Hornbach, in a lateral vaUey of the Lechthal. Another track which bears to the l. somewhat NE., leads to the head of the Hinter- steiner Thai, and from the ridge affords the easiest access to the summit of the Hoch Vogel (8,487'), fui-ther noticed in Kt€. D. An active pedestrian may in a single day make an agreeable round of very raried scenery by following a track that mounts due E. from Oberstdorf; he should then descend by the Wengen Alp into the Hinterstein glen, follow the Ostrach to Hindelang, and return by Sonthofen. " The valley of Ereitach, which may be visited from Oberstdorf, is described in Rte. B. The way to the Schrofen Pass lies through the valley of the Stillach, pro- bably the most interesting of the Alpine glens of Algau. The bold pyramidal peak rising S. of the village between the Trettach and Stillach, called Schrofen, is not to be confounded with the pass of the same name. The car- road seems to be practicable as far as Einodsbach. On a terrace of the mountain to the rt. lies a solitary tarn called Frey- berger See. After lying for some way through a defile, the track reaches the hamlet of Faistenau. To the W. rises the Schlappolt (6,405'), sometimes as- cended for the sake of the extensive view which it commands, but the moun- taineer will prefer some one of the higher dolomite peaks forming the frontier line of Tyrol, especially if he has not had previous experience of the somewhat peculiar pleasures of dolomite climbing. A little open plain with a few scattered houses, called Birgsau (3,185'), is suc- ceeded by a narrow defile, which leads to Einodsbach, the highest hamlet in the valley. Here a ravine mounts south- ward to the Schneeloch, a wild hollow between the Madelegabel and the Biher- kopf (8,543'). An account of the some- what difficult ascent of the latter peak, effected in 1857 by Dr. Holler, with the above-named guide, Blattner, is given in the second volume of the Proceedings of the Austrian Alpine Club. Above Einodsbach the glen of the Stillach mounts towards SW., and is thenceforward known as the Eappen- alpenthal. To the rt. rises the Gaishom, and to the 1., at the head of the glen, the Gross Bappenkopf (8,226') and Klein Bappenkopf (7,471'). In ap- proaching the dolomitic peaks that form the S. boundary of Algau, the geologist wiU not fail to remark the outcrop of a zone of friable slate which everywhere underlies the dolomite, and is conspicu- ous, even at a distance, by its more abun- dant vegetation. This, sometimes called Algauschiefer, was formerly referred to the lias, but is now usually considered to belong to the trias. The path makes a sharp zigzag to the 1. before the final ascent to the Schrofen Pass (5,569')— 4 hrs. from Oberstdorf, the lowest of those connectin a- the A Igau with the upper valley of the Lech. The shortest way to Landeck is to take the bridle-path bearing to the 1. in descending from the pass. This ROUTE B. — BREGENZ. leads down the valley of the Lech in 2^ hrs. to Steg or Stogen (3,725'), with two tolerable inns. By a lateral glen open- ing S. the traveller may thence reach in 1^ hr. the village of Kaisers (poor inn), and in 5 hrs. more traverse the Kaiser- joch to Pefneu, a village on the high road of the Arlberg, 4f hrs. from Landeck. The way lies at first nearly due S. from Kaisers, but where the head of the valley bends to ESE. the path keeps to the rt. At the summit it is marked by poles. The rte. described below is easier, more attractive, and but little longer. [From Lechleiten the traveller bound for the Bregenzer Wald may reach Krumbach (Rte. E), the highest village in Vorarlberg, 5,481 ft. above the sea, which is separated by scarcely any per- ceptible ridge from the head of the Bregenzer Ach. But this would be a circuitous course for a traveller going from Oberstdorf, the more direct way being that by the Haldenwariger Eck. mentioned in Rte. B.] The way from the Schrofen Pass to Stuben bears to the rt. during the de scent, then crosses the stream to Wart, and ascends along the rt. bank to Lech, (4.094'). a hamlet (with a poor inn) standing at the opening of the Ziirser- thal. The uppermost end of the Lech Thai, extending several miles into the Vorarlberg. and locally called Tannberg, is enclosed by the hi;ihest summits of this district, the chiefs of them being the Rothewand (8,842'), to the N., and the Schafberg (8,774') to the S., both supporting considerable glaciers. To the southward, through the opening of the ZiirserthuL the snowy summit of the Rogkrspitze (7,660') shows its double point. An easy pass connects the short glen of the Ziirserthal with the upper end of the Klosterthal, and by that way Stuben (Post, fair, not cheap), on the W. side of the Arlberg Pass, may be easily reached in 3 hrs. from Lech by a low and easy pass at the head of the Ziirserthal. If bound for Landeck, avoid Stuben. and take a well-marked path to the I. after crossing a bridge over the main stream. In 1 hr. from the summit the old Arlberg road is reached, j hr. more takes you to the new road, and 20 m. additional to the sum- mit of the Vorarlberg Pass. The high road to Landeck (Inns : Schwarzer Adler; Goldener Adler ; Post) is described in § 34, Rte. A. Route B. BREGEXZ TO OBERSTDOEF IX JlLGAI:, BY THE BBEGEXZEE WAXD. Stunden Eng. miles Alberschwendy H m Schwarzenberg 3 9 Mellau 2i n Schoppemau . 3 9 ilittelberg 4 \i) Oberstdorf 4 11 20 57 The traveller who has reached the Lake of Constance by any one of the numerous railways that converge upon its shores, may commence a tour in the German Alps in a very agreeable man- ner, by following the route here de- scribed, passing on the way through some of the most pleasing portions of the two main valleys included in the present section. Bregenz {Inns : (Esterreichischer Hof, good and clean; Goldener Adler, or Po.-^, good ; Schwarzer Adler; Krone) is placed in frequent and rapid communication with the principal places on the Lake of Constance by the lake steamers, and besides this it will soon be connected with Ooire and Lindau by railway. Families intending to make a carriage tour in Tyrol may find it a good plan to enga.ge a vehicle here. A Lohn- 3 SUABIAN ALPS. § 41. ALGAU DISTRICT. 6 kutscher, named Kiefer, is highly recom- mended. ' He has good carriages and horses, and knows the Tyrol well ; he and his man are very careful drivers.' [G.H.S.] Bregenz is a place of great antiquity (Brigantia of the Romans), and the upper town stands on the site of the Koman castrum, one of whose gateways is still preserved. Several objects of antiquity found in the neighbourhood are still preserved in the Vorarlberger Museum. The position is very agree- able, and the little town has more wealth and resources than might be supposed from its small size and population. Thesearise chiefly from the timber trade, including poles for vines, of which mure than 2,000,000 are annually exported to the wine districts surrounding the lake. The wooded hill rising E. of the town is called Pfanneoiherg (3,485'), and also Gebhardsberg, from an ancient chapel standing on the S. end of the ridge. A German traveller advises strangers approaching the town by the Feldkirch road to ascend the hill before entering the town, carefuUy abstaining from turning round until they have reached the G-ebhardskirche, and so take their first view of the wide expanse of the lake from the open -window of a poition of the ruined castle, now used as an inn. The botanist may find the rare Carex Gaicdiniana in a marshy hollow near the pathway called Siechel- steige, and Dianthus cassius on the Kliiusberg. It has been said in the introduction that the extensive mountain region ex- tending S. and E. of Bregenz, between the Rhine and the Algau, is called Breg'Hzijr WaJd. Under that name are included districts whose diversity, obvious to the ordinary observer, closely corresponds with differences of geo- logical structure. There is however one common characteristic arising from the disposition of the mountains in nearly parallel ridges running from W. to E., or from WSW. to ENE. The minor streams follow the direction of the troughs between the parallel ridges. while the Bregenzer Ach, which unites to itself nearly all of them, follows a strangely sinuous course, as it alter- nately follows the direction of a trough, or has cut its way through the ridge which separates this from the adjoining depression. The northern portion, locally known as the Aeussere Bregen- zerwald, lies within the tertiary (mo- lasse) formation. Here the streams have cut extremely deep trenches, for the most part impassable, so that the villages and scattered houses are to a great extent isolated, and near neigh- bours can reach each other only by a long detour. This circumstance has doubtless contributed to maintain many local peculiarities in the customs, and even in the language, which is said to approach to the form of old Hoch Deutsch, in which the legendary poem of the Nibelunge Noth has been handed down. Farther south the rocks, belong- ing to the age of the English gieensand, are more compact, the ridges are higher, and the valleys, even when narrow, are usually accessible to a pedestrian. The Jura limestone, which gives their peculiar forms to the higher mountains of this district, is limited to the extreme S. end of the valley, and to a small isolated group above Mellau, whose highest sum- mit is the Mittagspitz (6,851'). The pedestrian, who is sure of tole- rably good accommodation throughout the district, owing to the number of mineral springs resorted to for drinking or for baths, may select for himself among the very numerous paths and cart-tracks that lead from one village to another, but those who wish to avail themselves of country carriages should prefer the route here described. The Bregenzer Ach descends through a deep gorge to the level of the lake on the S. side of the Gebhardsberg, but the car- riage-road at first avoids it altogether, find follows the base of the hills on the E. side of the Rhine as far a.* Schwarzach, a village (with a fair inn) standing at the point where a stream of the same name enters the valley. The road ascends in zigzags, and after ROUTE B. — BREGtSZEH WALD. passing a solitary inn at the summit level, descends into a green basin, where stands the little village of Alber- schwendy (2,178'). Here, as well as elsewhere in the Bregenzer Wald, the population is scattered in single houses or small groups, and even in populous places the village consisis of but twenty j or thirty houses, gathered round the church, the parsonage, and the inn. The pedestrian bound for Schwarzenberg may save nearly 1 hr., and gain a pleasant walk, by crossing the hill called Lorena, round whose E. base the road makes a wide circuit, descending, and fur the first time approaching the ravine of the Bregenzer Ach. In one place a rough road is carried down to a bridge, and then up the steep opposite slope to Lmgenau (Ete. C), on the N. side of the Siibers Bach, one of the principal affluents of the main stream. 8. of that torrent, and E. of the Bregenzer Ach, is Egg, a commune with two establish- ments of mineral baths. Keeping to the W. side of the valley, the road, bearing SSW., reaches Schwarzenberg, (Inns : Hirsch, good ; Sachsischer Hof), the birthplace of Angelica Kaufmann, whose name is held in great honour here. An altar-piece by her is shown in the church, and other works are, or used to be, preserved in a house, formerly the inn (Zum Lamm), whose owner was a relative of the artist. The path to Dornbirn (§ 34, Ete. A) over the Hoch- dlph (4,800') commands fine views. Beyond Schwarzenberg the valley is narrowed to a defile, forming the boun- dary between the Outer and Inner Bre- genzer Wald. Beyond the defile a branch road crosses a bridge and ascends to Bezau. On the hill above the village, at a place called Bezeck, the ancient legislative assembly of the Bregenzer Wald used to assemble on a high stage, accessible only by ladders, which were removed when the assembly was com- plete, and replaced only after a final decision on all matters in debate had 1 leeu arrived at. South of this is Rente, with an estabhshment of mineral waters, vwj of the best kept and most frequented in the district. The scenery becomes bolder as the traveller approaches Mel- lau, a ^^llage with a very fair country inn. 'DerMessner' is recommended as a guide. To the SE. rises the high limestone ridge of the Canibjiuh (6,G96'), and due S., the rather more distant parallel ridge of the Mittagspitz (6,8ol'). Two fine waterfalls — the Fluhbach and Kobel- bach — both deserve a visit. The latter, 300 ft. in height, is in a lateral glen called Melleixthal, through which the valley of the Ehine may be reached, either at Eankweil by descending through the Later nserthal, or near Dornbirn by fol- lowing a glen whose course is nearly due N. These three glens radiate from the Hohe Freschen (6,571'), an isolated sum- mit ' commanding a charming view of the whole Vorarlberg and the high Alps.' [E. M.] From Mellau the road after cross- ing to the rt. bank runs due E., close under the menacing precipices of the Canisfluh, to Schnepfau (2,364'). Here the valley bends to SE. and S. till it widens at the village of Au (with a good inn, Zum Eossli), opposite the opening of the Argenthal, a lateral glen through which the traveller may reach Eankweil by the Laternserthal, or traverse the ridge separating it from the Walserthal by a pass leading to Sontag (Ete. E). At Bamils, the chief village of the Ar- genthal, there is a tolerable inn. The carriage-road through the main valley comes to an end at Schopernau (2,954'), where the little village inn (Krone) is said to be the best in the Bregenzer Wald. The tra- veller bound for the Algau may here choose between various mountain tracks, but the easiest and most direct is that of the Starzljoch, by which he will reach in 4 hrs., or less, the Baths of Mittelberg, at the head of the glen of the Breitach, one of the chief affluents of the lUer. Although geographically a portion of the Algau, this branch of the valley belongs to Vorarlberg, and above the frontier of Bavaria is called Mitti ^bcrg, and also Walserthal, because cf ita B SUABIAN ALPS. § 41. ALGAU DISTRICT. frequent relanons with the valley of that name noticed in Rte, E. Though the population of the Mittelberg is rather considerable for so remote a district, there is nothing that can be called a vil- lage, as the houses are scattered through- out the valley. Near Hirschegg the track turns away from the stream which descends to the lower valley through an impassable cleft. After passing Rietz- len (2,815'), the path descends the rocky barrier through which the stream has cut a channel, and rejoins its banks near to a wayside inn where a wooden bar marks the Bavarian frontier. Below this spot, called Schanzl, the glen be- comes a defile which opens out again at the junction of the Starzlach with the Breitaeh. Here the path to Oberstdorf bears to the rt., crossing the lower ter- race of the mountain range that divides the Breitaeh from the Stillach, and after traversing the la*^ter stream reaches the village, for which see Rte. A. A longer way from Schopemau to Oberstdorf than that above pointed out, but offering grander scenery, is to fol- low the stream of the Bregenzer Aeh. A rather steep track mounts along the rt. bank to Hopfreben, where there is a sulphurous spring frequented by the country people. The defile becomes still narrower beyond this point, but it opens out suddenly at Schrecken (3,806', Mayr — probably higher ?), the highest village in the valley, much exposed to avalanches, with a tolerably good new inn. The village stands at the S. base of the Widderstein (8,294'), a rugged range whereon the botanist finds many rare plants ; e.g. Crepis montana and C. hyo- s>:ridlfulia. Owing to the peculiarity in the orography of this district noticed in the introduction, the head of this valley is connected by very low passes with the head of the Walserthal to the W.,and with a short branch of the Lech Thai, where stands the village of Krumbach, to the E. The latter pass affords the most direct and easiest route from the Bre- genzer Wald to the vallej- of the Lech. There is another pass leading nearly due S. from Schrecken by which the hamlet of Am Lech (see Ete. A) is reached in little more than 2 hrs. The traveller bound for Landeck may choose be- tween the -way by Krumbach, Steg, and the Kaiserjoch, or that by Am Lech and the Ziirserthal described in Rte. A. The first is rather the shorter, the latter the easier route. The shortest way from Schrecken to Oberstdorf is by Krumbach (1 hr.), and thence over the low pass called Halden- u-anger Eck (6,070'), between the Biber- kopf and the Widderstein, leading to the head of the Stillach glen. (Rte. A.) EorxE C. BEEGENZ TO SOXTHOFEX, BY THE EBE- GEXZER -WAI.D. Those "who love to follow unbeaten tracks, and to visit districts whose popu- lation has preserved its primitive usages unbroken amidst the changes that have altered so much else in Europe, can scarcely do better than devote a few days to rambling on foot through the district Ipug between the Bregenzer Ach and the Iller. With a good map and a knowledge of German, they will have no difficidty in finding their way from one place to another, but will often discover that the actual distance is very much greater than they would have in- ferred from the map. The traveller whose object is to reach the vaUey of the Iller, will have a choice amongst many different routes, most of which are practicable only for the pedestrian. He ROUTE D. — GLEN OF THE OSTRACH. 9 who prefers to travel in a wheeled ve- hicle may follow the road mentioned in the last rte,, which leads from Alber- schwendy toLingenau. A good road leads thence to Hiittisau (2,962') This stands on the flattened ridge separating the stream of the Silhembach, or Siiberach, from the Bolgenach. The district abounds in mineral springs, most of which contain alkaline salts associated with sulphur. The carriage-road is carried NNW. from Hiittisau to Krumbach (not to be confounded with the village so named in the upper Lech Thai), whence it leads to the Oberstaufen station on the road from Augsburg to Lindau. Another road crosses the Bolgenach near its junc- tion with the Weissach, and is carried NE. by Riefensberg to Staufi'ti, a small town (good inn in the market-place), near the high road from Bregenz to Immenstadt. The pedestrian who has followed the above route as far as the vaUey of the Weissach may follow that stream to its source in a glen lying on the N. side of the ridge of the Rindalpcn- horn (6,442'), and then choose between a track leading direct to Immenstadt, or another bearing to the rt. which will carry him to Seyfriedsberg (Ete. A), less than 1 hr. from Sonthofen. From Hiittisau the pedestrian may find a more direct way to Sonthofen by fol- lowing one or other of the two branches of the Bolgenach which unite a short distance above the former village. The northern branch, flowing through the Lech'tierthal, keeps a more uniform course; the more interesting route is by the S. branch, passing the village of Balderschwang. The upper portion of both valleys belongs to Bavaria. In- stead of following the Bolgenach, the ppdestrian bound for Algau may follow the glen of the Siibersbaeh to the high- est village called Sihratsgfdil. The mountain ridge dividing the head of this glen from the valley of the Iller is accessible in many directions, but the most frequented track will lead him by the Starzlach torrent to Oberstdorf (Rte. In every part of the Bregenzer Wald I the traveller is struck by the appear- I ance of comfort and independence. ' Large, roomy, well constructed houses, massive old-fashioned furniture, uni- versal cleanliness, and almost universal friendhness, leave a distinct and plea- sant recollection in the mind of the visitor. Route D. SONTHOFEN TO EETJTTE IN THE LECH THAX. Hindelang Schattwald Hbfen "Weissenbach Reutte Stunden 2 3 2 3i 2| 13 Eng. miles 6 9 6 lOJ 7i The passes described below connect- ing the Algau with the Lech Thai are traversed by a good road, which is, how- ever, not supplied with post-horses. ' In 1861 a party paid 20 Bav. florins for a carriage and two horses by this route from Immenstadt to Reutte, be- sides 2|- fl. from Hindelang to Schatt- wald for extra horses, and 1 fl. for TrinJcgdd to the driver.' [G.C.C.] Distance from Immenstadt to Reutte about 15 stunden ; time about 8 hrs. Taken in connection with the rly. from Lindau to Immenstadt, and the road from Reutte to Innsbruct described in § 42, this offers a very direct and agreeable route for travellers wishing to enter Tyrol from the Lake of Con- stance by a carriage-road. At Sonthofen (Rte. A) the road to Reutte leaves the main valley of the lUer, and ascends a little S. of E. along the valley of the Ostrach to Hindelang (2,693'), a thriving village with a good inn (Adler), perhaps the best in this dis- trict. The upper valley of the Ostrach, which may be conveniently visited from 10 SUABIAN ALPS. § 41. ALQAU DISTRICT. hence, is further noticed below, as it oflfers to the mountaineer the most in- teresting route to the valley of the Lech. Another excursion to be recom- mended is that to the wild glen of the Besondere Ach, a torrent that joins the Ostrach about 3 m. from Hindelang. The head of the glen is enclosed by bold limestone peaks exceeding 7,000 ft. in height. The high road soon after leaving Hindelang quits the Ostrach, and be- gins to ascend by zig-zags a rather steep hill, passing on the way the village of Obersdorf, not to be confused with Oberstdorf on the Iller (Rte. A). The ascent terminates at the summit of a ridge that divides the Ostrach valley from the head of the Wertach, a stream running N. to the plain of Bavaria. The pass, called Vordere Joch (3,765'), commands a fine view of the valley of the Ostrach and the glen of the Beson- dere Ach. A slight descent, and then another ascent, carries the road from the first to a second pass, called Hintere Joch, which marks the frontier between Bavaria and Tyrol. Looking eastward this overlooks a picturesque mountain basin, bright with green pastures and alpine flowers, backed by the bold liva.^- stone peaks of the&Art^5t7irojfe?i(7, 323'). There is a small establishment of mine- ral baths at Schattwald (Inn: Traube, good), a village standing in the upper part of the Vilsthal, whose torrent joins the Lech between Fiissen and Reutte after a very circuitous course, so that the road ascends the valley instead of following the course of the stream. The next village is i/ty/m (3,657'), erroneously called Tannheim on Mayr's map, as that name belongs to the whole district from Schattwald to the sources of the Vils, of which this is the principal place. It has a tolerable inn. Ascending southward from Hofen along a torrent, the traveller may visit the Jllsidjjensee, a rather large moun- tain lake, whence a path leads to the W. over a pass to the Hintersteinerthal (mentioned below). Another mountain lake, called Fraualpse^, lies at a higher 1 level SE. of the first. Both abound ' in trout. Near Hofen the road passes 1 a cleft in the mountain, called Bog- nerberg, from whence at certain times strange sounds resembling moaning or howling are heard to issue, along with blasts of air, said to be violent enough to overturn passing vehicles. These phenomena are observed to precede the approach of bad weather, and are doubt- less connected with barometric changes. E. of Hofen the valley extends for some miles nearly at a dead level. To the N. is an opening through which a stream descends to join the Vils near Steinach, while another opening at the E. end of the plateau affords a passage for the road leading to Weissenbach. It would appear that the greater part of this space was once occupied by a lake, now partly filled up, and that it may have supplied streams that flowed alternately, or even simultaneously, through both the above openings, as well as to the main channel of the Vils. Part of the basin of this former lake is still occupied by the Hcddcnsee, pictu- resquely placed at S. base of the Schaif- schroffen, and well stocked with fish, like most of the lakes of this district. The defile through which the "Weissen- bach torrent descends to join the Lech is called Pass Gacht. The scenery is very striking, especially at the junction of the Birkbach, where both torrents have cut deep clefts in the triassic rocks. The descent is rather steep, requiring caution in the driver, and the valley of the Lech is reached at the village of Weissenbach, with a fair country inn, 2^ stunden from Reutte (Inns : Post, good and reason- able ; Krone), further noticed in § 42. [The pedestrian may diverge from the route above described, and enjoy some fine Alpine scenery by turning south- ward at Hindelang and following the glen of the Ostrach. In about 1^ hr. he reaches Hinterstein, the highest village in the glen, which, however, extends to the S. for many miles, bear- ing the name Hinterstehin'thal. Above the village the torrent traverses a very ROUTE E. — WALSERTHAL. 11 deep cleft, called Eisenbrecherklamm, through which the path mounts to the upper level of the glen extending to the base of the Hoch Vogel, one of the highest peaks of this district. The traveller may rejoin the carriage-road at Hofen by a pass which will lead him by the Vilsalpensee (see above), or by following the torrent to the foot of the Hoch Vogel he may reach Forchach on the Lech (Rte. E) by a track which descends due E. along the Schwarz- wasser torrent. On the west side of the glen is a pass leading nearly due W. to Oberstdorf, and another nearer to the Hoch Vogel, by which that village is reached through the 0}i:hal. Both these passes are mentioned in Ete. A. Tiie Hoch Vogel (8,501') is said to be inaccessible from the Tyrolese side, but the summit is reached without much difficulty from the head of the Hinter- steinerthal. Crampons {Steigeisen) are said to be requisite, as the way lies for ^ hr. over a steepish slope of neve.] Route E. FELDKIRCH TO EErXTE, BY THE WAXSERTHAL AND LECH THAT. Stunden Eng. miles Satteins . 2i 7i Thuringen n Ih Blons n 5i Buchboden 3 9 Krumbach 5 12i Lechleiten U 4Jt Holzgau . 3 9 Elbigen Alp . 2i 7i Stanzach . 4 12 Weissenbach . 2i 7i Reutte 2i n SOJ 89| To the traveller looking out for an unfrequented route from Switzerland to Bavaria that here briefly described may be acceptable, although it presents no scenes of unusual interest. About two-thirds of the way are practicable in a wheeled vehicle, but on the whole it seems better suited for the pedes- trian, who, if pressed for time, may accomplish the distance in three days, sleeping at Buchboden and at Elbigea Alp. It will be obvious that either the E. or W. portions of this rte. may be easily combined with a visit to the Algau or the Bregenzer Wald (see Rtes. A and B). A short distance from Fddkirch (Inns : Post ; Engel ; both good), the traveller bound for the Walserthal quits the high road of the Arlberg (de- scribed § 34, Rte. A), and crosses to the rt, bank of the 111, where the first con- siderable village is Satteins. This may be approached from Rankweil in the valley of the Rhine by a country road passing Gofis in much less time than by Feidkirch. From Satteins the road runs along the base of the mountains to Bludesch. The picturesque scenery of the Wallgau, or lower valley of the 111, is enhanced by the remains of many old castles, and from time to time by fine views of the summits of the Rhaeti- kon Alps to the S. The very ancient church of St. Nicholas, E. of Bludesch, deserves notice. Thuringen (2,066') stands at the opening of the Walserthal. A large cotton-mill worked by powerful water- wheels was established here by two Englishmen several years ago. The track leading through the Walserthal mounts gently along the rt. bank of the Lutzbach to St. Gerold (2,520'). Here is the site of an ancient monastejy founded in the 10th century on the site of a hermitage, whither St. Gerold, a member of the ducal house of Saxony, retired from the world. In the church are shown the tombs of the saint and his two sons. N. of the village rises the Hoch Gorrach (6,415'), and on the opposite side of the valley the Frassen (6,465'). 12 SUABIAN ALPS. The next village to St. Gerold is Blons, opposite to which on the L bank is Uaggal, at the opening oitheMaruelthal, a glen running deep into the mountain range that divides the Walserthal from the Klostcrthal and terminating at the foot of the Rothewand. The hamlets and solitary houses scattered through the upper end of the Walserthal all belong to the commune of Sontag. The chief village, rather more than 1 hr. from Blons, is 2,850 ft. above the sea, and beyond it the path ascends rapidly to Buchboden, where there is a poor inn. The mineral spring of Fontanella lies on the N. slope of the valley, and there is a track passing that way to the Argenthal (Rte. B) in the Bregenzer AVald. Nearer to the track are the baths of Eothenbrunn (4,232'), "where a mountaineer might probably find night quarters. The most direct and easiest route from the Walserthal to the upper valley of the Lech is to cross the comparatively low pass at the head of the former valley leading to Schreeken at the head of the Bre- genzer Aeh (Ete. B). It is a walk oi but 1 hr. thence to Krumlach (0,481'), passing the Korbersee, which lies on the Bummit level dividing the Bregenzer Ach from the stream that descends by Warth, 1 hr. below Krumbach, to join the Lech below Lechleiten. [The mountaineer may take a course which is probably more interesting than that usually followed by the natives of the Walserthal. Opposite Buchboden a glen opens due S., and leads to the N. base of the Bothewand {S,84:T), on which peak the botanist may find Campamda cenisia. Then turning eastward he may traverse a pass lying between the Eothewand and the Ilirschenberg, and thus descend into the head of the Lech valley, and follow the course of that torrent to Lech (Rte. A) J Besides Warth and Lechleiten several hamlets are passed before reaching the fair inn at Steg (3,725'). Thence a road practicable for light carriages ex- tends down the valley till it joins the high road at Weissenbach. The first I place of any importance is Holzgau^ I formerly the seat of a considerable trade j in timber, now much reduced by the felling of the forests. There are several separate groups of houses, each having a country inn, of which the best is that at Hohenbach (3,695') — pronounced Hechenbach. Here diverges a track no- ticed in Rte. A, which leads, in 7 hrs., to Oberstdorf in Algau over theMadelejock. Below Holzgau the road crosses to the S. bank of the Lech at a point where the mountains approach the stream on ' either hand. This marks the boundary' between the portion of the valley locally called Oberlechthal, extending hence to the source of the river, and that called Unterlechthal, which terminates at Stanzach. The lower part of the valley, ! formerly belonging to Bavaria, is not [ included by the Tyrolese in the second division ; but in this work the designa- tion Lech Thai, or valley of the Lech, includes the entire course of the river I as far as Fiissen, where it enters the J Bavarian plain. The passes leading I from the Lech Thai to the vaUey of the Inn are noticed in § 42. I After passing Stockach the road re- [ turns to the 1. bank of the Lech at Lend, \ lying opposite to the opening of the [ Lendthal. Here the traveller enters the most thriving portion of the valley, passing many large and comfortable houses belonging to persons who have carried back to their Alpine home the I sa\'ing3 accumulated by trade in various I parts of Europe and America. The centre of this district is Elbigen Alp (3,515'), with a very good country inn, a handsome church, and an ancient chapel of St. Martin, built when the adjoining slopes were merely the summer resort of herdsmen from the lower valley. About 1 hr. below Elbigen Alp is U'literhofcn, where there also is an inn supplying excellent beer. Here the road crosses to the rt. bank close to the opening of the Gramaiselthal. About 1| hr. farther another glen is passed on the rt. hand, called Pfafflarthal. Both are noticed in § 42. After passing Elmen, the considerable torrent of the ZUGSPITZ DISTRICT. 13 Hornbach is seen to descend into the main valley from the W. Through the very picturesque Hornthal a path leads over a steep and rough pass to Oberst- dorf in Algau, tlirough the Oy thai (Rte. A). The portion of the Lech Thai extending hence to Weissenbach has been made unsightly by the devastations of the torrent, that has spread gravel and slime over the floor of the valley. By reducing the extend of land available for tillage, the same cause has driven a portion of the population to wander abroad in search of a livelihood. Leaving the village of Hornhach on the opposite bank, the road keeps by the rt. side of the Lech through Stanzach (3,007') and Forchach, returning to the 1. bank at Weissenbach, where the road from Immenstadt descends through the Pass Gacht into the Lech valley. 2^ hrs. farther is Reutte (§ 42, Rte. B.). A post carriage plies three times a week between that place and Steg. SECTION 42. ZUGSPITZ DISTEICT. The central portion of the Suabian Alps described in this section is clearly de- fined by the rivers Lech and Isar to the W. and E., and by the valley of the Inn and the Stanzerthal to the S. It has been raentionpd in the last section that the head waters of the Lech flow from a valley which approaches very near to the Arlberg Pass, and the track leading from Stuben to Am Lech was fixed upon as the boundary between this and the pre- ceding district. In the same way the Upper Valley of the Isar extends close to the crest of the mountains overlooking the valley of the Inn, and within 2 or 3 m. of the town of Innsbruck the herds- man looks down on the one side upon the capital of T}to1, and on the other upon one of the sources of the Isar. The na- tural break, however, in the range en- closing the valley of the Inn is marked by the Pass of Seefeld, where the road from Mittenwald to Zirl affords the easiest and most frequented route from western Bavaria to the Tyrol. The mountains included within the limits above described are formed ex- clusively of Jurassic and triassic rocks, unless it should hereafter appear that a portion of the latter ought to be referred to the Yerrucano, while another may possibly belong to the Infra-Lias of the Lombard geologists. The most consi- derable mass is that dividing the basin of the Inn from that of the Lech, and extending with no considerable depres- sion from the Arlberg Pass to Lermoos. At least two summits of this range — the Muttekopf (9,077') and the Stanzer- kopf (9,041')— exceed 9,000 ft. in height. The highest point, however, of the pre- sent district is the Zugspitz (9,716'). which crowns the comparatively small and isolatc-d group of the Wetterstein Gebirge, SW. of Partenkirch, forming the boundary of Tyrol and Bavaria. In spite of the irregularity which usually characterises the orography of limestone districts, the recurrence of ridges and valley running E. and W. in a direction transverse to that of tlj- general drainage of the district will not escape the notice of the physical geolo- gist. The G-eisthal, the middle portion of the Loisachthal, the Graswangthal, 14 SUABIAN ALPS. § 42. ZUGSPITZ DISTRICT. and the ridges by which these are en- closed, not to mention many minor glens, may serve to illustrate this observation. To the sportsman as well as the na- turalist tliis district offers many attrac- tions. Chamois as well as trout abound ; but in many places, especially in Bava- ria, they are preserved, and the stranger must obtain permission which it is not difficult to procure. Good accommodation is found at many points in this district, especially at Partenkirch and Walchensee, and the mountaineer need seldom be at a loss for tolerable quarters in the inns which are found in every village. The larger part of this district belongs to Tyrol, but the northern portion, lying in Bavaria, includes a great deal of charming scenery, and the ascent of the Zugspitz is an expedition which rivals in interest, as well as in difficulty, that of many higher and more renowned Although the great valley of the Inn, marking the natural boundary between northern and central Tyrol, as well as the geological limit between the crystal- line and sedimentary rocks, merely forms the southern limit of the district here described, it seems convenient to insert in this place the description of the tract lying between Landeck and Innsbruck. The upper course of the same river, lying chiefly in Switzerland, has been described in § 36 in connection with the central range of the Elisetian Alps. The distances charged in posting, and here adopted for the main roads, appear to the writer and to other tra- vellers to be exaggerated. EOXJTE A. LANDECK TO INKSBRUCK, BT THE INW- THAL. Imst . Silz . Telfs Zirl . Innsbruck Austrian Eng. miles miles 3 14 . 2i 111 ^ 1^1 8i llj 52| The traveller who has entered the Tyrol by the Arlberg road, described in § 34, Ete. A, or reached Landeck on the Inn by the Eoutes A or B, described in the last section, has before him one of the main valleys which give its cha- racteristic features to the orography of Tyrol. Having maintained a very direct course from its source near the Maloya Pass toPrutz (§36, Ete. A.), the Inn is there turned aside towards the NW., and after running for some miles through a tortuous channel, enters at Landeck the depression which marks the division be- tween the crystalline rocks of the central chain and the sedimentary rocks of the Suabian Alps. The valley of the Inn is traversed by a high road connecting Innsbruck with the E. of Switzerland by the Arlberg Pass, and with the valley of the Adige by the defile of Pinster- miinz. Besides the diligence (Eilwagen) car- rying passengers in 25 hrs. from Bregenz to Innsbruck, a country omnibus (Stell- wagen) starts daily from Landeck for Innsbruck. The fare is, or was, only 2flor. The post-road to Innsbruck follows the rt. bank of the Inn through a rich level tract abounding in fruit-trees till the river is crossed by a wooden bridge at Za-ms (2,725'), a thriving village with a cotton-mill, schools, and a convent of sisters of charity. About ^ m. to the 1. is the hamlet of Letz on the Letzerhach, a torrent descending from the Matrioljoch (Ete. C). There is a curious waterfall here, approached only by permission of a miller, whose water-wheel is turned by the torrent, and who receives a small ROUTE A. UPPER INNTHAL. 15 fee from visitors. The water descends with extreme rapidity, but without breaking into foam, through a steep cleft into a deep hollow caldron, where it boils with extreme fury. Parallel to the Letzerbach there formerly existed a. strong wall with high towers, said to have been intended to resist the incur- sions of the SwisS' into the valley of the lun. The lower tower has fallen into the river, and another has been converted into a dwelling-house. The mountains in this part of the main valley descend in very bold and varied forms to the banks of the Inn. On the rt. bank the eastle of Kronburg crowns a sharp py- ramidal summit, and in the background rises the bold peak of the Tschiirgant be- yond Imst. As the road passes under the rock of Kronburg the valley is nar- rowed to a mere defile, but it opens somewhat at the hamlet of Starkenbach, where a track mounts through a glen of the same name leading to the Lech Thai (Rte. C). [The pedestrian not overpressed for time may reach this point in the valley i by a more interesting way than the high road if he will mount from Zams by the hamlets of Revenal and Christ to tlie : pilgrimage church of Kronburg, standing with a few houses and a countr}- inn on | the saddle which connects the bold rock above mentioned with the mass of the Venetberg. The castle may be reached \ in ^ hr. from the church. From the j same point the traveller may descend in j i hr. and rejoin the post-road at Stark- { enbach.] Beyond Mils the road ascends along j a steep wall of arenaceous (triassie?) limestone, which at some points has been \ carved into singular forms by the action of the elements. This was one among ■ many points in the valley where the j French troops sufferpd severely in 1809. | The road turns somewhat away from the j river at the opening of the Gurglthal, ' where stands the prosperous village of Imst (Inn : Post, good, the best in j the Oberinnthal), 2,696 ft. above the | sea. The position of the village, on rising ground overlooking the junction of the Gurgl torrent with the Inn, is very picturesque. To the NW. rises the Mjitti'kopf (9,077')> probably the highe.st summit of the range on the S. side of the Lech Thai, easy of access, and from its central position commanding an ad- mirable panoramic view. In the back- ground of the Gurglthal are seen the pale spectral form of the Sonnenspitze, one of the highest peaks of the hmestone range of the Mundistock. Immediately E. of the village is the bold summit of the Tschiirgant (7,545'), terminating the ridge which divides the Gurglthal from the main valley. The ascent from this side is said to be steep, but from its position the mountain ought to command a fine view. The most conspicuous summit on the opposite side of the Inn is the Wildgrat- Jcogi-l (9,751'), dividing the lower part of the Pitzthal (§ 48, Rte. F.) from the (Etzthal. A short walk to the Gungl- griin may be recommended to those who have a couple of hours to spare at Imst. The hamlet commands a charming view, and the little inn is resorted to for breakfast on account of its excellent milk and cream. Imst suffered cruelly in 1822 from a fire which destroyed the church and 216 houses. The trade in canarj'-birds, once very considerable, and extending over a great part of Europe, has all but com- pletely disappeared, but new branches of industry have taken its place. By a very slight detour the traveller bound for Innsbruck may follow the road to Nassereit by the Gurglthal, and rejoin the Innthal at Telfs ; but the dili- gence follows the main road along the Inn valley, which is equally interesting. See Routes B. and F. About 1 m. from the village a little chapel marks the spot where that excellent mountaineer and naturalist, the late King of Saxony, was killed by being thrown from his carriage when on his way to explore the Pitzthal. After passing Karres the high road bends to the 1., and winds round the base of the Tschiirgant, when a vast tract of debris and gravel spread over the floor of the valley announces the junction of 16 SUABIAN ALPS. § 42. ZUGSPITZ DISTRICT. the important torrent from the CEtzthal with the Inn. It is evident that at some former period, or possibly at recurring intervals, the masses borne down from the central range either by water or ice have sufficed to throw a dam across the main valley and hold back the stream of the Inn until this has been able to clear away the barrier. From one part of the road the traveller gains a tine vista along the valley of the Inn, and the contrast between the limestone peaks of the Hohe Mundi and the Solstein to the N. and the crystalline rocks foi-ming the mountain range on tlie S. of the valley must strike even the least observant eye. The CEtzthal, the most important of the tributary glens of the Inn valley, is described in § 48, Rte. B. The rough char-road leading to (Etz and Umhau- sen crossea the Inn some way above its junction with the ton-ent from the Oetz- thal, and follows a track that passes the village of Eoppen. In approaching the Oetzthal from Innsbruck, the traveller turns aside to the 1. 3 m. below the junction, at Haimingcn. Here the post- road from Landecic crosses to the 1. bank of the Inn, and then passes beneath a rocky eminence planted with fine lime trees, on which stands the venerable Castle of Peter.sberg, better known in history as the Welfenburg, Its story is that of the princely and noble houses that have in turn ruled this portion of the valley. It was in turn the birthplace and the prison of Margaret Maultasch, Countess of Tyrol, the wife of John, King of Bohemia ; and after passing through many changes of ownership has descended to Count Wol- kenstein, whose possessions are found in many other parts of the T}Tolese Alps. Sdz (Inns : Post, good ; and several others) has an air of prosperity and comfort that is common to most of the villages of the valley. A little farther on is ]Motz, where the Inn becomes navi- gable for barges and timber-rafts. Keep- ing to the rt. bank the road soon reaches Stamhs, where a remarkable monument of early ecclesiastical architecture well deserves a passing nsit. The present monastery and church occupy the site of a convent founded in 1271 by Elizabeth, the mother of Conradin, the last of the house of Hohenstaufen. She did not long survive the murder of her son, and was buried here in 1273. Enriched by subsequent rulers of the Tyrol the build- ing w-as enlarged, and became a stately Cistercian monastery, where Maximilian I. often resorted. Great hunting par- ties issued from the oak woods that sur- rounded the monastery, and on the open lawn before tlie building he received the ambassadors from Sidtan Bajazet. when they came to demand the hand of his sister Kunigund as Christian wife of the would-be Christian successor of the Caliphs. The present monastery and church are comparatively modern, the former building having been destroyed by fire in 1593 ; but some curious an- cient paintings were preserved, espe- cially an altar-piece executed in the 14th century by the then abbot. The chief object of interest is the crypt, wherein are preserved the monuments of twenty- nine royal and princely personages, whose remains are here preserved. These are divided into three compartments, corresponding to as many remarkable periods of TjTolese history. In the first compartment are the monuments of the last male members of the line of the Counts of Tyrol and Goritz, whose bodies were removed hither from the Castle of Tyrol, the cradle of their race. Along with them lies the foundress, Elizabeth, wife of the Emperor Conrad IV. In the second compartment are preserved the remains of Frederick IV., surnamed of the Empty Purse, near to the i Alpine retreat in the "(Etzthal where he lay long concealed from his enemies — not far from Landeck where, disguised as a minstrel, bestirred the brave hearts of the Tyrolese by the story of the wrongs and misfortunes of himself, their right- ful prince— in the midst of the Inn val- ley where he achieved the final triumph over his powerful foes. Beside him are the tombs of his two wives and four I children. In the third compartment rest I the bodies of Sigismund and his wife RO L'TE A. — MARTIN S WAND. Eleanor of Scotland, and of seven princes of his hoiise. The next village to Stambs is Bietz, standing beside a destructive torrent that descends from the Hochcder Spitz (9,157')) ^ peak commanding a fine pa- noramic view. .Soon after the road re- turns to the 1. bank of tlie Inn, and reaches T, a large viUage (2,026') with a good country inn. As in most places in Tyrol, the church deserves a visit. It contains frescoes of more than average merit, by Zoller. a native of this village, which gave birth also to the well-known painter Joseph Schopf, and to some sculptors of local repute. The position of Telfs at the S. base of the Hohe Mundi is very picturesque. The best view of the neighbourhood is gain- ed from the Calvarienberg. At Telfs the road from Kempten by Fiissf^n and Nas- sereit (Rte. B) enters the valley of the Inn, and travellers from Imst who have made the slight detour by the latter village here rejoin the main road. The post-road from Telfs to Innsbruck keeps all the way by the 1. bank of the Inn, but there is a tolerable country road by the rt. bank, called the Salz- strasse. The shortest way for the pe- destrian coming from Imst is to follow the latter as far as Zirl, turning off fi'om the main road at the bridge above Telfs, and avoiding the latter village. Following the high road, we leave on the 1., near Telfs, the hamlet of Brand, whence a track is carried over a low pass, called Boden, in the range of the Mundistock, and leads in 1^ br. to the Leutasch Glen (Rte. F). The road after traversing an open space in the main valley is obliged to cling to the rocks at a point where the river flows at the foot of the mountain. Then follows the ham- let of Flatten, whence a rough cart-track passes by Mosern to Seefeld on the high road from Zirl to Mittenwald. Zirl (Inns: Fost ; Lowe) is a village 2,039 ft. above the sea, ever since Roman times a centre of considerable traffic. The deep gap between the range of the Mundistock and the Solstein (form- ing the natural division between the two N. T. * mountain groups described in this and the following sections) opens the portal tlirough which the highway to Bavariw. described in Rte. D, here leaves th» valley of the Inn. Near to Zirl are two ancient castles, both hunting-seats of that inveterate sportsman the Emperor Maximilian. Northward near the Seefeld road is the Fragenstein, a picturesque object as seen from the village. Eastward is the Martinsbiihel, on an eminence overlook- ing the river, and commanding a noble view through the main valley. It is said to occupy the site of a Roman fort, Roman milestones marked the distances on the road to Seefeld ; one of them is preserved in the Museum at Innsbruck. In Tyrol the name Obcr Innthcd is ap- plied to the portion of the valley of the Inn lying between Landeck and the foot of the Martinswand below Zirl, while the tract extending thence to Ivufstein is called JJnUr Innthal. The ascent of the Solstein (8,649') is an excursion mxicli recommended, the mountain being more easy of access from this side than from Innsbruck. The shortest and least laborious way is by the Galtalp, but a more interesting route is said to Le by a path turning off from the high road to Innsbruck at a wayside inn, called Kranebitten. After climbing, partly by ladders, through -a singular cleft called Schwefelloch, the traveller reaches the pastures of the Zirler Alp, where he may pass the night. The view from the top is remarkable. On every side a girdle of peaks, with the contrast between the rugged limestone rocks of the Suabiau Alps, and the snow-covered pyramidal summits of the (Etzthal, Stubay, and Zillerthal groups. Almost at the travellers feet he peers down into the streets of the city of Innsbruck, and overlooks the busy val- ley of the Inn, the flow of the river, and the traffic on its roads, for a distance of fully fifty miles. Nearly opposite to Zirl is the opening of the Selrainerthal, described in § 49, Rte. B. The object which chiefly arrests th<» 18 SUABIAN ALPS. § 42. ZUGSPITZ MSTRICT. notice of the stran^rer going from Zirl to Innsbruck is the Mariinswand. This name is given to the almost vertical precipice at the base of the Solstein, ■which supports the pastures cf the Zirler Alp. The narrow space through whicli the river passes at the foot of the rocks, while the road is carried along their lower ledges, has naturally been se- lected as a stronghol d by th e natives of the valley in their heroic struggles against French or Bavarian invaders ; but the spot is best remembered as the scene of a well-known adventure in the life of the Emperor Maximilian. Losing his footing somewhere near the summit of the rock, which rises 1,832 ft. above the Inn, the rash sportsman was sliding or rolling down the fearful precipice, when some projecting bush or rock arrested his fall, and enabled him to hold on with the energy of desperation just above the point where the declivity becomes a mere wall, inaccessible even to the foot of the chamois. There he hung, Holy Eoman Emperor as he was, and though a crowd of faithful subjects gathered at the foot of the precipice, no help was to be had. His strength was fast ebbing away, prayers were put up as for a man upon his death-bed, when a shout was heard from above ; a human figure was seen to descend, to pass along ledges so narrow as to be scarcely per- ceptible from below, till it approached the almost despairing monarch. An .angel I an angel! was the cry among the crowd, and even now the belief lingers among tlie people of the vaUey. It was a hunter named Zips, whose skill and courage as a cragsman saved the Emperor in his utmost peril. A steady head and strong arm will not only carry a man over many a spot that seems inaceessib'e, but enable him to give esse-ntial aid to a companion not absolutely rendered helpless by weak- nr-iss or nei'vousness. The stout heart of ^Maximilian was not likely to give May at such a time, and it is certain ♦hat he escaped unhurt. An uncertain tradition affirms that the bold hunter ■was rewarded by a patent of nobility. with the title of Hollauer von Hohen- felsen, in memory of the loud halloo by which he announced his approach when he had perceived the Emperor's perilous case. There is more direct evidence for the fact that the latter paid to his preserver an annual pension of IG flo- rins. On the way to Innsbruck the geologist will not fail to remark the vast dimen- sions of the beds of gravel and rolled blocks which must have extended across the valley of the Inn at a period geo- logically very recent. It is an agree- able drive uf about 8 m. from Zirl to Innsbruck (Inn : CEsterreichischer Hof, Goldene Sonne, both tolerably good, the former ranking highest ; H. de TEiirope, new, close to the rail- way station ; Goldeoer Adler. old- fashioned ; Hirsch ; Lowe ; Goldene Stern on the ]. bank of the Inn, good and reasonable). The capital of Tyrol can bo'ist of a site such as fe^- cities in Europe can rival. It does not, indeed, like Turin, command a horizon girdled by the range of the snowy Alps, nor are its walls, like those of Geneva or Lucerne, washed by the azure waters of a lake, in which the distant background is mirrored; its position may rather be compared with that of Coire, or Villach, or Trent, or Aosta, or Susa — all, like it, lying in a broad Alpine valley, wherein the rich vegetation of the lower zone is brought into close contrast with the sternness of the impending mountain summits. In the height and boldness of the sitrrounding peaks Innsbruck surpasses all save the two last-named rivals ; but here the prevailing hues are different, and a brighter verdure replaces the rich brown and dehcate grey tints that predomi- nate in the Italian valleys. Although essentially a German city, it has bor- rowed something in the style of its con- struction from Italy, with which it haa I from the earliest times held constant ! intercourse by the adjoining pass of the Brenner, the lowest and easiest of access of all the passes of the Alps. The ancient bridge, 1,882 ft. above the ROUTE A. INNSBRUCK. 19 8ea, whence the city takes its name, and the modern suspension bridge lead- ing to Miihlau, command excellent views of the surrounding mountains, amongst which the Solsteiu is pre-eminent. Innsbruck has most of the appur- tenances of a provincial capital — a palace, with adjoining public gardens, a university, a new theatre, an academy of music, a casino, with a reading-room liberally opened to strangers, and a museum, called the Ferdinandeum. The latter institution, founded by Count Chotek, well deserves a visit. It in- cludes, along with a few good pictures by ancient masters, some creditable specimens of native art by little-known Tyrolese painters. Some antiquities, relics of Hofer, and other objects of sides of the sarcophagus are adorned with twenty-four elaborate bas-reliefs in white marble. All but four of these were the work of Alexander Collin, of Mechlin, who here proved his claim to rank in the highest class of mediaeval sculptors. He is said to have received for each of them the moderate sum of 240 floniis. As the visitor must pay a small fee t(.» the guardian who remoA'es the screens with which they are habitually covered, it is unnecessary to enumerate the sub- jects represented in these remarkabl" works, which combine extreme, almost excessive, accuracy and delicacy of detail with a fine sense of pictorial effect. It may strike the visitor as strange, that in the series of marble pictures designed local interest are also to be seen, as | to illustrate the life of Maximilian well as specimens of native manufacture i his romantic adventure on the ~M'dT and handici-aft. There is also a good col- lection of Tyrolese minerals and fossils, and a pretty complete herbarium of the local flora. In connection with the museum, a periodical publication (called Ferdinandeum) has contained much in- teresting information, chiefly connected with natural science. Among the numerous churches the first in rank — the Pfarrkirche — contains little of interest except a small picture by Lucas Cranach, which is regarded with peculiar veneration. It is inserted, as in a frame, in a larger modern work by Schopf. The great object of artistic and anti- quarian attraction is the tomb of the Emperor Myximilian, contained in the Franciscan church of the Holy Cross. This, along with the other works men- tioned below, amply desei-\'es the careful examination of every stranger visiting the city. The architecture of the church presents a feeble combination of guthic and renaissance stjdes, characteristic of the middle of the 16th century, when it was built. Attention is at once con- centrated upon the massive marble sar- cophagus standing in the centre of the church, and .'jupporting the kneeling figure of Maximilian in bronze, witli the face turned towards the high altar. The * c tinswaud, almost within sight of the church, should have been omitted. Of less artistic merit, but imposing from their colossal size and the poetical idea which they embody, are the bronze figures ranged around the church hs guardians of the tomb of the deceased Emperor. In accordance with the ide;--s of the time, there stand here, along with the relatives and immediate ancestors of the Imperial dead, several of the semi-legendary heroes whose names were held in reverence in the popular faith of the middle ages. Beginning at the left hand, and going round the nave, the statues hold the following order: — I. Joanna of Spain, mother of Charles V. 2. Ferdinand of Aragon, father of the last. 3. Kunigund, sister of Maximilian. 4. Eleanor of Portugal, his mother. 5. Mary of Burgundy, his first wife, daughter of Charles the Bold. 6. Elizabeth, wife of Albert II. 7. Godfrey of BouiUon. 8. Albert I., Duke of Austria. 9. Frederick (surnamed 'With the Empty Purse'\ Count of Tv- rol. 10. Leopold III., Dr.ke of Au.«tria. II. Rudolph, Count of Habsburg. grand- father of Pudolph I., the first Emperor of th;it line. 12. St. Leopuld.' 13, Frederick III., father of Maximilian. 14. Albert II. 15. Philip the Good, 20 SUABIAN ALPS. § i-2. of Burfiundy. 16. Charles the Uold, .sou o£ ijic iast. 17. Cymburgis, wife K)i Ernest, the Iron- hearted. 18. ilargaret, daughter of MaxMnilian. 19. Biancii Maria Sforza, his second, wife. 20. Sigismund, Count of Tyrol. L51. King Arthur of England. 22. Theobert, Duke of Burgundy. 23. Ernest the Iron-hearted. 24. Theodoric, Kingof theOstragoths. 25. Albert the Wise, Ddce of Austria. 26. Eudolph I. uf Habsburg. 27. Philip I. of Spain, son of Maximilian. 28. Clo\'is, the first Christian King of the Franks, Attached to the church is the Silver Chapd — so called from a silver image of the Madonna — designed by its founder, Fe>rdinand II., as a mausoleum for him- self and his wife, the beautiful Philippina Welser. The rechning figures seen on the two monuments, and four bas- reliefs on that of Ferdinand, scarcely inferior to those on the tomb of Maximilian, have been attributed, to the same artist, Alexander Collin. Those on the tomb of Philippina are by an inferior hand. In the same building with these memorials of the great is the modern monument to thv^. peasaut- heroof Tyrol, Andreas Hofer. His bones were removed hither from Mantua in 1823, and in 1834 a marble statue in the national custume was placed over the grave. There are two or three imusually good booksellers' shops in Innsbruck. The usual hire paid fur a carriage to Amras is 2 florins ; to the Martinswand, 4:^ fl. ; xo Schonberg on the Erenner road, 4^ fl. Innsbruck is the centre towards which converge several of the most important lines of communication of SW. Germany. By the railway to Kufstein and Eosen- heim. it is connected on the one hand with Salzburg, on the other with Munich, ajid that over the Brenner brings it within a few hours of Verona. The roa the 1. from the head ot the glen (path partly overgrown with Kiunnnholz), the t<'p of the ZaiiiSerjoch, commanding a fiiie view, is reached in 2^ hrs. The descent may be shoitened by leaving the path where it lur; s to W. through a laieral glen, and 3 hi'S. or less sutfice to reach Starhenhach, about half-way between Imst and Landeck. (See Rte. A.) 5. By the Lendthal. The Lendthal, also called Madauthal, lies opposite the hamlet of Lend, between Holzgau and Elbigen Alp. About 2 hrs. from the opening the track reaches Madau. Here three torrents, from as many different branches of the glen, meet together. The middle branch, called Parseyer- thal, leads to tiie Farscyirspitz, which must command a fine view of the neigh- bouring valleys. The rt. hand or SW. branch, called A/penschomrihnl, is tra- j versed by a path which after crossing the I ridge at its head descends to Schnaun, I on the Arlberg road, abotit 12 m. above . Landeck. In descending from the pass ' the traveller passes through the remurk- 26 SUABIAN ALPS. § 42. ZUGSPITZ DISTRICT. able cleft called the Scknauner Klamm. The direct wa}'- from Madau to Landeck lies through the 1. hand or SE. branch of the Lendthal, called Eeththal, at the head of -which is the Matrioljoch. The descent is through the Matriolthal, drained by the Letzerbach, and the path before reaching the high road near Landeck passes the remarkable water- fall mentioned in Ete. A. Further information as to all the passes above mentioned is much de- sired. In fine weather they must com- mand very favourable "v-iews of the STiowy range of the QEtzthal Alps, A traveller wishing to see the head of the Lech Thai, and not objecting to a detour, may go by Lechleiten and Stuben, or else by Steg and the Kaiser- joch. See § 41, Rte. A. EOTJTE D. MrXICH TO INNSBRUCK, BY PAETENKIBCH. Starnberg Weilheim Mumau . Partenkirch Mitten wald Peefeld . Zirl . Innsbruck Post miles 3i miles 16i 15 % l?l 21i Railway to Starnberg ; post-road thence to Innsbruck ; Bavarian miles as far as Mitten- wald, Austrian miles from that place to Inns- bruck. For the lake steamer, see below. Since the opening of the rly. to Starn- berg, and the establisliment of a steamer on the lake, the Starnberger See has become the favourite outlet of Munich, and many villas belonging to the gentry and citizens stud its shores. Trains run three or four times a day in one hour from the capital to the village of Starnberg (Inns: Pellet; Tutzinger Hof; Post), and in connection with the first morning train a diligence or post- omnibus runs, or did run, to Mitten- wald. It travels slowly (53 m. in more than 11 hrs.), and, except from the coup6, the traveller sees nothing of the beautiful scenery through which he passes. In this part of Eavaria the most agreeable mode of travelling is to post. If not overburdened with luggage, the traveller will be provided at each station with a neat and com- fortable open carriage, and the open spaces of green pasture broken by clumps of pine forest will often give him the im- pression that he is driving through an English park. Such is the general cha- racter of the scenery between Starnberg and the to^vn of WeilheiiH (Inns : Post, good ; Braii- wastl). Besidesthediligenceabove men- tioned, an omnibus runs three times daily to the rly. station. About 7 m. to the SW. is the isolated hill called Hohe- Peissenberg (3,231'), rising about 1,000 ft. above the plain, and commanding a view of surprising extent considering its very moderate height. The omnibus plying from Weilheim to Pelting (Ete. E) passes by the N. base of the hill, whence the summit is reached in | hr. Beyond Weilheim the road to Innsbruck is carried due S., and after passing be- tween two small lakes— Staflfelsee and Eiegsee — roaches Mumau (Inns : Post, good ; Gries braii), a clean thriving market-town, which has been almost destroyed by fixe three different times within thirty years. Instead ot following the post road ROUTE D. — PARTENKIRCH. 27 many travellers prefer to reach 3Iurnau by the steamer on the Lake of Starnhcrg (1,947'), also called WurmSce, from the name of the petty stream "srhich drains it. Though one of the largest lakes in Ger- many — 15 m. long, 3 to 4 m. in width — it is fed by none but a few trifling rivu- lets, as the drainage of the surrounding district is carried off either by the Isar to the E. or the Amper on the W. side. The lake is enclosed by low hills, on whose slopes are many villas surrounded by gardens or parks. The scenery would be tame were it not for the bold forms of the Bavarian and Tyrolese Alps forming a noble background to the picture. A small steamer plies twice a day from Starnberg, making the circuit of the lake. The traveller bound for 3Iurnau will land at Seeshai'.pt (good dinners, with fine lake-fi.sh, at the inn near the landing-place), the village at the S. end of the lake. Omnibuses run from hence to Murnau and Parteukirch, to Bene- dictbuiern and Kochel (Rte. G), and to Tolz (for Tegernsee). It is prudent to Fecure places in these omnibuses on board the steamer. The road from Murnau to Partenkirch is carried for the most part along the 1. bank of the Loisach. For several miles a tract of morass lies on the "W. side of the road, which fairly enters among the mountains at Eschenlohe (a good road- side inn). On a projecting rock are some remains of the ancient castle of the Counts of Eschenlohe, whose line became extinct at the beginning of the 13th century. Here the valley of the Loisach is contracted between the base of the Krottenkojpf (6.882') to the E., and the Ettalcr Mandl (5,798'). At Oberau (very good inn) the valley, which seems the fiiled-up bed of an ancient lake, opens out, and the road from Am- mergau (Ete. E) joins our rte. About 3 m. farther the road crosses the Loisach near the ruined castle of "Wer- dentVls, and soon leaving the river on the rt. hand reachfS Partenkirch (Inns : Post, good, civil people ; Biir ; Braiihaus ; Stern), an ancient town beaiitilully situated, 2,369 ft. above the sea, in the neighbourhood of the highest peaks of the Bavarian Alps. It is frequented by visitors in summer, and the inns are sometimes ' full. Fair quarters and very reasonable prices are to be had at the inn 'Zum Husaren,' in the adjoining village of Garmisch. The sportsman or naturalist who would halt here to explore the neighbourhood may find clean and com- fortable lodgings in private houses. The stranger who would learn something of the national manners and dialect should < visit the Gaitzimmer, or common tap- room, of a large inn in the evening, \ especially on a holiday. Music, singing, and the characteristic national dances I are kept up till a rather late hour. The woollen jackets, called Juppen, are now often bought by strangers, but seldom found ready-made. Tliey are verv warm and extremely cheap (costing about 8*.). About a mile from the little town is ! Kainzinbad, or Ivanitzerbad, a bathing i establishment frequented for its slightly sulphurous spring. There are many j spots in the neighbourhood commanding j fine views : of those near at hand the j St. Antonskapelle is probably best de- serving a visit. ' The most interesting excursions from Partenkirch are those which penetrate the recesses of the Wettersteingebirge, especially those to the Baintlial and Hollenthal, noticed in Ete. F. A short afternoon stroll may be made to the Partnachklamm. The Partcnach torrent issues from the Painthal, being fed by the glaciers at its head, and joins the Loisach between Partenkirch and Garmisch. A country road is carried some way alung the stream ; following this, the stranger finds a fingerpost directing him to the ' Klarr.mbriicke.* This is a wooden bridge thrown over the chasm cut by the torrent at 222 ft. above its level, and commands a rem.irkable view. Ascending for 10 min. from the bridge and bearing to the 1., the travel- ler reaches a woodman's cottage, 'Auf dem Graseck,' where refreshments may be had. So far the walk (going and returning) will take about 2 hrs. Those SUABIAN ALPS. § 42. ZUGSPITZ DISTRICT. who have no objection to double that distance may go from the Graseck to a point called Ecklauer, and return to Partenkireh by the Kainzerbad. The Krottenkoiif (6,882') is often as- cended for the sake of its extensive pano- ramic view, which embraces six or seven lakes and a wide range of Alpine sum- mits. The wa}- is by the Esterbergalp, where Alpine fare and hay for night- quarters are found. The best guide at Partenkireh is Reindl, surnamed ' Der Spadill.' He is an intelligent man, and has drawn up a short account of the various mountain excursions in the neighbourhood of Partenkireh. Joseph Koserof Garmisch and his brother have been recommended. The first is a good guide, but exacting and tricky in money matters. Between Partenkireh and Mittenwald the high road passes from the valley of the Loisach to that of the Isar through one of those troughs running E. and W. which ai'e characteristic uf the orography of this district. The road ascends from Partenkireh to the watershed, but on the E. side the descent is very slight. On entering the valley of the Isar, which ehows a broad expanse of green mea- dows, the road bends to SE., and soon peaches Mittenwald (Inn: Post, pretty good, not equal to those at Partenkireh or "Walchensee), a large village on the 1. bank of the Isar, 3^010 ft. above the sea, lying in the deep cleft that divides the E. end of the Wetterstein range from the W. extremity of the Karwandlge- birge, further noticed in § 43. The highest summit of this range - the Kar- wdndhpitz (8,259') — rises very boldly at the E. end of the range, and is not so •well seen from Mittenwald as from more distant points. This mountain village derives considerable profits from the fabrication of violins, guitars, and other stringed instruments, which are chiefly exported to England and America. S. of Mittenwald the road follows the nearly level course of the Isar, crossing that stream before it receives from SW. the torrent from the Leutaschthal (Rte. E). The frontier between Bavaria and Tyrol follows the crest of the mountains on either side, but extends a short way southward through the valley to a point where it is contracted to a naiTOw defile, called in the middle ages Porta Claudia, from a fortress built by Claudia de' Me- dici, widow of Ferdinand V., Count of Tyrol. In 1805 a small garrison of 600 Austrians repulsed a first attack made on this strong position by 13,000 French troops under Ne}', but finally capitulated, whereupon the fort was razed to the ground. On crossing the frontier the road enters tlie village of Scharnitz (3,138'), which gives its name to the defile. Extra horses are taken here for the asceiTt to Seefeid. Near the village the Isar is formed by the junction of the torrents flowing westward from three parallel glens — Karwandlthal, Hinterau- thal, and Gleirscherthal, further noticed in § 43, Rte. G. Through the last the mountaineer may find a direct but la- borious way to Innsbruck. At Scharnitz the road quits the banks of the Isar, and begins to ascend along the Raabach, a stream which flows to- wards NE. from the plateau of Seefeid. Erom several points, especially from the ruined castle of Schlossberg, there are fine views of the Ivarwandl range to NE., and the Hohe Mundi to "W. St'rfdd (Inn : Post) stands at 3,900 ft. on tm flattened summit of a broad col dividing the range of the Mundi Stock, or Miemingergebirge, fi'om that of the Solstein. The bituminous shales of the neighbourhood yield a considerable quantity of petroleum. A country road leads hence nearly due W. to Telfs, about 9 m. distant. The road to Innsbruck now turns SSE. and begins to descend towards the valley of the Inn. the declivity on this side being much longer and steeper than towards Scharnitz. After numerous zigzags that afford pleasing views of the broad vaUey below, the traveller passes beneath the remaining tower of Maximilian's castle of Fragenstein, and reaches Zirl. For the road thence to Inne- bruck, see Rte. A. ROUTE E. — AMMERGAU. 29 Routs E. MTXICH TO PARTENKIECH, BY AMMERGATJ. Bavar. Eng. miles miles Tnning . tl 19^ Bayerdiessen . 3H Weilheim 2 H Pelting . 3i lo Ober Ammergau 4 ISi Partenkirch . . 2 9i The chief stream flowing northward from the Alps through the plain of Bavaria between the Lech and the Isar is that which drains the Ammersee. On issuing from the lake the river is called Am per, but in its upper course from the mountains to the lake it is known as the Amnur, and the valley as the Ammerthal, except its uppermost ex- tremity, locally called Graswang Thai. Ammergau, the chief place in the valley, has of late become well-known in England from some interesting ac- counts of the singular dramatic repre- sentations of the Passion and Crucifixion which are here periodically repeated at decennial intervals. Except at such periods the valley is rarely visited by strangers, although it was in the middle ages the common route for Venetian merchants travelling to Augsburg, the portion between Peiting and Ettal Ijcing, in truth, on the direct line from that city to Innsbruck. The Ammersee is reached directly by the post-road from Munich, tiu-iuif. h Pfaffenhofen (post-station) to Inni.g, close to the N. end of the lake ; or the same place may be reached by a cross- road from the Malsach station on the line from ]\Iunich to Augsburg — distance about 12 m. A bettfr way than either of these to reach Inning is to take a country road from Starnberg (reached by rly. from Municli), pass the castle of Seefeld at the NE. end of the Fihensre, and round the S. and W. shores of ihe silent Worth- see girdled by forest. The scenery of the Ammersee is pleasing, but not equal to that of the Lake of Starnberg- There is a tolex-able country road along the W. shore to Bcu/trdiessen (more commonly called Diessen), a post-station, whence runs a good road to Fischen, Pahl, and Weil- heim. The traveller who has preferred to traverse the lake in a boat may land at Fischen, and there join the last- named road. On a height above the E. shore of the lake he will observe the convent and ruins of the castle of Andecks, which in the 11th and 12th centuries was the seat of the powerful famil}- who bore that name. At "Weilheim (Rte. D) the road from Starnberg to Murnau approaches close to the Ammer, but the traveller intend- ing to reach the upper part of that river will either follow the post-road to Pdting (Inn is, or used to be, excel- lent), leaving the Hohe Peissenberg on his 1. hand between him and the river, or else will take a country road by the rt. bank, but mostly at a distance from the stream, passing through Bobing, and rejoining the post-road from Peiting at Eottenhach. Before reaching that place, the valley of the Ammer, which for 8 or 9 m. had followed an upward coiu'se nearly due W., makes a sharp turn, and thence to Ettal the general direction is always SSE. The hamlet of Echelsbach contained in former times a very large inn, or caravanserai, whereat travellers from the south, choos- ing for greater safety to move in a numerous company, halted on the way to Augsburg. Beyond this the road di- verges eastward from the Ammer, passea 30 SUABIAN ALPS. § 42. ZUGSPITZ DISTRICT. Bayersoyen and Savlgrub, rejoining the stream, and crossing to the 1. bank before it reaches IJnter Amiaergau (2,6o9'). For some distance below the villiige the yalley has been enclosed between mountains of considerable height, though less bold in form than those lying nearer to its head. To W. is the range of the Trauch- herg, culminating in the Rolie Bhichberg (5,372'), while on the opposite side the highest summit is the An f acker (5, 1 32'). It is said that good country inns are found here as well as at Oher Araiiu-rgau (2,762'), 3 m. farther Tip the valley. This, the principal village of the valley, stands close to the base of the Kofel (whence the Eoman name of the station, Arces Covelicse?), the E. extremity of a high range ext'^nding due W., parallel to the Trauchberg, nearly to Hohenschwangau (Rte. B). Its highest peak is t!]e Klanvnsjpitz (6.840'\ The Ettaler Mandl (5,798'), on the E. side of the valley, is exactly in the prv^longatiun of the axis of this range. The population here are largely employed in the pi-oiluction of carved ware (Germ. Schnitzwaaren) in wood and stag's-horu, and are also painters on glass. It has been reasonably con- jectured that the education thus indi- rectly conveyed has contributed to the : singular artistic merit of the represen- j tati.jn of the Passion, for which this I village is now widely knoM-n, and which I led hither an extraordinary concourse 1 of strangers on the last occasion when | it was publicly given. The unanimous rejiort of eye- witnesses declared the performance to have been relieved from what would otherwise have been incongruous and offensive byi thi- genuine i'aith and earnestness of the ' performers, while its pc^sitive merit in an artistic sense sui passed all expecta- tion. In the year fixed for the purpose, the representation is repeated in the open air on every Sunday and Monday during the heiglit of summer. Ober Ammergau is hut 2 hrs. from Oherau, on the road from Murnau to Purteukiich. The way iies through a j deep depression on the E. side of the I Ettaler 3IandI. Just half-way is the j ancient monastery of Etial, founded by I Louis of Bavaria in 1330, and suppressed I in 1803. It is now a private residence. i It contains several paintings of some I merit and a celebrated marble statue of the Madonna brought from Italy by the founder. The descent from Ettal to Oberau is rather rapid, as the level of the Loisach is lower than that of the Ammer. The pedestrian who would follow the latter stream to its source must turn due W. from Ettal and ascend the Graswang Thai with the range of the Klammspitz (6,840') to the X., and a more broken and irregular mass whose highest summit is the Kreuzsjpitz (7,156') to the S. Near the hamlet of Linder the glen divides. One branch, traversed by the Sager torrent, mounts due "W., and leads to Hohenschwan- gau. The other stream, called Linder, descends from SW. The pass at its head leads to the Plan See (Rte. B) through the glen of the Ammerwald. Having reached the E. end of the Plan See, the traveller may turn eastward by a track leading past the Eibsee to Garmisch and Partenkirch (Rte. F), or he may descend to Reutte by the Stuibenfall, or follow the banks of the lake to Heiterwang by the path noticed in Rte. B. ROUTE F. EIBSEE. 31 EorxE F. PAETEKKIBCH TO IMST IX THE INNTHAL. The traveller going from Munich to Switzerland by the Engadine, or to Lombnrdy by the Stelvio Pass, must aim at Imst in the Olierinnthal as a place that unavoidably lies in his way. It is true that the shortest way, reckoning by time, is by the rly. to Innsbruck, and thence by the highroad descrilied in Rte. A. ; but a more direct, and on the whole a more interesting route is that by the Lake of Starnberg to Murnau and Partenkirch, and thence by Lermoos and Nassereit to Imst. The first part has been given in Rte. D., and the portion fromLermoostoNassereitinRte. B. The remainder of the way is now to be de- scribed. The mountaineer who observes that a straight line from Partenkirch to Imst runs through the centre of the Wet- tersteingebirge, the highest group of the Bavaria,n Alps, will, however, be loth to follow a carriage-road, and may be tempted to prefer some one of the mountain tracks noticed below. 1. By the Loisachthal. A carriage- road ; 3i Bavarian m. to Lermoos ; 4 Austrian m. thence to Imst. The Loisach, one of the principal aifluents of the Isar, is formed by the confluence of several small streams near Lermoos (Rte. B). It flows thence for several miles in a direction somewhat E. of N., till it is joined by a short stream from the Griesen Pass, and turns due E., but, on approaching Par- tenkirch, it resumes its course to NNE. A good road is now carried along the valley from Partenkirch to Lermoos, a 4istance of 16 Eng. m. The village of Garrdisch (Inn : Zum Husaren, very fair and reasonable) is little more than a mile from Partenkirch ; when this is left behind, the Loisachthal shows little trace of man's presence. The scenery is wild, but somewhat wanting in variety, though fine views are gained at intervals of the very steep >*. and \Y. sides of the Zugspitz. A solitary inn stands at the point where the road begins to turn SW., and the track to the Gricsscn Pass, leading to the Plan See and Reutte, is seen due W. Soon after the road crosses the frontier and enters Tyrol. The charge for a one-horse country carriage between Partenkirch and Lermoos is 4 florins. Instead of going to Lermoos, the traveller ma}- save a little time by avoiding that village, and following the cross road by i•.7^r- tvald (3.296'), joining the high road at Biberwier. The charming scenery of the road by the Fern Pass frum Ler- moos to Nassereit has been noticed in Rte. B. From Nassereit to Imst the way lies due SW. down the Gurglthal. The slopes of the Tschiirgant to the rt. of the road are .'■omewhat monotonous, but on reaching Tarenz (2,776'\ where the track from the Lech Thai by Bschlaps and Pfafflar (Rte. C) joins the road, a finn view of the surrounding mountains opens out. It is rather more than 9 Eng. m. from Nassereit to Imst (described in Rte. A). 2. By the Et'btd>is (7,008'), com- manding one of the grandest views in this district It is possible to pass the night at the Schachenalp, but more ad- vi.sable to return to Rainthalhof. Start- ing early on the following day. the tra- veller should ascend the Rainthal, After 1 hr. he issues from the forest into the savagp defile extending to the Flattucher Ferncr, the glacier that lies in the back- ground during the ascent. For some way the track lies in the bottom of the cleft, where the stream is at one spot bridged over by a mass of avalanche snow. The most striking points of view is from a point called Auf der Platte, where the glacier is seen in the centre of a vast amphitheatre of bare rocks rising in successive tiers to the summits of the Wetterschroffen, or Planspitz (8,862'), the Sckneefernerkopf {9,ilo'), the Zug- spitz (9,716'), and the Bnmnthalspitz. A hunter's pass called Gatterl (6,638') crosses the southern side of this great cirque. The pass lies between the Wetterschroffen and the fine peak of the Wanner {^,'d'dl'). The ascent commences near the point where one of the sources of the Partenach bursts out from a cleft in the limestone rock. The descent is by the steep ledges of the Wetterschroffen. till it reaches the path from Mittenwald to Ehrwald (further noticed below), close to the Pestkapelle. The traveller, who makes the excur- sion to the Rainthal intending to return to Partenkirch, may visit the head of the glen on the first day, sleeping at Rainthalhof, and on the following day ROUTE G. — MUNICH TO WALCHENSEE. ss make a circuit by the Stuibensee, Kreuz- joch, Holleiithal, and Garmisch. An additional day may be allowed for a visit to the Teufelsgesass. Another ar- rangement is to go on the first day by the Hollenthal, Kreuzjoch, and Stuibensee, to Eainthalhof ; on the second to visit the head of the Eainthal, cross the pass Auf der Leiter, then turning eastward to the village of Leutasch, and to return on the third day, either by the road through ]\Iittenwald, or by the Ferken- bach. The noble peak of the Zi'gspitz (9,716') is best reached from the Knorr- hiitte at the upper end of the Eain- thal, 6 to 7 hrs.' walk from Parten- kirch. It has a double summit — the western being by a little the higher — connected by an impassable ridge of jagged teeth of rock. To reach the W. peak, marked by a large cross, the mountaineer goes on the first day from Partenkirch to the Knorrhiitte ; starting early next day, he ascends by the glacier and a rocky arete in 2^ brs. to the top. The guides used to ask only 4 flor. a day and their food. The view is said to include the Finsteraarhorn and Mont Blanc (?), and certainly the whole Tauern range and the Orisons Alps. 5. By the Leutasch Thai and Gais- thal. A more circuitous route from Par- tenkirch to Ehrwald than any of those above described is by the dZ'). At the opposite side of the green basin rises the Heim- garten (5,881'). At the SE. end of the lake the road climbs the rather steep barrier of the Kesselberg, separating this from the Walchen See. There are two waterfalls near the road ; the path to one of them is pointed out by a finger- post. The traveller who has recently left the central range of the Tyrol will not think it worth while to turn aside for these comparatively trifling cas- cades. The Walchen See is an extremely picturesque mountain - lake enclosed between bold rocks and dark woods, except at the E. end, whence the stream of the Jachen flows to join the Isar. Its level is 2,630 ft. above the sea, and its form that of a triangle with sides about 5 m. in length. From the hamlet of Drfeld, where the road reaches the IST. shore of the lake, a country road runs eastward to the Jachenauthal (§ 43, Ete. E), and a horse-path, constructed by the late King Max, leads in the opj)Osite direction to the summit of the Hcrzoffsta7id (5,7 G^'), commanding a view nearly as extensive as that from the Benedictenwand. A ferry-boat plies from Urfeld to Wal- chensee — fare 12 kreutzers. The road to Mittenwald runs along the W. bank to Walchensee, a small village with a good inn (Post). The saibling (Salmo salvelinus)of this lake is much esteemed, and therefore dear. They are kept in tanks and fed, it is said, on raw meat. A good view of the lake is gained from rising ground behind the inn. Quitting the lake shore, the road crosses the Katzenkopf, which projects as a promon- tory into the lake, and soon enters the wooded glen through which the Ober- nacherbach descends from the E. side of the Krottenkopf (Rte. D). The tor- rent forms a waterfall to rt. of the road. Turning due S. over green meadows the traveller gains a fine view of the Wet- tersteingebirge and the Karwandl range, and reaches the village of Wallgau. If bound for Partenkirch he may turn aside at Kriln (2,804'), the next village. The hiirli road follows the course of the ROUTE A. — MUNICH TO TEGERNSEE. 35 Isar to Mittcnwalcl . For the road thence to Innsbruck, see Rte. D. For the traveller who keeps to the carriage road this route is on the whole more interesting than that by Parten- kirch. SECTION 43. KREUTH DISTRICT. The boundaries of the district described in the present Section are easily defined. To the W. it is divided from that treated in the last Section by the course of the Isar, and the low pass of Seefeld from Scharnitz to the Inn. The valley of the Inn from Zirl to Kufstein, and the course of the same river when it turns northward from Kufstein to Eosenheim, fix the S. and E. limits. The irregular mass of mountains — broken into many separate ridges — that extends from Seefeld to Kufstein for a distance of about 50 m., lies altogether in the broad zone of triassic and Jurassic rocks that form tho northern girdle of the Alpine chain. The highest summits lie in the ridges N. of Innsbruck. First comes the La- vatscherspitze (9,081'), thenihe Birkkor- spitze (8,978'), t\xQ Edkarspitze (8,911'), &c. The height of the SoJstein has been much exaggerated. The highest point, sometimes called Kleiner Solstein, reaches only 8,649 ft., and the western peak only 8,333 ft. But few of the summits lying farther E. between Te- gemsee and Kufstein surpass 6,000 ft. For those strangers who are content to forego the grander and sterner beau- ties of Alpine scener)-, and can content themselves with the most varied combi- nations of rock and pine forest, brawl- ing torrent, dark lake, and green alp, this district offers unusual attractions. On its northern border good accommo- dation and cultivated society are found on the shores of the pretty Tegem See. A few miles farther S. the sportsman, the natm^alist, and the invalid seeking the gentle stimulus of mountain air, find attractive quarters amid the bolder scenery that surroiuids Wildbad Kr*;uth: but many a mountaineer will prefer to either of these frequented spots the excellent country inns found on the shores of the Achensee, one of the wildest and most striking of the moun- tain lakes of Tyrol. The numerous minor glens of this district, scarcely important enough to be enumerated in a guide-book, will yet furnish scope for very many pleasant excursions to the stranger who may devote some weeks to exploring its re- cesses. EOUTE A. L'XICH TO IXNSBRUCE, BY WILDBAn KRErXH. Post miles Eng. miles Holzkirclien . 4i 20a Tegeruset- -i 12| Wildbad Kreuth n 7 Achenkirch . •3 ■ ir. Schwaz . H ](ii Yolders . 2 9i Innsbruck 2 4 19i 91 Railway to Holzkirchen, post road thence to Innsbruck. Travellers going from Innsbruck take the rly. to Jen- bach, where the road to Kreuth leaves the Inn valley. Carriages for ELreuth are foimd there (beim Neuwirth). The trains from Munich — all slow — take H hr. to reach Holzkirchen (Inn : Post), whence diligences and omnibuses ply twice a day to Tegernsee and Kreuth. Three times weekly, during the summer, a 2 36 SUABIAX ALPS. §4: cliiigence runs all the way to Jenbach in the Innthal, while on other days travellers wlio rely on public convey- ances must sleep at Kreuth, and travel thence by omnibus, starting early, and reaching Jenb;ich about 2 p.m. These vehicles may be recommended to those who go abroad to seek discomfort, and do not care to see the country through which they pass. After leaving Holzkirchen the outer rauges of the Alps gradually rise in the horizon xmtil the traveller fairly enters the hills at Diirrenbach, and immediately after reaches the N. end of the Trgcrn See (2,410'), a pretty sheet of water about 4^ m. long, enclosed between wooded hills that rise about 2,000 ft. above its surface. The road runs along the E. shore to the village of Tegemsee (Inns: Post, good, close to the lake : Beim Guggemos, clean and reasonable ; when these are full — a fre- quent occurrence — the traveller will be well treated in the adjoining hamlet of Eothach at Seheurer's Inn). This place has. for the last half-centmy been a fre- quent resort of members of the royal family of Bavaria, and that circumstance, joined to its natural advantages, has caused a constant influx of -^-isitors during the summer season. Lodgings are found here and in the neighbouring villages. The royal Sehloss occupies a portion of the ancient Benedictine Abbey, while another portion of the same extensive pile is used as a brewer)% said to pro- H7ice excellent beer. The favourite ex- cursions are to a low hill behind the village called Paraplui. and (by boat) to Kaltcnhrunn at the NW. corner of the lake, where parties dine at a cafe and restaurant on rising ground overlooking the lake. Those who seek wide views ascend the 'Ncnreuth (4,443'), NE. of the village, or the Fochmstdn (4,368'), on the opposite side of the lake, or the higher summit of the Hirschberg (5,619'), SW. of Egern. A longer, but more interesting, excursion is the ascent of the Wallherg, or, better still, of the J!?.is/cogI (6,042'), at the S. end of the same range. From the summit the 6. KREUTH DISTRITT. mountaineer may descend through the Langenauthal to Kreuth, and thence return by road, or else bear eastward till he falls into a track that will lead him to Tegernsee through the glen of the Eothach. For the excursion to the Schlier See, see Ete. C. The road from Tegernsee through the glen of the Weissach lies throughout amid very pleasing scenery. A finger- post points the way to some considerable marble-quarries, and near to these, about \ hr. from the road, is the fall of the Lokhach torrent descending from the Hirschberg. The stream is slender, but the position very picturesqxie. At the village, which is distinguished as Dorf Krevth (2,630'), are one or more second- rate country inns, whereat strangers not finding room at the Baths are used to lodge. The glen of the Weissach is here contracted, and the scenery assumes a somewhat more Alpine character when, 2 m. beyond the village, the road reaches Wildhad Kreuth (2,722'), This is a large institution, mainly intended for the reception of invalids. It belongs to Prince Charles of Bavaria, and is managed by a Hausmeister, the medical direction being under the management of Dr. Stephan, a gentleman of consi- derable professional skill, who is married to an English lady. ' During the season, which extends from mid-]\Iay to mid- September, visitors should write before- hand to the Hausmeister to secure rooms. The accommodation is good, and the charges, fixed by tariff, are very mo- derate. The mild sulphur spring is little used, goat's whey and fresh herbs being the chief curative agents employed. Eheumatic and neuralgic patients, and persons with weak chests, are those most benefited by Kreuth.' [W. B.] More than 200 visitors are lodged in the es- tablishment, besides which a certain number of the humbler class are housed gratuitously in an adjoining building. Among many attractive spots in the neighbourhood of the Baths, may be mentioned the Jagei'haus on the rt. bank of the Weissach near the viUage of ROUTE A. — WILDBAD KnELTII. o7 KreiTth. It is adufned with the heads of bears, lynxes, and other wild animals shot in the surrounding district, and is picturesquely placed at the foot of the Leonhardstein (4,744'), which towera boldly above the glen of the Weissach. Coffee, beer, and other refreshments are found there. By a spring 10 min. above the Baths is a spring beside ■which stands a marble bust of King Maximi- lian Joseph, the founder of the present establishment. About i m. below the Baths the 8a- genbach torrent descends from the Lan- gcnaiithal to join the Weissach. It forms a pretty waterfall, which is often visited from the Baths— about ^ hr. distant. Ascending eastward tlirough tlie same glen a path leads to the Pletzeralp, inhabited by herdsmen in spring and autumn. Above the alp the Sagenbaeh torrent disappears amid the fissures of the limestone, and the glen is devoid of water until near its head at the Langenauer alp, where the torrent, here called Auerbach, again comes into the light of day. A short wa k may also be directed to the Grais alp, about 1,100 ft. above the Baths, where the large flock of goats that supply whey to the establishment are pastured. Visitors usually make a circuit from this point to the Konigs alp, lying at about the same height, where they find beer and coffee as well as the usual Alpine fare, and then descend to the high road some way south of the Baths : the whole round being about 2|- hrs. easy walking. A moderate walker will not be satis- fied without ascending some of the higher summits that here surround him on every side. He will in the first place be attracted by the bold ridge of the Plaoxbcrg (Mons Platanus), extending from E. to W. along the frontier of Tyrol, and seemingly walling out the inhabitants of the valley from access to that pro\ance. The range includes a number of projecting summits, of which the easiest of access is the Schildenstein (5,792'), easily reached in 1^ hr. from the Gais alp. After enjoying the view the stranger may return to the Baths I by the Konigs alp. A slightly more difficult cuurse is to ascend from the I Baths along the torrent called Felsen- j Weissach, descending from a wild rocky : amphitheatre, whence a steepish path I leads up a narrow gorge called the I Wolfschlucht, and gains the centre of I the ridge of the Planberg. Here the traveller may turn to W., and follow the ridge to the Schildenstein; or, if a \ tolerably practised mountaineer, he may choose the opposite direction, keeping eastward along the crest until he reaches the highest summit, called Hal ser spit:: (6,718'). In descending he may take a path that strikes the ridge a few hun- dred yards W. of the summit, and leads to the Lahngarten alp ; or else keep on his eastward course till he reaches the Baierbach alp, lying on the ridge that divides the Brandenbergerthal (Ete. C) from the Langenauthal. His course homeward is through the latter glen. Next in height to the Halserspitz is the Schindcr (6,565'), lying E. uf the Baths at the head of the Langenauthal, and commanding an equally extensive view. The Eisskogl (6,042'), already mentioned among the excursions from Tegernsee, is nearer to Kreuth. Its summit may be reached from the Plet- zer alp (mentioned above) by following a track that mounts NE. to the Scheyrer alp, and thence to the Ableithen alp. The way is then straight xip to the ridge, which is followed due E, to the summit. In descending the way may be varied by taking a faintly marked track by the Piss alp and Yorderlochberg, whence the middle part of Langenauthal is easily reached. ThaEoss-stein (6,099') ii? a remarkable peak with a cloven summit, rising about due W. from the Baths, between the Weissach and the valley of the Isar. Its precipitous eastern face turned towards Kreuth is scarcely accessible, but the top is reached with little difficulty from the W. and N. sides. The best way is by the glen of the Schwarzenbach, which joins the Weissach aboiit 1 hr. above the Baths. A path on the rt. bank leads through forest, past a timber -sluice, 88 SUABIAN ALPS. § 43. KREUTU DISTEICT. There is here a tolerable country inn, where the traveller may generally find conveyance in a rough carriage. A little farther on is Stuben, where a path as- cends westward over the low pass that separates the head of the Weissach from the Isar (see Ete. E), Having thus far followed a course parallel to the ridge of the Planberg, the road has now reached a point where that barrier ceases to close the way into Tyrol. From the N. side the ascent to the Achen l*ass is insignificant, but the des- cent on the S. side is comparatively rapid. The Austrian custom-house is no longer in the defile of the Kaisesr- wache, being removed to the village of Achenicald (Inn : Traube). Here the road enters the valley through which the Ache flows from the Achensee, and bending gradually from N. to "W. joins the Isar (Ete. F). The road ascends the valley, twice crossing and recrossing the Ache, which sometimes runs in thp bottom of a deep gorge, sometimes through meadows on a level with the road. The pedestrian going from "Wildbad Kreuth to the Achensee may in great, part avoid the high road, and at the same time make an interesting walk, by ascending the ridge of the Planberg — taking the Schildenstein on the way if the day be clear —and descending on the S. side of the ridge. He will fall into the short glen of the Klammbach, and may follow the path on the right side of that stream to Boh/sfatt,vfheTe it crosses the high road. But he will do better to turn off from the Klammbach path at a point where a chalet stands in a clearing of the forest, and cross the low ridge that divides the Klammbach from the Ampelsbach. The glen drained by this stream opens into the valley of the Ache at Leitcn, a village on the high road, whence there is a striking view of the Guffert (about 7,300'), here showing as a very bold pyramidal peak. To SE. is the Unmitz (6,927'). easily ascended, even by ladies, in 2 hrs. from Scholas- tica's inn. Due W. is the J^^i/m (7,144'), overlooking the lower course of the Ache. up to Alpine pastures. Thence the as- cent is continued up a slope to the 1. to the Bach alp, lying in a recess of the mountain. The ridge on the rt. of this basin leads to the base of the final peak. ' You climb up a cleft and round the easternmost of its projecting walls, keep- ing next on its S. side, and cross a deep gully by a narrow neck of rock with precipitous sides, ascending the opposite side to the summit of the higher of the two topmost masses of the Eossstein.' [W. B.] The view is in some respects superior to those from the other moun- tains of this neighbourhood, owing to the favourable position of the peak in regard to the lakes and rivers of this part of Bavaria. Many other interest- ing excursions will occupy the moun- taineer who makes Kreuth his halting- place, and the variety and beauty of the scenery will surprise many who look with disregard on mountains of such moderate height. Unless a practised cragsman, and well used to find his way alone, the stranger should not ascend the higher ridges without a guide. It is easy to miss the way amidst the pine woods, and in seeking to extricate him- self he may often encounter bits of diffi- cult rock climbing. The botanist familiar with the Swiss and Savoy flora will be interested by finding near Kreuth many of the pecu- liar species of the Eastern Alps, such as Arabis puniila, Cardamine trifolia, Si- lene aJpestris, Astrmitia gracilis, Achillea ClavenncB, Crepisjaquini, Bhododendron chamcBcistus (in the Wolfschlucht), and Allium mctorialis, besides other inter- esting plants, e.g. Tozzia alpina, Ejpi- pogium Gmelini, Listera cordata, and Gorallorhiza innata. After passing the Baths the road to Innsbruck ascends gently along the 1. bankof the Weissach, passes the Klamm- briicke and the Schwarzenbach, and about 2 m. farther leaves on one side a gamekeeper's lodge, or Jagerhaus, where visitors from the Batlis sometimes lunch. About 6 m. from Wildbad is the Bava- rian customs station of Glashiltte, so named from abandoned glass-works. ROUTE A. — ACIIENSEE. 39 It "would appear that the N. end of the original basin of the Achensee has been filled up by the detritus borne down by torrents. Thus has been formed a rather extensive level plain, marshy in some places from inadequate draining. In the midst, at 3,061 ft. above the sea, is Acltenkirch (Inn: Post, good, but often full in summer). There is another very fair country inn, kept by Kern, on the way from Achenwaldto Achenkirch, about \ hr. before reaching the latter place, but neither is so attractive a halt- ing-place as those by the beautiful Achensee. This sheet of dark blue water, Enclosed by lofty mountains that rise from the -water's edge, is the Ty- rolese rival of the Bavarian Konigssee, and of the Hallstadtersee in the Salz- kammergut. Though very beautiful, it must rank after them in point of scenery, but neither of them offer to the stranger such good accommodation as may be found here. Very near the N. end of the lake is a good country inn (zur Scholastica), 1 hr. from Achen- kirch, -where boats may be hired for the farther end of the lake. Less than 1 m. farther on is Seehaus, a large new inn of considerable pretensions, very ill managed, and therefore not comfort- able. The level of the lake is 3,066 ft. above the sea, and its depth is said to be nearly 2,500 ft. The high mountain rising immediately above the W. shore is the RuheJisfpitz. On the opposite side the Unniitz (6,927') towers above the N. end, and is connected by a rugged ridge with the Heiter Stall (6,347'), which on one side looks down upon the lake, and on the other upon the valley of the Inn. The road is carried along the E. shore, in some places supported by piers of masonry, in others carried along a mem notch hewn or blasted in the face of vertical rocks. It is so narrow that it is only at certain spots that two carriages can pass, and the rocks overhang so closely that heavy wagons piled high must be carried over the lake in boats. The sternness of the scene is broken by the little green plain | ' of Pertis'iu on the W. shore, where the \ streams from the Falzthurnthal and the j GernlhaJ, after running some miles [ underground, escape into the lake. At this spot, not easily reached save by I boat, are three inns, so much frequented , in summer, like that at Seehaus, that a I stranger has little chance of accommo- dation unless he has secured rooms in advance. The Fiirstenhaus, by the lake I shore, is very clean, but singular and semi-monastic in its arrangements. Rough but clean quarters and fair cookery may be had at the Pfandler- wirth and Karlswirth. At the S. end, where no torrent falls into the lake, is the hamlet of Buchau. Here the travel- ler approaching the lake from the Innthal finds a boatman to convey him to Pertisau or Seehaus. In spite of its great depth the lake is said to be covered with a solid sheet of ice in winter. The physical geologist will not fail to remark that the barrier of rock that separates the lake from the Innthal rises scarcely 40 ft. above the water's edge. In a few minutes after leaving the lake the descent begins. To the 1., above the road, is seen the village of Eben, the burial place of St. Nothburga, whose shrine is a frequent resort of pilgrims. The road descends rapidly about 1,400 ft. through the ravine that leads to Jtnbach (Inns: Toleranz, new, by the rly. station ; Post, in the village, carriages for hire; Xeuwirth), a station on the rly. from Kufstein to Innsbruck. The way through the Unterinntbal to that city is described in the next Rte. Ladies who pass some days at Pertisau may enjoy charming walks through the Falzthurn and Gerenth:il glens, which run for miles nearly level amidst grand rock scenery. The moderate mountaineer will find agree- able occupation in climbing the sur- rounding summits. A pleasant way to the Inn valley is to ascend through the Falzthurnthal to the Stakener Joch, and thence drop through the Stallen- thal to Stans in the Innthal, about 3 m. above Jenbach. See Rte. B. 40 SUABIAN ALPS. § 43. KREUTII DISTRICT. EOTJTE B. HrXICH TO IXXSBEUCK, BY KUrSTKIN MTD SCH^-AZ. Post Eng. miles miles HolzMrchen 4^ 20? Rosenheim . 4i 20| Kufstein 4£ 22 Worgl 2 H Brixlegg 2 n Schwaz 2i lOl Hall . 2 H Innsbruck . 1| 8i 23 2 lli>i Eaihvay, with a change of carriages at Kufstein. From the latter place to Innsbruck the pace by ordinary trains is even slower than that usually im- posed on German railways. Many will prefer to hire an open carriage at Kuf- stein or Worgl, and so enjoy the fine scenery of the Unterinnthal. Austrian miles and Austrian money are current between Kufstein and Innsbruck. Between Munich and Holzkirchen the rly. traverses the plain of Bavaria in a direction a little E. of S. and then turns ENE. till it meets the Mangfall. This stream, after flowing northward from the Tegern See (Rte. A), and receiving an affluent from the Schlier See (Ete. C), bends round abruptly to ESE., isjoined by another considerable stream (the Leitzach, Ete. D), and enters the Inn above Eosenheim. The rly. is carried along the N. bank to the junction sta- tion of Rosenheim (Inns : Greiderer's ; Alte Post ; Konig Otto), a clean looking town, where a portion of the brine from the salt springs of Eeichenhall (§ 45, Ete. A) is converted into salt, and supplies baths. There is a refreshment room at the station where the trains for Salzburg meet those directed tovrards Innsbruck. The latter line is carried nearly due S. along the 1. bank of the Inn, in great part alongside of the old post road. On the slope of the hill opposite Baubling station is the little walled town of JVt-M- baiern (or Neubeuern), overlooked by an old castle. The road fairly enters the mountains at the stat. of Branncnburg. The picturesque and ancient, but still inhabited, castle passed from the Counts of Preysing to a Pallavieini, and is now a factory. The adjoining village (with a good coun- try inn) is frequented in summer by townspeople seeking change of air. Vi- sitors frequent the Schwarzlackkapelle, ^ hr. distant, and commanding a fine view. A more arduous expedition is the ascent of the Wende/stein {5,992'). The chapel on the summit is reached in 4 hrs., the upper part being steep. Near the Fischbach stat. are seen the ruins of the ancient castle of Falkenstein with some remains of other buildings of still more remote antiquity. Higher up is the church of Petersberg, founded in 1100, with a convent long since de- stroyed. Here the Inn becomes the boundary between Bavaria and Tyrol, the rt.bank belonging to the latter. The entrance into the main valley of N. Tyrol was throughout the middle ages beset by numerous castles serving as much for the purpose of organised plunder as for defence. One of the most curious of these is Aiierburg, on a rock above the village of Oberaudorf. A little farther on upon the opposite bank is seen the opening of the Jenbachthal through which a road runs from the village of Ebbs to Kossen (§ 44, Ete. E.). The last Bavarian village on the 1. bank is Kiefersfdden, where on Sunday evenings in summer the country people often have performances in the style of the miracle-plays of the middle ages. Outside the village is a pretty Gothic chapel in memorial of the departure of King Otho on his ill-omened election to the crown of Greece. At this point, where the Thierseerache (Ete. D) issues from the mountains to enter the Inn, ROUTE B. LOWER INNTHAL. 41 recks approach close to the river, and the post road and railway traverse a defile (Klause) before reaching the station of Kvfsttin (Inns : Post, good; Hirsch). llie station is on the 1. bank near the bridge over the Inn, and the houses there properly belong to the village of Zeil. The frontier fortress of Tyrol stands on the opposite side, but modern detached forts guard both banks of the river. The castle is on a detached rock, approached by a single steep path, and ordinary supplies are hoisted up by CJ'anes. The building has of late years served as a state prison, chiefly for poli- tical prisoners from the Italian Tyrol, Por nearly 6 m, beyond Kufstein the rly. keeps to the 1. bank. It then crosses the river and reaches the Worgl station (Inns: Post, toler- able ; Lamm). The village stands a little S, of the junction of the stream from the Brixenthal, through which two important roads reach the Inn valley. That from Salzbm-g by Lofer keeps to the N. side uf the stream (§ 44, Ete. A), while the road from the Pinzgau by Hopfgarten keeps the opposite bank. TheHvhc Salve, called the Eigi of Tyrol (§ 44, Ete. C), is easily reached in 3 hrs. from Hopfgarten (6 m. from Worgl), or from Itter, which is nearer to the rly. station. [The pedestrian wishing to reach the SaLzburg road from Kufstein may avoid Worgl, and go direct from Kufstein to Soil by the glen of the "Weissache. The walk is said to abound in picturesque scenery, and the houses are said to offer the best examples of the stjde of carved wood decoration characteristic of North- ern Tyrol. A far more laborious way is to mount from Kufstein through the Kaiserthal, ascend the Hoch Kaiser (7,611'), and descend to Scheffau on the high road between Worgl and St. Jobann. See § 44, Ete. A.] On the N. side of the Inn opposite Worgl is Mariastein, a very ancient castle, with a chapel A-isited by pilgrims, lying in a very beautiful wooded glen. i^iter passing Kundl, at the opening of the Wiltschenau, a glen descending north- ward from the Sonneyijoch (7,271'),* the rly. passes very near the solitary church of St. Leonhard, built in the 11th cen- tury by the Emperor Henry II., but re- stored or rebuilt in a very peculiar style in the loth century. The stone carving deserves notice. Opposite the opening of the Brandenbergerthal (Ete. C), the rly. passes through a very deep cutting through the live rock, close to the little ancient mining town of Battenberg (Inn : Lederer Brau, not good). It owed its former importance to a now exhausted silver mine. The rly. station is at Brixlegg (Inns : Beim Judenwirth ; Herrenhaus), where the copper ore brought from Kitzbiihel and other mines is smelted. Here the post road keeps to the rt. bank, while the rly. crosses to the N. side of the Inn. This part of the Inn valley, and the adjoining Brandenberger- thal noticed in Ete. C, have yielded many rare plants. The most successful explorer has been Herr Langst, apothe- cary at Eattenberg, who discovered a second habitat for the very rare Carcx Utrastachya in a marshy spot in the woods on the N. slopes of the InnthaL Travellers bound for the Zillerthal (§ 50, Ete. A) usually leave the rly. at Jenbacli (Inns: Toleranz, new, near the .station; Post; Neuwirth), wberethe road from Tegernsee (Rte. A) enters the valley. Tlie scenery of the Innthal from hence to Innsbruck is so beautiful that those who travel by railway sacrifice much for the sake of a slight saving of time. The bold forms of the nearer mountains, backed at intervals by the &no\\y peaks of the central chain, are contrasted with the rich cultivation of the populous valley, where the wooded heights are crowned by slender spires of village churches, or the towers of ancient castles. One of the most remarkable of these is the castle of Tratzbcrg, restored by its owner Count Enzenberg. It \a said to have 365 windows. At Stans the * In Northern Tyrol the denomination Joch, which properly means a col, or depression in a ridge, is often applied to an entire moun* \ tain. 42 SUADIAN .' ALPS. § 43. KREUTH DISTRICT. opening of tlie Stallenthal is seen due W. Two passes near the hertd of the glen — the Sfanserjoch and Stakeyierjoch, lead to Pertisau on the Achensee (Rte. A), and by a third pass over the Kaiser- grat, the traveller may reach the head of the Rissthal (Rte. G). A pleasant de- tour from the high road may here be made by the pedestrian to the priory of Georgenberg, standing on a rock half-way up the Stallenthal. Like other similar foundations in T^toI it has its legend of a holy knight and a miraculous image of the Madonna. The site is sin- gularly picturesque. In returning, the stranger should follow a path crossing the ridge to S., and enjoy the sudden contrast betw^een the silence of the se- questered glen and the exuberant life of the broad valley that opens before him as he again overlooks the course of the Inn, which is only here and there de- faced by the masses of detritus rolled down by mountain torrents. The path leads to the extensive Benedictine mo- nastery of Viecht, whither the monks of Georgenberg removed in the last cen- tury. It is richly adorned with frescoes, and contains in the library an important collection of ancient books and MSS., chiefly relating to the history of Tyrol. The most interesting objects are, how- ever, a series of sculptures in wood which are amongst the best extant spe- cimens of the art. From Viecht the tra- veller descends directly to the rly. station on the 1. bank of the Inn opposite to Schwas (Inn : Post). This thriving town has risen again to prosperity after being reduced to ashes by the Bavarians in the campaign of 1809. It was famous in the middle ages for its mines, which in the course of ninety years are said to have produced more than three and a half millions of marks of silver, and 1,330,000 cwt. of copper. The silver mine has been long since exhausted, but the copper and iron mines are still of some importance. The parish church contains a remarkable monument to Hans Dreyling, director of the mines in the Ifith century, the joint work of Colin of Mechlin, and Hans Loffler, better known for their works at Inns bruck (§ 42, Rte. A). The roof of the church is covered with copper plates. The fresco paintings executed about 1514 in the Franciscan church and convent by Rosenthaler, of Niirnberg, deserve notice. The castle of Freunds- herg, said to have been founded by the Romans, was the cradle of the famous race from which sprang George von Freundsberg, the best general of his day, and one of the first who organised an army into the form which it has retained in modern warfare. SE. of Schwaz is the Kellerjoch (7,633'), the summit of which may be reached in 5 hrs., following the torrent Lahnbach. But this is overlooked by a higher summit to SW., the Gilfertsberg (8,201'), which must command a wider view(§ 50, Rte. A). The latter is reached through the Pillerthal, which joins the Inn 3 m. above Schwaz, On the opposite side of the Inn is the opening of the Vomperthal, further noticed in Rte. G. The next station to Schwaz is Frit- zens, where the lover of nature may well turn aside from the highway to visit a little woodland district, perfectly sequestered, though near at hand. In this part of the valley the high lime- stone ridges that form its northern wall recede to a distance of 2 or 3 m. from the river, and the inter\'ening space is occupied by an undulating richly -wooded track called Gnadenwald. Here the traveller may wander amongst swelling hills and little dales, here and there coming upon a solitary house or secluded hamlet half lost in the woods, until he issues forth at its W. extremity at the \-iUage of Baumkirchen, above Hall. On the S. side of the main valley the traveller may notice Wattcns, at the opening of the Wattenserthal ; | m, far- ther is Volders. Thence the mountaineer may reach the Glungetzer (8,781'), through the Voldercrthal, and descend to Matrey, on the Brenner road (§ 50, Rte. D). The landlord of the Post at Volders some years ago fitted up the adjoining castle of Aschach for summer visitors. ROUTE C. — MUNICH TO SCIILIERSEE. 43 Since the opening of the rly. few stran- gers pass the village. It was the birth- place of Anton Eeinisch, who, in the struggle against the French in 1797, re- peated against the hostile bayonets the heroic act of Arnold von Winkelried. The next station is Hall (Inns : Krone ; Eiir), an ancient town, deriving its name and its im- portance from the salt mine at the upper end of a ravine (Hallthal) that here opens into the Inn A'alley. The minCj reached in 3 hrs. from the town, lies 4,818 ft. above the sea, be- tween the Zunde7'kopf (6,4:28'), and the Speckkorspitz (8,649'). An order for admission and a suitable dress is obtained at the chief office in Hall. The saturated brine (here called sur), is brought down in pipes to the town, where the salt is obtained in evaporating pans. The history of this little town exhibits an extraordinary series of public calamities. Thrice during the middle ages the heroism of the inhabi- tants drove back the Bavarian invader, but was powerless agamst two visita- tions of the plague, a destructive inundation in 1518, a devouring flight of locusts in lo60, and an earthquake in 1670, which, commencing with violence, continued at intervals with enfeebled energy for two years. Five or six times the town was destroyed or grievously damaged by fire. Worst of all was the war of 1809, when the dreaded French and hated Bavarians united to carry fire and sword into the heart of Tyrol, Not unmindful of their an- cient fame, the people of the valley, under the leadership of the brave and skilful Speckbacher, whose monument is seen in the church, equalled or sur- passed the deeds of their fathers. Three times in that year the enemy was driven out, and this important position, com- manding one of the chief bridges over the Inn, was wrested from his grasp. On the S. side of the Inn, rather more than half way between Hall and Innsbruck, is the castle of Amras, or Ambras, one of the most important in Tyrol. The ancient building was en- larged by the Archduke Ferdinand II. of Tyrol, and richly fitted up as a residence for his wife, the beautiful Philippina Welser. The library and collections of pictures, engravings, and ancient armour were celebrated, and the castle became the resort of many learned men. When Amras ceased to be the residence of a com-t the collec- tions were gradually' dispersed, and the precious armour was removed to Vienna in 1796 to save it from French rapacity. Some objects of antiquity and good specimens of local wood carving are still seen in the castle; the archi- tecture is uninteresting, and the chief inducement for the many sti'angers who visit it from Innsbruck is the very fine A-iew of the valley obtained from the Schlossthurm. The rly. is carried along the 1. bank till it passes the junction of the Sill with the Inn opposite Muhlau ; it then crosses the river and enters by a viaduct the city of Innsbruck (described in § 42, Rte. A). EOUTE C. MUNICH TO BRIXI.EGG IX THE INNTHAL, BY SCHXIEESEE. Eailway to Miesbach, about 29 Eng- lish miles — Miesbach to Neuhaus, carriage road ; thence to Brixlegg, foot path; about 12 stunden or 36 English miles — in all about 65 m. Though not presenting so mueli variety as the road by Kreuth and the Achensee, described in Ete. A, the un- frequented way to the Innthal here noticed has many attractions for the lover of nature. u SUABIAN ALPS. S 43. KREUTH DISTRICT. At Holzkirchen (Rte. A), a short branch rly. leads to Mieshach (Inns : Post ; and several ethers), a pretty country town frequented by risitors from INIunich. The castle of Wallen- burg and the summits of the neighbour- ing hills offer pleasing views. An omnibus conveys passengers in one hr. from the rly. station to the Schlur Sec, a charming little lake, one of the gems of the Bavarian Alps, little known to foreigners, but long a favourite resort of Bavarian summer visitors. Etymo- logists derive the name from the fish Siiurus, for which the lake was famous among Eoman epicures. Visitors find good accommodation at the village of Schliersee (Inns : Bei der Fischerliesel ; Post\ Comfortable lodgings are found in the clean and neat farm-houses of the village and neighbourhood. Though on a very small scale, for it is but 2 m. long, and the mountains little more than 3,000 ft. above its shores, this little sheet of water has beauties of its own that are not easily matched elsewhere. It may be easily visited from Tegernsee (Ete. A), with which it is connected by a carriage-road (passing Agatharied and Gmlind), and by several mountain paths. The shortest of these — to be preferred in going from Tegernsee to Schliersee — is by the Kreuzalp, a low and easy pass, quite practicable for ladies — distance only 3 hrs. The view in descending towards the Schliersee is very beautiful. A longer way, commanding much more extensive views, is by the Ginddalp (4,721'), lying farther N., and overlook- ing a wide extent of the Bavarian plain. The favourite excursion from Schliersee is to the ruined castle of Hohenwaldeck, Btanding on a projecting rock (3,273'), immediate^ above the village. Ac- cording to local antiquaries the founda- tions date from the pre-Roman period. It was the seat of the ancient family of Waldeck, which became extinct, in the male line, in 1483. The carriage-road along the E. shore traverses a low pass S. of the lake, and then turns eastward to follow the Aurach. one of the branches of the Lietzach (Rte. D). At a solitary inn called Xeuhaus the traveller bound fur the Innthal leaves the road to follow a branch of the stream that descends from S. to N. On passing through a short defile he unexpectedly comes on the little village of Mcuc-Josephsthal, founded in the last century by the last Count of Hohenwaldeck, whose name it bears. Mounting through the glen (called Josephsthal), a path leads to the Stockeralp (about 4,000') forming the watershed between the stream run- ning S. to the Inn and the above-men- tioned tributary of the Leitzach. The pastures on the S. side of the pass are called Spitzingalp, and the traveller soon reaches the Spitzmgsce (3,542'), a pretty little lake surrounded by green slopes. This is the source of the Rothe Falep, or Spitzingbach, and lies at the N. extremity of the Brandmhergerthal, one of the few considerable valleys that run from N . to S. towards the valley of the Inn. About 1^- hr. below the lake the Rothe Ealep is joined by the Weisse Ealep, flowing from WNW. A path de- scends along that stream from the height of land at the N. side of the Schinder (Rte. A). Thence Tegernsee may be reached by following the stream of the Rothach, and another path descends through the Langenauthal to Wildbad Kreuth. Less than 1 m. below the junction of the two Ealeps the glen is narrowed to a defile, and a few hundred yards N. of the TjTolese frontier the tra- veller sees the remains of the Kaiser Klause. This was a massive dam by which the course of the stream was bar- red at pleasure until a considerable mass of water was accumulated behind it, which was used to transport the vast supplies of timber cut down at the head of the valley to feed the smelting fur- naces at Brixlegg and Rattenberg. On removing the barrier the pent-up waters rushed down the valley, carrying with them large quantities of floating tim- ber, but leaving a large portion on the way arrested by obstacles along the banks. A similar method is commonly ROUTE D. — BAIERISCH-ZELL 45 adopted elsewhere in f^he Alps, but not; often on so large a scale. The Kaiser Klause has been abandoned since 1827, ■when a new dam was constructed lower down, some way within the frontier of Tyrol. It is called Erzherzog-Johanns- Klause, and is of still larger dimensions. The opening of the barrier generally takes place during the early part of the summer, and is a sight worth seeing. There is a mountain-path leading hence to Kreuth by the E. end of the Plan- berg. The portion of the valley lying between the old and new Klause is a cleft between that ridge and the Hinter- Sonnemvend-joch (6,172'), which seems to form an eastern prolongation of the same range. The way now follows the j somewhat sinuous course of the Branden- | bergerthal chiefly along the 1. bank of | the torrent — here called Bayerhach, as j flowing from Bavaria. About 2 hrs. below the new Klause a glen opens east- ward, through wliich runs a path to Thiersee (Rte D), and nearly opposite to it is the St.einheriie the rly. station, with a fine view; Nelboc'k, near the rly. station, excellent; H. d'Autriche, by the river, handsome new house ; Gol- 1 (.'.ents .Seiiiff; Erzherzog Karl; besides the foiiowing second-rate but not bad inns — Krone ; Mohr ; Hirsch ; Tieger) was long the capital of one of the ecclesiastical sovereignties which were abolished during the Napoleonic wars. Tlie Archbishop preserves the title of prince, but retains no temporal jurisdic- tion. This small city is famed for the beauty and picturesqueness of its posi- tion. It must, perhaps, yield the pabn to Edinburgh and Verona, but, in these re- spects, deserves the first rank in Ger- many. Just where the Salza issues forth from the Alps into the plain country, and bends to NAV,, its channel is hemmed in between two steep iso- lated masses of rock. The Mcnchherg, on the 1. bank, is a crescent-shaped ridge with the concave side turned towards the river ; on the rt. bank, opposite the SE. end of the Monchberg, rises the Kajpuzinerberg. The principal portion of the city lies m the space enclosed between the Monchberg and the Salza. A narrow passage at the SE. end allows commu- nication between the suburb, called Nonnthal, and the city, through the Cajetan Thor. At the N\V. end the rocks approach so close to the river, that the space for the road entering through the Klausen Thor has been partly obtained by piers of masonry along the river's edge, partly by cut- ting a-way the rock. The highest part of the Monchberg — 582 ft. above the Salza, or 1,970 ft. above the sea — is the so-called Schlossberg, whereon stands the citadel of Hoben Salzburg. This, as well as the opposite mass of the Kapuzinerberg, consists of lime- stone (of cretaceous age?), but theNW. part of the 3Ionchberg is formed of the tertiary conglomerate called KageJfluh. The old houses in the Gstatten Gasse and adjoining streets are not only built xip against the vertical faces of the latter rock, but have cellars, and even dwelling-rooms, excavated into it. The city has suffered severely from the slow but certain action of the weather on this conglomerate, the same rock which caused the famous catastrophe of the Eossberg, in Switzerland. Four serious landslips are recorded : that of 1669 is said to have overwhelmed a convent, the church of St. Mark, and 13 houses, burying not less than 300 of the inha- bitants. "We shall briefly note the objects most worthy of attention, premising that none approach in interest the ad- mirable views from the two hills over- looking the city. The l)om, or cathedral, standing in the principal square of the city, is built in imitation of St. Peter's at Rome, and contains many indifferent pictures. The cupola was destroyed by fire in 1859. On one side is the Palace, or Residenz Schloss ; and, on the other, the Xeubau, with a permanent exhibi- tion of art-works. In the centre of the Platz is a colossal fountain — Hofbrun- nen — deserving a moment's notice. In the adjoining Mozart's Platz is a full-length statue of the illustrious composer, who was born in the street behind the Drey Alliirten hotel : the house, just opposite the hotel, is marked by a marble tablet. In the Franciscaner-Kirche, built in the old German style, a remarkable musical instrument, invented by one of the monks, is usually to be heard be- tween 10 and 11 in the forenoon. SALZBURG ALPS. § 44. KITZBUHEL DLSTKICT. Xo stranger visiting SalzLiirg should fail to ascend either the Monchbcrg or the Kapuzinerberg, if he he not tempted to enjoy the admiraLle views from Loth. Though not quite so high as its rival, the Monehberg oiFers more variet}*. The hill, which presents equally steep faces nearly in every direction, forms a grand natural terrace, accessible by a steep carriage road, and by various paths, and planted with trees to such an extent as to limit the view, except from certain favourable points. There are several cafes and restaurants, chiefly frequented on Sundays and holidays. The shortest way to reach the Monch- licrg from the middle of the city is by a long flight of 283 steps, near the c .valry barrack, but it appears to be a better course to leave the town by the Klausen Thor and ascend the hill by its northern end, following the road which ascends from the Augustiner Kirche, in the Miilln suburb. The view over the plain and the course of the Salza be- low the city soon begins to widen out. The Haunsberg and the church of Maria Plain are conspicuous on the rt. bank of the Salza. Bearing to the rt., after he has gained the summit of the hill, the traveller may easily gain a point whence he looks down upon the city and the course of the Salza, and be- yond the nearer eminences, to the out- liers of the Alps, that are here near at hand. Due E. is the Gaisberg (i,399'), but the higher peaks to the S. are not yet visible. The point whence the traveller gains this view of the city is very near tlie spot where the destructive fall of the cliff occurred in 1669. To prevent as far as possible a similar misfortune, men are annually let down by ropes, whose business it is to remove loose portions of the rocks before the cracks extend to a formidable depth. To gain the view to S and SW., hither- to concealed by the higher part of the ridge, it is now expedient to cross the narrow neck by which the two portions of the ridge are united, above the tunnel of the Xeu-Thor, when, bearing to rt., a €0 The church and cemetery of St. Peter are the most interesting ecclesiastical buildings. Three chapels, one of them liewn into the rock, date from the earliest Cliristian period. The ceme- tery, partly enclosed by the rocks of the Schlossberg, is very impressive. Among the monuments are those of Mich.Hadyn, of Mozart's sister(Baroness Sonnenburg), and of the Chevalier Neukomm. The library of the adjoin- ing monastery is rich in early printed books. Near the cavalry barracks is the Sommner-Reitschule (entrance 10 kr.), an amphitheatre, with three rows of seats, excavated in the rock. Near at hand is the Neu-Thor, a gateway-, with a tunnel 200 ft. long, carried under the lowest and narrowest part of the Monehberg, giAnng an entrance to the town from the SW. The Museum (open from 10 to 4 — entrance 20 kr.), containing antiquities, coins, and collections illustrative of the natural history of the province, along with a pretty good library, is on the Quay, near the Ursuline convent. If the traveller next turns his atten- tion to the rt. bank of the Salza, he sees to his rt., above the bridge, in the centre of the city, only a line of old houses, forming a long narrow street at the foot of the Kapuzinerberg; but, on the other hand, a considerable suburb — the Linzer Vorstadt — extends northward within the line of the ancient fortifications. At the corner of the small Platz, oppo- site the bridge, is the house once in- habited by Paracelsus; and following the Linzer Gasse, in a line with the bridge, the traveller soon finds on his rt. hand the church and cemetery of St. Sebastian, where rest the remains of the same remarkable man. The Arch- bishop's palace, called Mirabell, is an extensive pile, with a large garden com- manding fine views. Outside the Linzer Vorstadt is the railway station, whence trains start in one direction for Linz and Vienna, and on the opposite side — crossing the Salza — for Rosenheim and Munich, -EXCURSIONS FROM SALZBURG. new and very difFerent prospect is gra- dually opened out. Fii'.st, the valley of the Saale, with the Staiifcn (5,950'), and otherhigher summits in the distance, then the huge mass of tlie Untershei'g (6,509') comes into view. Its outline has been often compared to that of the Egyptian sphynx. The plain between the Saale and the Salza, richly phmted, and bright with cheerful villages and the castles of Avealthy proprietors, fills the middle distance, witli the Hohe GoU (8,266') and the group of the Tan- nengebirge (7,965') in the background. To the SE. the Gennerhorn (5,736') crowns the outer range of the Alps. The st[\inger may return to the town by the citadel. To visit this a stranger re- quires a special permission from the commandant. The view from the Gloekeuthurm comprehends at once aLl the separate views that are gained fi'om the different points above men- tioned. To reach the Kapuzinerherg, the traveller must cross the central bridge and follow the Linzer Gasse for a short distance. A large cross on his rt. hand marks the gateway leading to the long flight of steps that give access to the Capuchin convent. It is usual to pay a trifle for permission to enter here. Ladies are not allowed access to the garden, which commands an ad- mirable view of the city and the river. Leaving the convent on one side, a winding path, for the most part well shaded, leads up to the Franciscus Schlossl, standing on the summit of the hill, 2,200 ft. above the sea. Passing through the building, the visitor reaches a bastioned terrace on the opposite side. The finest views are gained from the two corner towers of the bastion, and these perhaps surpass any single view from the Monchberg. Ladies who are not admitted to the convent garden may enjoy nearly the same view of the town by turning to 1. in the descent from the summit, and reaching a spot called the Stadt Platz, where the trees have been cleared away. The effect is admirable. The botanist will be surprised to find on these low hills a considerable num- 61 ber of plants usually considered charac- teristic of the Snbalpine region, along with a few southern species such as the cyclamen and the orange lily. Of the shorter excursions from Salz- burg the following may be enumerated : — j 1. The castle and park of Jzm the extent of low land siirrounding it, and the number of small lakes lying near its N. and NAY. shores, that it has, at no distant date, spread much farther than it now does. The shores are low, but the range of the Kampen and Hochgern, rising only ROUTE C. — WORGL TO KITZBUIIEL. 63 a few miles to S., and other more distant summits to SE., make a fine background to the views of the lake. It contains scvpral islands. The largest of these, called Hcrrenvorth, is more than 1 m. in length and breadth. A stately building, once a Benedictine monastery, but now private property, is seen from a distance. It stands in a park of some extent, and the neigh- bouring inn is frequented by summer visitors. The much smaller island of Frav.eim'orth contains, along with the nunnery, which gives it its name, a group of fishermen's houses, and an inn which is a fiTvourite summer resort of Bavarian painters. Tiie old post- road from jNIunicli to Salzburg passed by the N. side of the lake, touching the shore at Secbruck, where the river AI2 flows out to join the Inn only a few miles above the confluence of the Salza. About 4 m. from Seebruek is Secon, an ancient convent, standing on a little lake. This has been converted into a bathing esta1)]ishment, said to be well- managed and comfoi'table. The inns in the villages surrounding the Chiemsee are, as a general rule, tolerably good, and are frequented by summer visitors from the Bavarian towns. The rly. is carried due E. fromBernau, at some distance from the swampy shore, and after pnssing Ucbcrsee, crosses the Grosse Ache, the chief feeder of the lake. The main branch of this stream is the Kitzbiililer Ache, and the traveller who would follow one of the great highways of the middle ages, now fallen into disuse, may enter Tyrol by following the stream to Kitzbiihel, and thence to the Tburn Pass (Rte. C). Near the rt. bank of the Ache is seen the old castle of Mcu-qv.artsfcin^ now the property of Baron Tautphous, at the foot of the Hochgern (.^,681') which commands the finest view of this neigh- bourhood. The Bergen station is some way from the village of that name which is h hr. from the Baths of Adelholzen (Ete. E.) Here the rly. turns NNE. to the little town of Traw-istein (Inns : Hirsch, very good ; Post ; Weisses Brauhaus), rebuilt since 1851, when the larger part was destroyed by fire. It is well situated on the banks of the Baierische Traun (see Kte. E), just 1,930 ft. above the sea. Hence- forth the rly. follows a tolerably direct course a little S. of E., through an un- dulating wooded tract, passing the ruined castle of Raschenberg before reaching Teisendorf iJi\x\:Vo?,\). The next station of FroyJassmg is on the W. side of the Salza, where the luggage of travellers entering Bavaria from Salzburg is sometimes examined. A branch riy. is now open from Frpylas- sing to Reichenhall (§ 45, Rte. A). Following the main line, the traveller very soon reaches Salzburg (described in last Rte.), Route C. worgl to mitteksill, in pinzgal', bt KITZBUHEL. Eng. miles 6 Hopfgarten Brixen Kitzbuhel . Thum Pass Mittersill 13 38^ This is the most direct road for those who travel by carriage from the valley of the Inn to Gastein, or to Styria, through the Pinzgau. On the whole it may be considered as interesting as that by the Zillerthal and the Gerlos Pass. There are no post horses, but carriages may be hired at Worgl and (usually) at Mittersill. The road from 64 SALZBURG ALPS. § 44. KITZBL'IIEL DISTRICT. St. .Johann (Rte. A). It originates in two alpine torrents, flowing respectively from the E. and W. flanks of the Retten- stein (7,750'), one of the highest sum- mits on the N. side of the upper Pinzgau. These torrent.i, uniting at the alpine village of Aschau, run due N. through a glen, which above Kirchberg bears the name Spertenthal. Below that place the stream bears a little E. of N,, and finally turns nearly due E. to St. Johann (Ete. A.). A path through the Spertenthal leads to Miihlbach in Pinzgau over a pass called Stange (5.701'). The road passes the ruins of the very ancient castle of Lowenburg, and skirts the Schwarzsee, which lies at the S. end of a district called Bilhelach, occupying the space between the Rheinaeh and the Kitzbiihel Ache, and said to present an aspect as though mountains had fallen down and lay in ruins partly covered over by verdure, Kitzhiihel (with a good inn, landlady, Frau Tiefenbrunner. odd-tempered) is a neat little town,2,480 ft. above the sea, of importance in the middle ages, when the valley from the Chiem See to the Thurn Pass was a frequented route into Italy. The Kitzbuhlerhorn (6,544') and several other high summits overlook the town, but the clay state of which they are formed does not weather into such strik- ing forms as those of the limestone moun- tains about Lofer (Rte. A). The neigh- bourhood has yielded several rare, and some new, species of plants to the per- severing researches of the late Herr Traunsteiner. Among these may be noted Carlina nebrodensis (on the Joch- berger Alp, and the Sintersbachgraben), Pedicularis asflenifolia (on the Geis- stein), Andromeda poJifolia, Orchis Traunsteiner}, Malaxis palndosa, and M. monophi/IIos (all four near the Schwarzsee) Carex puNcaris, C. panci- flora, C. tetrastachya, C. Gaiidiniana, and C. microstachya. The little town has produced several other good local naturalists, and rich mineralogical and entomological collections were, and pro- bably still are, to be found here. The view from the Kitzluhlerhorn Worgl to Kitzbiihel ascends the Erixen- thal by the 1. bank of the stream, on the opposite side to the Kaiserstrasse, described in Rte. A. A stellwagen plies on this ruad as far as Hopfgarttn (Inn : Paulwirth), whence travellers usually make the ascent of the Hohe Salve (5,993'), an isolated mountain command- ing an extensive alpine panorama. It is commonly called the Rigi of Tyrol, but the name is inappropriate, as the lakes which are the characteristic fea- tures of the Rigi panorama are here wanting. Horses (fare 4 fl., for going and returning) and tragsessel, or chaises a porteurs (costing 12 fl.), ai'e found at the inn. The way is so well marked that a guide is not necessary. In 3 hrs. the little inn and chapel, standing on the very summit, are easily reached. Rough quarters may be had here for the night. The main features in the view are the snowy peaks of the central range from the Brenner to the Gross Glockner, and the limestone peaksthat culminate in the UebergOssene Alp (§ 45). In 1863 no less than 1,052 visitors wrote their names in the strangers' book at the summit. A short way above Hopfgarten is Haslau where two considerable lateral glens — Kelchsauerthal from S., and Winnacher- thal from SSE, — pour their torrents into the main stream of the Brixenthal. Following the latter, between slopes formed of a crumbling argillaceous schist, the traveller reaches BrLven (Inn, tolerably good), not to be confounded with the important place of that name in the valley of the Eisack. Near at hand is the Maria-Luisenbad, a somewhat frequented mineral spring. Soon after passing Brixen the road reaches the watershed between the Inn and the Kitzbilhler Ache, only about 2,400 feet above the sea-level, and a little way farther, the rather large village of Kirchberg. The stream running through the village is not, however, the main branch of the Ache. It is the tributary torrent which, under the name Rhnnach, flows into the Kitz- bilhler Ache just above the village of IIOUTE D. KELCHSAUERTHAL g: is held by Dr. Rutliner to be the finest in this district, but can scarcely equal that from the Geisstein. Those who wish to enjoy it in perfection sleep at the Dratalp, only 1 hr. below the summit. As it is equally accessible by the N. side, towards St. Johann, it may be taken by the mountaineer on his way from one place to the other. The road to Mittersill crosses to the rt. bank of the Ache, but after reaching Aurack (Inn : bei Joseph Filzer), a small village with an ancient church, it returns to the W. side of the stream. The next village, about 6 m. from Kitzbiihel, is Jochberg (two Inns : the best bei Wagstetten). The same name is given also to the upper part of the vaUey fi'om hence to the Thurn Pass. One of the inns here was long kept by Oppacher, one of the heroes of the Tyrolese struggle against the invasions of 1805 and 1809. In the latter year he held with a small force the Strub Pass, near Lofer, for 9 hrs. against 10,000 French troops, and later in the same year stormed the enemy's position at the Knie Pass (Rte. A), taking a number of prisoners not much inferior to that of his own men. The ascent through the upper valley is gentle, and in 7 m. from the village the traveller reaches the summit of the Thurn Pass (1,371')- The old road passed by a group of houses caUed Spital, from a hospice which formerly stood there. A decent inn stands by the road at the summit of the present passage, and commands a fine view in both direc- tions. [The mountaineer* may enjoy a very much grander prospect, probably the finest in this district, by ascending the Geisstein (7,7-i7') lying E. of the pass, and forming the corner stone of the Pinzgau, the valley of Kitzbiihel and the Glemmthal (Rte. G). The range of the Hohe Tauern, from the Glockner | to the Dreiherrnspitz, is here seen { to full perfection, and the remainder of ^ the panorama is scarcely less interest- ! ing. The traveller should sleep at ' Jochberg, and take on his way tJie K. T. F Sinterslachfidl, 200 ft. in height, de- cidedly the finest waterfall of this dis- trict. A guide is necessary.] The road descends rapidly on the Pinzgau side of the Thurn Pass, turning eastward as it approaches the level of the valley, and in 5 m. reaches MittersUl (Inns : bei Grundtncr, in the market-place, best ; Brau Rupp, large house, not well managed), de- scribed in § 50, Rte. A. Route D. hopfgaeten to waxd, in pinzgau. The mountaineer who, having visited the Hohe Salve from Hopfgarten, ^vishes to reach the head of the Pinzgau, need not make the detour by Kitzbiihel, described in the last Rte., as there are two alpine glens which offer a more direct way, one of which serves equally well, if his object be to visit the Ziller- thal. 1. By the Winnackerthal. This glen, also called Windau, opens into the Brixenthal at Haslau, a little above Hopfgarten. It affords the most direct way to the head of the Pinzgau, as the track over the pass at the head of thr glen descends close to Wald, l^ hr. from Kriml, and about 17 m. above Mittersill. 2. By the KelchsauerthOrl. This is a less direct way to the Pinzgau, but is said to offer finer scenery than the last. The opening of the glen is about half- 66 SAi.znunCr alps. § 44. KITZBUIIEL DISTIilCT. way between Ilopfgarten and Haslau. By the ruins of the castle of Engehherg is a very ancient chapel, called Elsbe- ihenkirchlein, concerning which a curious legend is still told by the country' people. About 2 lirs. from the road is the Tillage of Kelchsau, which gives its name to the glen. Loss than 1 hr. farther the valley divides. The shorter 1. hand branch, called Kurze Grund, leads to the Salza Joch (6,533'). By a detour, with the aid of a guide, the traveller may reach a little alpine lake at the base of the lofty Geyerkopf. From this the Salza is said to originate, and it is easy to follow its course down to a second lake at a lower level. The direct way over the pass is free from difficulty, and the traveller descends toEonach, the highest hamlet in Pinzgau, 2 hrs. above "Wald. The other longer branch of the Kelch- sauerthal, called Lange Grund, is best suited for those who wish to reach the Zillerthal from Ilopfgarten. The pass at the head of the glen lies be- tween the Tliorhdm (8,548') and the ^tulkorkopf, and leads to the track of the Gerlos Pass a little above the village of that name. Dr. Rutbner has given, in the second vol. of the proceedings of the Austrian Alpine Club, an account of the ascent of the Thorhelm eiFected by him, in company with Herr Unterreiner, the head forester at Gerlos. The summit, which by a strange error is placed on S:'heda'8 map S. of Gerlos, is reached in 4 hrs. from the inn at that village (§ 50, Rte. A) wdfhout any serious difficulty. It commands a fine view of the Zillerthal Alps. It is likely that an active moun- taineer may take the summ'.t on his way between Gerlos and Hopfgarten. The measurements given in several German works for the Stulkorkopf— 9,085 ft., and for the Geyerkopf, 9,062 ft. — are certainly erroneous. Dr. Ruth- ner satisfied himself that the Thorhelm is the highest summit of the group. The next in height is probably the neighl)our".ng peak of the Katzenkopf (8,311'). } The way from Zell, in Zij]erthal, to I the Pinzgau is described in § 50, Rte. A. I Further information as to both the above-mentioned passes is much de- sired. EOUTE E. TilAUNSTElX TO XITZBtJHEL. The traveller, who wishes to avoid beaten tracks, may choose between two or three different routes, leading to the central range of the Noric Alps, through the mountains lying S. of the Chiem iSee, on the frontier of Bavaria, and may enjoy on the way some pleasing, and even grand, scenery. 1. By the valley of the Grosse Ache. As mentioned in Rte. B, the Grosse Ache, which unites the principal streams from the Alps surrounding Kitzbiihel, issues from the mountains a little ivay S. of the Uebersee station on the.rly. between Traunstein and Rosenheim. In a direct line, the distance from Uebersee to Kitzbiihel is scarcely 30 ra. ; but by the road, following the windings of the valley, it is counted as 16 stunden or 48 m. In its way from the upper valley to the level of the Chiem See the Ache flows through an openmg or cleft be- tween the Kampen (5,333') and the Hochgern (5,681'). In this cleft stands i the ca^>le of Marquartstein, noticed in ROUTE E. — VALLEY OF THE GROSSE ACHE. 67 JRte. B. The scenery is wilder and more striking than miglit be expected amidst mountains of such moderate height. The track is very ancient, and was frequented in the middle ages, though now rarely used except by the villagers. At Unter Wessen, the first village, a country road mounts through the lateral glen to S., and joins the route by Eeit imWinkel, described below. The main road keeps to the 1. bank of the Grosse Ache towards SW., till after passing the village of Schleching, it re- turns to the rt. bank, and enters the defile of Klobenstein. This is one of tlie most remarkable of the numerous defiles which abound amid the limestone moun- tains of this district, and may bear com- parison with many of those that have attained celebrity. The narrow road, which is passable only for the smallest and lightest country carriages, mounts gradually between the walls of lime- stone rock, until the roar of the torrent in the depths below is almost lost to the e:ir. At the highest point attained is the chapel of Klobenstein, and the road, having now entered Tyrol, descends imtil it again has reached the level of the valley which opens out in the green basin, wherein stands, 1,867 ft. above the sea, the pretty village of Ko^scn (fair country inn). This retired place, though scarcely known even by name to strangers, may afford pleasant head-quarters for many in- teresting excursions. It is a centre towards which converge three lateral glens, besides tlie main valley, traversed 1\V the road to Kitzljiihel. That of the Weisse Lofer is noticed below. In the opposite direction, from a little S. of W,, a stream descends froni the pretty Walch See. Beside it is the village of Walchsee (2,084'), 2^ hrs. from Kossen. A very slight ascent is needed to cross the watershed, between the lake and the JenJjach, which flows westward towards the Inn, and enters the Innthal near Ebs, 2|- hrs. from Walchsee, whence Kufstein is reached ill 2 hrs. more. See § 43, Ete. B. From Walchsee, and many other places near Kossen, the most conspicuous objects in all the mountain views are the rugged peaks of the Kaisergebirge, already noticed in Rte. A. Those who would make a nearer acquaintance with this group should explore the def p glen which lies SSW. from Kossen, and joins its torrent to that from the "Walch See, near a large brewery, formerly the seat of a noble family, with a chapel, said to contain curious paintings. The lower part of the glen is a cleft through eocene rocks, containing seams of lig- nite, whence it is called Kohlntkal. The glen opens at Schwend, and the upper part is thenceforward called Kaiserthal, being the name also given to the glen, which on the opposite side descends to- wards Kufstein. On approaching the higher peaks of the range, the track turns SE., and mounts to the village of KircMorf, whence it descends to St. Johann. The EasUrn Kaiserthal runs deep into the heart of the Kaisergebirge, which is divided into two groups by this and the other glen — Western Kaiserthal. The lower northern group, called i^w?'rr Kaiser, little exceeds 6.000 ft. in height. The southern gi'oup, called Vordcr Kaisrr, or Wild Kaiser, includes several rugged peaks, of which the highest is the Schef- faiiir Kaiser (7,611'). This is best ascended from the S. side. From the N. it is very difficult of access. An easy pass leads from the head of the E. Kaiserthal to Kufstein through the W. Kaiserthal. The neighbourhood of Kossen is known to geologists by the beds called Kossener Schicten, forming part of the Rhfetic Group. Resuming the road along the main valley of the Grosse Ache, which for 3 hrs. above Kossen is locally known as the Kossenthal— a narrow wooded glen with scarcely any trace of inhabitants — the traveller reaches Erpfendorf( 1,978'), where the Kaiserstrasse, described in Rte. A, turns aside from the valley of the Grosse Ache towards Waidring. 5 m. further is St. Johann (Rte. A). Here the road to Worgl leaves the main valley to ascend along the Rhcinach to Elmau, but there is a good country road 68 SALZBUIIG ALPS. § 44. KlTZLUl.EL DISTlilCT. along the main stream, which hence- forward bears the name Kitzbiihler Ache, The first village is Obemdorf, com- manding a very pleasing view, espe- cially to NW., where the crags of the Kaisergtbirge are seen above the im- duiatiug heathery tract, called Biihe lach. in 7^ m. from St. Johann the traveller reaches Kitzbiihel, for which see lite. C. 2. By the V alley of the Baierische Traun. The chief stream that flows from the Alps into the Bavarian plain between the Grosse Ache and the Saale is the Traun, which, to distinguish it from the more consid(^rable river of the same name in the Salzkammergut, is called Baierischo Traun. It does not, like the Grosse Ache, penetrate deeply into the mountains: the branches, whicla uuite a little S. of Traunstein to make up the main stream, all rise in the outer range of the Bavarian Alps. Starting from Traunstein (Rte. B; the traveller follows the road to Reich- enhall for about 4 m., as far as Siegsdorf (§ 45, Rte. A). It will be observed that the level of the Traun raliey is considerably higher than that of the Grosse Ache. Traunstein is about 200 ft. higher than the Chiem .See, ai.d nearly at the same level as St. Johann, where the Ache has penetra- ted deep into Tyrol; and Siegsdorf, where the Traun enters the plain, is 53 ft. higher than the last-named village, or 2,003 ft. above the sea. Leaving the branch e-alled. Bathe Traun, along which tlie road to Reichenhall extends SE., the traveller follows a country road by the rt. bank of the main stream, or "Weisse Traun, to Eisenarzt. This village may be reached in about the same time by takiag the train from Traunstein to the Bergen station, and going thence to the mineral springs of Adelhohcn, which enjoy some local repute. There are three springs, varying much in their chemical consti- tution. The baths are about 2 m. from Siegsdorf, and the like distance from Eisenarzt. The lower part of the course 1 of the Traun is interesting to geologist!?, who may here trace the junction of the miocene molasse with underlying eocene strata, which at many points abound in fossils. Towards the Chiem See, again, the still newer pliocene beds cumf>into view. The lover of distant views may, from the Bergen station, ascend the Hochfd- len (0,356' ), a NE. promontoiy from the range of the Hochirern, which conceals part of the view southward, but leaves a wide panorama to N. and E. Thence it is best to descend to Ruhpoltivg (2,179'), on the 1. bank of the Weisse Traun, 3 m. S. of Eisenarzt. Here the valley is narrowed between limestone rocks, but it opens again above the vil- lage into an open basin, studded with, many scattered farm-houses, where three torrents unite to form the Weisse Traun, The least of these, called Windhach, flows from the E, through a broad, nearly level depression, by which the pedestrian may reach Inzell, ft the head of the valley of the Rothe Traun (§ 45, Rte. A), in 2 hrs. From SW. i flows the Urschlau, and by it is the shortest, but not the most interesting, way to Reit im Winkel, mentioned below. The main stream, now called Sce- trauii, issues from a defile between the Untcrnherg (4,849') and the liauchhcrg (5,543'). The latter mountain has been the scene of much ill-rewarded mining enterprise for the last three centuries. Large quantities of lead and zinc have at times been extracted, but the cost of the seventy-two shafts sunk into the mountain, and of other works connected with them, has probably exceeded' the value of the produce. Beyond the de- file the Seetraun receives the Fischbach from the S., while the track along the main stream turns to SW,, which di- rection is maintained to the head of the valley. [The traveller should not omit to make a short detour from his route in order to visit a singular waterfall. The glen of the P'ischbach is a mere cleft, through which a narrow path has been ROUTE E. ST. JOIIANN TO FIEBERBRL'NN. 09 earned, ascending partly along ledges of the rock, above the rt. bank of the torrent As he rises higher and higher the gulf on his rt. hand becomes deeper and darker, but the wall of rock to the left continues to rise perpendi- cular, sometimes almost overhanging. Suddenly the way seems barred, as a waterfall, springing from a ledge over- head, falls to a depth of 600 ft. into the bottom of a chasm. Formerly passen- gers crept along a plank, thrown across under the arch formed by the falling wat^er. The present more secui-e path is cut into the rock beneath the fall, protect-ed from falling stones by a wooden roof. The fall, which is called the StaAibbach, or Stuub, is formed by a stream descending from the Sonntags- horn through a lateral cleft into the ratine of the Fischbach. Higher up in this ravine is the FlschbachfaU, where the main torrent springs over two suc- cessive ledges of rock into the dark channel, where, lower down, it is joined by the Staubbach. At the head of the glen the path along the Fischbach tra- verses an easy pass leading into the upper part of the Unkenthal, and by that way an active walker may reach Unken, or even Lofer, in one day from Traunstcin.] In about 1 hr. from the junction of I the Fischbach, the traveller ascending ; the main valley of the Seetraun reaches j the Forcli^nsee (2,456'), on whose shore '■ stands a solitary inn called Seehaus. j This is the first of a series of small and ' very picturesque lakes, and is separated from the Lodcnsee by a short gorge. | This latter, which is the largest, is sue- ' eeeded by the WeiUec, nearly divided I into two separate basins by a projecting | point of land. From hence the pedes- ' trian may reach Eeit im Winkel by crossing a low pass lying W. of the lake, but the rough cart road turns SSW,, till in \ hr. it enters the head of the glen of the Weisse Lofer, and then bearing to the rt., leads to the pretty highland village of Beit im WinM. (2,196'), Though still In Bavaria, this is but a few hundred yards from the Tyrolese frontier. The neighbourhood i.s said to be verj- pic- turesque, and the bold mass of the Kaisergebirge is conspicuous to SW. The geologist, who may be lodged in one or other of the village inns, will find ample occupation among the fossili- ferous rocks of the gorge of the Weisse Lofer, through which that stream descends to join the Grosse Ache at Kossen, where the traveller will join the route from the Chiem See to Kitzbiihel, described above. Route F. st. johanx to sa.\.lfelden", by fieberbeuxx. The traveller who has reached St. Johann by the Ivaiserstrasse (Ete. A), or who has crossed the Kaisergebirge from Kufstein, and whose aim is east- ward, either to Gastein or the Styrian Alps, may take a very direct course to Saalfelden, in the Valley of the Saale, described in the next §. The Filler See, at'the head of the Strubacli, which, after flowing from the lake to "NVaidring, runs along a side of the high-road from that village to Lofer, has been already noticed in Ete. A. The name Pillerseer Ache properly be- longs to the upper course of the Strubacli as far down as "NVaidring, but it has also been locally applied to the stream flow- ing WN W. from Hochfilzen to St. Johann, through a glen which af?l->rds the most d'rect passage from, the Filler Spp to St. Johann, That fflen is thence often called JO SALZBL'RG ALPS. 44. KITZBUHEL DISTRICT. Pillerseethal, but the correct name is Pramathal. Besides offeriiiif the most direct way to Saalfelden, it affords a plea- sant detour to the pedestrian bound for Lofer who would take the Filler See on his road. The lower part of the Pramathal is somewhat monotonous. In 2 hrs. the rough road reaches Rosenegg (2,301'), where the iron ore from a neighbouring- mine is smelted. Here a country road j turns off to 1. and crosses the low pass { leading to the Piller See. On the water- shed between the adjoining valleys : stands the hamlet of St. Jacob im Hans (2,791'). About 1 m. above Eosenegg is the chief village of the Pramathal, Fieberbrunn (Inn : beim Auwirth ; good for so remote a place). The village ! is also called Prama and Pillersee. The j first name is taken from a mineral spring, { said to have cured Margaret Maultasch ' of a dangerous fever. An excursion may be made from Fieberbrunn to the Wildalpensee, by a path especially interesting to the geolo- gist, who will traverse in succession several beds referable to the trias, fol- lowed by clay-slate, and other strata which have been called Devonian, though their exact age does not seem to have been clearly established. The lake is a dark tarn, 6,660 ft. above the sea, ac- cording to Schaubach (but ?), command- ing a fine view of the Lofer Alps. The water is of a dark colour, as are the iish, which are said to have a disagreeable | flavour. ' With a local guide there is no dif&- culty in going from Fieberbrunn to Kitzbiihel, taking on the way the summit of the Kitzbiihlerhorn (Ete. C). Aboiit 1 hr. above Fieberbrunn is the opening of the Schuarzachgraben, through which theGlemmthal, noticed in next Ete., is easily reached. The most frequented way, partly practicable for , rough country vehicles, traverses a pass } called Alte Schanze (4,330'), descending on the opposite side to Saalbach. At the extreme head of the Prama- thal is HochfUzen (3,177')> -ather more than 4 hrs. from St. Johann. The little village, which has a tolerable country inn, stands on a green plateau, whence paths descend in three directions, as the main branch of the true Pillersee glen terminates here, as well as the Prama- thal and the ZfO(/«/2^Mo^, through which the traveller descends to Saalfelden. The latter glen marks the line of junction between the secondary limestone of the rugged Lofer Alps and the arenaceous or argillaceous underlying strata. The distinction is apparent in the contrast between the forms of the EothhoTii (7,914') 2Ln(iBirnho'm (8,635') to the N., with the Durchenkopf {6, ITS'), and other rounded summits on the S. side of the glen. Little more than ^ hr. below Hochfilzen the traveller reaches Griesen- see, a wild tarn, beside which is marked the boundary between Tyrol and Salz- burg. Lower down are the remains of a furnace, where nickel was formerly ex- tracted from the ore found in a neigh- bouring mine, rich in rare minerals ; e. g. malachite, strontianite, ccelestine, vari- ous ores of cobalt, &c. The chief hamlet where there is a tolerable country inn. About 1 hr. farther the traveller reaches the valley of the Saale, and crosses the bridge, which leads in about 1 m. to Saalfelden, described in § 45, Ete. B. EOXTTE G. KITZBUHEL TO ZELL-AM-SEE, BY TRB GLEMMTHAT.. Parallel with the line of valley throagh which passes the way described in the last Ete. from St. Johann to Saalfelden, is another, which in a similar manner MAP OF THE BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT ^Teii/^sM .;i.^li^slSi^.^X London. Longrruxn & Co English MiLtr ri:nCIITKSGADEN DISTRICT. 71 serves to connect Kitzbiihel with Zell- am-See, and offers a variation on the ordinary road by ]\Iittersill. Tliis valley is the G/c/iimtkal, and the Glenimer Ache, which flows eastward through it, is the principal source of the Saale. From the head of the glen to its opening near Zell- am-See is about 6 hrs. walk. The shortest way to reach the Glemm- thal from Kitzbiihel is by the Aurach- grahen, a short glen that descends from SE. to Aurach. on the road to the Thurn Pass (Rte. C). A longer and more interesting path is by the Sintersbach, and a little tarn called Sternsce, SE. of the GamsJwg (6,720'). This is some- times ascended for the sake of the view, but that from the Geisstein (Rte. C) is much to be preferred. Those who go by the Sternsee to Zell-am-See should sleep at Jochberg rather than at Kitzbiihel, as the distance is rather considerable and the pass high (about 6,500'?). About 2 hrs. from the head of the Glemmthal is an inn, whence a path mounts to SW. and leads over the Piha- penkogl to Stuhlfelden, in Pinzgau, a few miles below Mittersill. Henceforward the way down the valley is by a rough country road. Another hour's walk takes the traveller to Saalbach (3,269'), the chief village of the valley, where the track from Fieberbrunn, mentioned in last Etc., joins our track. This keeps the 1. bank of the Glemraer Ache, or Saale, until, after passing Viehhofeti (2,721') and approaching near to the opening of the valley, the track crosses ♦■0 the rt. bank, and soon after, in 3 hrs. from Saalbach, joins the road leading from Lofer to Zell-ani-See. A walk of 1 hr. takes the traveller to that Ullage, described in § 45, Rte. B. SECTION 45. BERCHTESGADEX DISTRICT. If the district described in the last sec- tion may be roughly defined, as filling the space between the Ziller and the Saale, that now to be noticed is still more accurately defined as the region enclosed between the Saale and the Salza. On issuing from its parent glen, the Glemmthal, info the open valley N. of the Zeller See, the Saale, here sepa- rated from the Salza only by a short nearly level space, turns N., and keeps the same general direction till, near Unken, it leads toXE., and follows that course to the plain near Salzburg. Mean- ■while the Salza, after passing close to the S. end of the Zeller See, runs east- ward for about 20 m. to St. Johann-im- Pongau, then turns abruptly to N., and keeps the same course for 40 m., till it receives the Saale below Salzburg. Within this narrow space is enclosed a small group of lofty limestone peaks, surrounding a lake of little extent, but scarcely equalled elsewhere for the grandeur and beauty of its scenery. The Konigs See and the basin which is drained into it belong to Bavaria, along with the tract lying between it and Reichenhall ; but the western, southern, and eastern slopes of the same moun- tains lie within Salzburg territory. The small tnict thus almost enclosed within the Austrian frontier is justly deemed a jewel in the Bavarian crown. The ex- quisite scenery has rendered this the favourite resort of successive sovereigns, while the salt mines of Reichenhall and Berchtesgaden have produced a large revenue to the royal exchequer. Berchtesgaden is the natural centre of 72 SALZBURG ALPS. 45. BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. this district, and the point chiefly re- sorted to by foreigners. The mountaineer M-ill prefer the new inn at the N. end of the Konigs See, There are several other places offering attractive head- quarters. Of these the most frequented l)y German visitors is Reichenhall, while Eamsau, resorted to by artists and na- turalists, has rougher accommodation, but greater natural advantages. The mountains immediately surround- ingthe Konigs See do not attain to 9,000 ft., and onlv two of them, ^Vatzraann (8,988'), and Schonfeldspitz (8,696'), ap- proach that limit. The much higher summit of the Uebergossene Alp (9,643') lies S. of the frontier of Salzburg, and is not seen from the lake. On the S. side of the high group of limestone mountains is a tract of much less height, being in truth an eastern ex- tension of the zoneof triassic and palaeo- zoic rocks, noticed in the introduction to the last section. The comparatively low mountains of this small tract are some- times called Dientengebirge, from Dien- ten, the chief village. The rivers which so nearly enclose this district are more correctly written Salzach and Saalaeh, but the ordinary spelling, Salza and Saale, are here adhered to. Route A. MfJflCH TO BEECHTESGADEN, BY EEICHE>-HAXL. Rosenheim (by rly.) Trannstein (by rly.) Inzell (by road) Reichenhall . Berchtesgaden. Bavar. miles 9 2| 23 Eng. miles 30 Hi iH 11 22| 104i The rly. from Munich to Rosenheim is described in § 43, Rte. B, and that from Rosenheim to Traunstein in § 44, Rte. B. A branch rly. is now open between Freylassingd 44, Rte. B) and Reichen- hall, and this is rather the shorter way for travellers from Munich to Berchtes- gaden, but the road from Traunstein to Reichenhall is by far the most interest- ing and agreeable way. A diligence plies, or did ply, twice daily from the rly. station at Traunstein to Reichenhall, besides which, carriages are usually in readiness to convey those who prefer to enjoy the scenery. The road keeps to the 1. bank of the Traun as far as Siegsdorf{% 44, Rte. E), a little above the junction of the Rothe Traun with the main stream of the Baierische Traun, and after crossing the latter, follows the 1. bank of the former stream. The wooden pipes conveying brine from Reichenhall to Traunstein and Rosen- heim are frequently seen along the road. This crosses the Rothe Traun about 4 m. from Siegsdorf, and in 3 m. farther attains the head of the valley, where a level green plain occupies the site of a lake that once fed the stream. At the farther end stands the pretty A-illage of Inzdl (2,262'), a post-station with a large inn. [An easy walk over low hilly ground leads thence to Ruhpolting, in the valley of the Weisse Traun (§ 44, Rte. E).] The traveller here finds him- self at the portal of the Alps. Looking S. the rocks of the Fall-pnstcin (4,265') to the 1., and the Kienberg to the rt. form ROUTE A. — REICIIENIIALL. 73 Ihp gateway, and the fine peak of the Watzmann, in the back-ground, invites fhe 'raountaineer onward. Following the road through tlie opening, he finds it gradually enlarged between the bases of two higher mountains — the Stanfen (o,9.50') to 1., and the Eauschenberg (5,543') to rt. — between which a narrow stream, called Weissbach, descends to- wards the Saale. The road is carried for some miles at a considerable height above the 1. bank, until the road from Lofer, having crossed the same stream, ascends the slope to join our route. A sharp turn to NE. carries the road aside from the junction of the Weissbach with the Saale, and then a rather long descent leads to Reichenh(iU{lBns: Krone, very good ; Russischer Ho/; Lowenbrau ; Hohen- staufen), an ancient town, 1,538 ft. above the sea, almost completely rebuilt since 1834, when the greater part was burned down. Besides the above-named hotels, and several others of inferior rank, there is a large hotel and pension, said to be well managed and reasonable, in the castle of Kirchberg, just out of the town on the 1. bank of the Saale, and the still larger bathing establishment of Achsel- mannstein, also near the town, by the road to Salzburg. A large number of German visitors resort annually to these establishments, chiefly for the sake of the baths of warm concentrated brine, oljtained from the neighbouring boiling-houses. Various other curative agents are, however, em- ployed by the patients. Goat's whey as a drink, as well as for baths, the juice of herbs, inhalation of the vapour from the boiling-houses, and that of pulverized medicaments on the system, lately intro- duced in France and Germany, are all more or less in vogue. Those persons who travel for relaxation are not, how- ever, likely to prefer this place to luxu- rious Ischl, or even to rustic Berchtes- gaden ; yet it is not without natural at- tractions, and those who may be induced to spend some time will find many short walks and drives, as well as longer ex- cursions, to the places noticed in this section, nearly all of which are within a single day's ride or drive. Carriages I and light one-horse vehicles are hired on reasonable terms. For the latter the fare to Berchtesgaden, Salzliurg, or Inzell, is 4fl. ; to the Kcinigs See 5 fl. For a 2-horse carriage, from one-third to one-half more, j The name of this place indicates the ; substance to which it owed its early im- portance and continued prosperity, as I the early dialects of South Germany, like the Greek, replaced the sibilant in the Latin sal by an aspirate. Unlike Hall ' in the Innthal, Hallstadt in the Salz- kammergut, Hallein in the Salza valley, and the neighbouring Berchtesgaden, Reichenhall does not furnish salt in the solid shape. The precious mineral is here obtained in the form of a concen- trated solution. The numerous brine springs are on the flanks of the Grutten- berg, a hill composed of tertiary rock (nagelflue), and are reached by a shaft that penetrates 54 ft. below the surface. The stronger brine is raised in pumps, and then carried in pipes to the boiling- house, while the weaker springs and waste fresh water are carried to the Saale by a large subterranean drain of solid masonry, H m. in length, through which visitors are conducted in a boat. Besides the produce of the springs, the saturated solution obtained from the mine at Berchtesgaden is also conveyed here. Although the evaporating-houses and works connected with them are on a very large scale, the main building being nearly half a mile in length, only a por- tion of the brine is here converted into salt, the residue beingconveyed to Traun- stein or to Rosenheim. The machinery for raising the brine, and driving it through the brine conduits {Soolcn/eit- vngcn) to so great a distance, is said to be very ingenious, and to deserve the attention of engineers. This is to be seen at the Hauptbrunnhaus. The chapel in that building contains three windows which are good specimens of modern Bavarian stained glass. The old church of St. Nicholas, in the town, has been re- cently restored and deserves a visit. 74 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BERCIITESGADEN DISTRICT. There is also a local museum, and a private collection of fossils belonging to a person named Mack. The neighbour- hood is interesting to the geologist, as fossils of many perioJs, from the lias to the nummulitic limestone inclusive, are found in tolerable abundance. Of short excursions, one of the most agreeable is that to the chapel of St. Pankraz, W. of the town, near the little Thumsee. The Hogdherg (2,670'), be- tween the road to Teisendorf and the 1. bank of the Saale, is a hilly wooded tract of considerable extent, where the pedes- trian may discover for himself pleasant nooks, and occasionally gain fine views, especially from the castle of Rachf nluegg. Visitors often extend their stroll across the Austrian frontier to the vil- lages of Grossgmein and MarzoU, at the foot of the Untersberg. That moun- tain, so conspicuous in all the views of this neighbourhood, is easily ascended from the former village. (See excur- sions from Berchtesgadeu.) The Staufen is a ridge whose highest point, called for distinction Hohe Stau- fen (5,950'), is not very often ascended. Near the summit the geologist will find the so-called Raibl beds with charac- teristic fossils, but the botanist has little to reward his pains. Most, visitors content themselves with climbing the Zwiesel (5,757'), or middle summit of the Staufen ; 3 hrs. suffice for the as- cent, which is very easy, and the way is pointed out by finger-posts. The road between Reichenhall and Berchtesgadeu is very agreeable, es- pecially when travelling to the latter place. To go from one place to the other it is necessary to pass from the valley of the Saale into the confined basin which pours its waters into the Salza through the Albe. The low and broad Halthurn Pass (2,225'), connecting the Untersberg with the Dreysesselkopf (5,892'), is traversed by the road which, during the ascent from Reichenhall, crosses a narrow strip of Austrian territory. As the traveller advances the Hoher G511 (8,266'), the range of the Hagengebirge (7,710'), the Schonfeldspitz (8,696), and the Watz- mann (8,988') appear in succession. The road, which is the ancient way by which salt was conveyed from Berchtes gaden, is called the Hallstrasse, On descending slightly from the pass the road follows a petty stream that flows through an open valley to reach Berchtesgaden (Inns : all inferior to those at Reichenhall ; Watzmann, best situated, fairly well kept, but prices rather high ; Leuthaus, or Post, reason- able, fair accommodation ; Neuhaus, of less pretensions than the others, but well recommended ; a new hotel — H. "Wacker [?] — has also been favourably spoken of) is but a large scattered vil- lage, 1,987 ft. above the sea, built on undulating ground above the Albe, and commanding charming views of the neighbouring mountains. The late King Max built a shooting lodge just outside of the village, where he usually spent a portion of the summer. It commands a fine view, but is not otherwise remark- able. Josef Graft is probably the best guide for mountain excursions. His two brothers are also recommended. A little below the village the Seeache, from the Konigs See, and the Ramsauer- ache, flowing from WSW., unite to form the Albe. On the S. side of that stream, a little below the village, is the Salzberg, one of the most important of the numerous salt mines for which this portion of the Alps is famous. Twice a day (between 10^ and 12, and from 4^ to 6) parties of visitors are admitted by tickets (charge, 45 kr.) issued at the head office in the village, and easily procured through any of the innkeepers. Those who seek admission at other times have to pay an extra fee of 2 flor., besides paying for tickets at the above rate. The mine is not so extensive as that of the Diirnberg, near Hallein (Rte. E), but it is less inconvenient to visit, and the fees are lower. The general plan of working is the same in both mines. The salt is more compact, and masses of pure rock-salt are not uncommon. As in most underground expeditions, however, the visitor sees but little. In one of the ROUTE A. THE KUNIGS SEE. 75 principal galleries he is half i^tunued Ly the explosion of a little mortar: and, on payment of an extra fee of 30 kr., be tra- verses in a boat a subterranean pool of brine. He returns to daylight astride on a sort of wooden horse that runs on an underground railway, and leaves at the office the suit of over-clothing which was supplied at his entering the mine. Berchtesgaden has long been famous for its carved ware in wood, bone, and Btag's horn, of which a large assortment is kept for sale at Kaserer's warehouse. The workmanship is superior to that of the common Swiss and Tyrolese articles, and the prices very reasonable. Of the numerous excursions that may be made from Berchtesgaden that to the Kijnigs See far surpasses the rest in interest. This indeed is the main at- traction that leads so many visitors to this district. The distance is about 3g m., and there are two ways, one by car- riage road on the rt. bank of the Seeache ; the other, still more pleasing, by a new shady lootpath which turns off near the bcAling houses, below the village, keeps all the way to the rt. bank of the bright blue-green stream. At the Konigs See end a signpost directs strangers to it. '1 he carriage road passes the hamlet of Unterstein, where parties frum Berch- tesgaden often go to dine at a house kept by the author of an esteemed cookery book. The road and the path both meet at the little village oi Kuniys See. There are here two inns. The old house sup- plied tolerable beds and indifferent fare; of late a larger inn, providing 40 beds, has been opened, which the mountaineer would be tempted to make his bead- quarters but that there have been .'^eiious complaints of extortion. Beside the new inn is the house of the head boatman, who arranges for the con- veyance of visitors. The charges are fixed by tariff at a very moderate rate. For going as far as the Kessel each rower is entitled to 18 kreutzers ; to St. Bartholoma, 30 kr. ; to the Sallet-Alp, at tne head of the lake, 42 kr. In addi- tion to this the charge for a small boat for the day is 16 kr. ; for a larger boat, 40 kr. ; and for a large barge, 1 fl. Half these prices are charged for half a day. The boats are very rude in appearance, and the rowers are often stout peasant girls. From the landing-place at Konigs See the visitor sees but a small part of the lake. Each stone in the shallow bed is seen as he gradually advances past a little island and rounds the Falkenstein, a bold rock rising out of the water on his right hand. It is only when this is ! reached that the main reach of the lake opens before him. The effect is unex- 1 pectedly grand and impressive. The 1 sheet of dark blue water, about 6 m. in ; length, and nearly 1 m. in breadth, , 1,996 ft. above the sea level, is en- compassed by mountains that at most points literally rise from the water's edge, and often in walls of rock so steep as to be inaccessible even to the chamois that abound on the surround- ing cnigs. But the forms of the rocks are wonderfully varied, and many a ravine runs down to the lake, where, as well as on each shelf of the mountains, j dark masses of pine contrast with the reddish or pale grey hues of the lime- ! stone rocks. If the back-ground pre- sents no objects equal in grandeur to the ranges of snowy Alps seen frvm several of the Swiss lakes, the nearer views are not, in the Mriter's opinion, surpassed by any of them. The first object pointed out on the E. shore is the Konigsbach, a slender tor- rent that falls in a cataract. Once or twice in each year the water of this tor- rent, which has been retained by a dam in the upper valley wlience it flows, is used to carry down a quantity of timber from the upper shelf of the mountain. The effect as viewed from the lake is remarkable. A little way farther the rowt^rs halt at a point where it is usual to discharge a pistol, for the sake of the echo that reverberates in a prolonged roll between tlie opposite rocks. The effect is singular, and should not be missed. The charge for each discharge is 8 kr. The lake if 76 SALZBURG ALPS. S 45. BERCHTESGADEX DLSTRICT. here at its greatest depth, about 660 ft. 1 Near this is a cleft in the eastern shore, called Kuciiler Loch, where it appears that a portion of the water of the lake escapes through a subterranean channel. It is believed that this feeds the fine waterfall near Grolling, mentioned in Rte. E. On the same side of the lake, a little fartlier on, it is usual to land at a place called the Kessel, where the ]vesselbach torrent descends through a narrow ravine. An ascent of 10 min. leads to a little double cascade, not re- markable as a waterfall, except after wet weather, but well deserving a visit for the sake of the striking scenery around, and the charming views gained in re- descending. The mountains on the E. side of the lake abound in game, espe- cially chamois and roe-deer, and are the frequent scene of royal hunting parties, for which purpose the late king opened a bridle-track, by which the traveller may mount in 3 hrs. from the Kessel to the Gotzenahn {o.o2T), then pass southward to the Regenalm (5,196'), where there is a royal shooting-box, and descend by the Kaunerwand near to the Ober iSee. The views throughout this walk are admirable, and it may well be recommended to moderate walkers who do not attempt the more laborious ex- cursions mentioned below. In ^ hr. from the Kessel the boat will carry the visitor to St. Bartholonid, a very ancient chapel built on a pro- montory forme 1 by the Eisbach torrent, which has here borne vast masses of debris from a ravine of the Watzmann into the lake. Hence the ancient name, Bartholomaussee, which was supplanted by the modern name only in the last century, when a royal hunting lodge was built here near the chapel. As elsewhere in this district the sycamore grows to a great size, and is here the prevailing tree. When not occupied by the royal owner this is used as an inn, where the keeper supplies dinners to visitors, sometimes including chamois, venison, and saibling {Salmo Alpinvs). the most esteemed fish of the Bavarian lakes eaten either fresh or dried and smoked. Tlie walls show portraits of unusually large specimens of these fish, and of other animals that have been taken in the neighbourhood. The keeper can often point out chamois resting on some ledge or crag of the surrounding peaks, visible to the unpractised eye only through a telescope. The keeper does not supply beds to strangers, but the mountaineer can obtain dry hay and accommodation superior to that of a chalet. Many strangers visit the so- called Els Kapelle, a name given by the natives to the hollow vault, formed in summer under a large mass of snow lying in a cleft, called the Eisthal, running deep into the mass of the Watzmann. This is annually renewed by the accu- mulations from spring avalanches. The path is rough, and 1 hr. is required to reach the spot from the landing-place. A fall of rock in 1861 has rendered the access more difficult. A more interesting excursion is that to the Ober See. To reach it the tra- veller goes by boat to the SE. corner of the lake. A low ridge, covered by the rough pastures of the SaUet Alp, little more than ^ m. in width, separates the Kcinigs See from the Ober See, a small sheet of water about 1|- m. in length, surrounded by steep rocks. The pedes- trian may here take the path mentioned above, leading to the Grotzenalm, and cause the boat to meet him at the Kes- sel ; or, if the day be not too far gone, he may follow the ridge northward from the Gotzenalm, and descend thence direct to Berchtesgaden. Among other easy excursions from Berchtesgaden the traveller may go by the carriage road to Ramsau, and with an early start, may go as far as the Seissenberg Klamm, returning on the same day (see Rte. B). Instead of following the road to the village of Ramsau, an excursion may be made to the Wimbachthal , which opens on the left of the road nearly 6 m. from Berchtesgaden. At the opening, the Wimbach torrent has cut a cleft tlirough the limestone rock, similar in character to those that abound elsewhere in this ROUTE A. — THE UNTEnSDERG, 77 district. After passing through this the traveller emerges into one of the wildest glens of the J]avarian Alps. To thf 1. rises the Watzinann. to the rt. the Steinberg (8,595'). without a break from t he floor of the valley. There being no intermediate shelving plateaux to re- strain the torrents and avalanches, t'normous quantities of debris have been borne down on either side, and there seems no a priori improbability in the supposition of .sonio Grermau writers, that tlie glen was once a lake, similar in character and parallel in direction to the Konigs See, but since filled up \\\\\\ debris. In that case it must have been much narrower than its neighbour, as the opposite mountains leave no wide space between their bases. The extent of bare limestone debris, the masses of snow remaining from the spring avalan- ches, and the absence of trees, save some patches of the dark creeping pine, give i his glen a singularly wild and dreary character. The main stream, and the torrents descending from the mountains, are all concealed, making their way un- derground beneath the coarse gravel debris ; no sound is heard save the oc- casional scream of so:ne bird of prey, or the shrill whistle of the marmot. About 4 m. from the opening of the glen is one of the numerous shooting-boxes built by the late king, 3,084 ft. above the sea. Some 2 m. beyond this the glen, whose previous direction was SSW., turns to SSE., thus keeping parallel to the basin of the Konigs See, which also bends to SE. in the short glen occupied by the Ober See; and in rather more than 1 hr. from the so- called Schlosschen, the traveller reaches the Griescdp (4,398'). Above this the path divides. On 3 faintly marked track beai's to the 1., and by that way the mountaineer, with a local guide, may traverse a ridge projecting southM'ard from the Watzmanii, descend through the Eistlial to the Eis Kapelle, and so reach St. I3artholoma. The expedition may of course be made in the opposite direction, but the effect is far more pleas- ing when the traveller, after passing several hours amid tstern and rugged rock-scenery, suddenly returns to the in- habited world amid the beautiful scenery that awaits him as he descends towards the lake. It would, however, be expe- dient to arrange beforehand for his con- veyance homeward by boat from St. Eartholomii. The other rather easier, but longer, path goes by the TrischlAil- aJp (o,749'), and Sigeretalp, to the Un- terlahner alp (Rte. D), whence the traveller may descend to the lake by the Schranbach fall, taking care not to be detained for the night in some unin- habited spot on the shore. The moun- taineer who would explore the Steinerne Meer (Rte. D) may ascend from the Un- terlahneralp to the Euntensee. From the nature of the soil and the lowness of the temperature, the flora of the Wim- bachthal includes many of the species of the subalpine and alpine zones. Aqui- legia Einsdeana is common throughout the valley. There are few places in the Alps which offer to the mountaineer so many mountain summits, all accessible within a single day, and presenting such varied views, as those surrounding Eerchtesgaden. The more interesting of these ai'e here briefly noticed. The Untersherg, lying about the centre of the triangle connecting Salz- burg, Eeichenhall, and Berchtesgaden, has been referred to in tlie preceding pages in connection with the two flrst- named places, but the ascent is more frequently made from Berchtesgaden. It is not very favourably situated for a panoramic x-iew, being less isolated from the higher peaks to the S. than the Staufen or the Gaisberg. It offers, however, many attractions to the natu- ralist, and its upper level exhibits many i of the characteristics of the limestone 1 high plateaux, of which the best speci- men in this district is the Steinerne Meer. Some additional interest is de- rived from the importance attached to the mountain in the mythical tales and fairy legends of this part of Ciermany, founded in great part on the numerous caverns and clefts, whence issue strange noises caused by falling water, and also ■8 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. from the remarkable aspect of the moun- tain, conspicuous throughout tlie neigh- bourhood of Salzburg and Reichenball. The outline has often been likened to that of the Egj'ptian sph3nix, with the head turned towards Berchtesgaden and the opposite end to Salzburg. The SE. face, towards the Albe, is extremely steep, almost a sheer precipice, while on the opposite side, facing the Saale, the slope is gentler and in great part clothed with forest. The rounded summit seen from Salz- burg is called Salzburger Hohe Thron (6,089'), while the highest, called Berchtesgadener Hohe Thron (6,467'), is at the SAV. end of the ridge. Al- though nearly level, the central pla- teau of the mountain is far from being easily traversed. In some parts it is intersected by deep clefts, wherein snow lies till late in the summer, reminding the mountaineer of glacier crevasses, and the intervening space is sometimes reduced to a mere rough wall of rock, along which he must pick his way with caution. "Wherever there is a little soil the plateau is covered with the tortuous trunks of the creeping pine, forming a barrier that is crossed with fatigue and diflficulty even by the most active walker. Unless he be proof against thirst the traveller, intending to ascend this as well as most of the other neighboxiring mountains, will be provided with drink, as he must be prepared for the pos- sibility of finding no water on the mountain. The few springs known to the herdsmen are, to use the expres- sive Grerman term, Hunger quelle (famine springs), often reduced to a mere driblet, descending drop by drop, and not j seldom completely dry in fine weather. | The best way from Berchtesgaden is i to follow the road towards Reichenhall for 1^ hr. At the hamlet of Krainwies a path turns off to the rt., ascends : through forest, and in 1 hr. of coustant rise reaches the Nienbachthorl, a de- pression in the ridge connecting the Tntersberg with the Hallthurn Pass, ! whence the traveller already obtains a ' wide and interesting view in both direc- \ j tions. The way now turns to the rt I The ascent is at first through forest, then between rocks, where the sun beats j with force, and in 1 hr. from the Thorl j the Untersberger Alp is reached. Here ! those who wish to devote a long day to I exploring the mountain may find night i quarters. Near at hand is a rocky I point commanding an extensive view. j The chalets stand on a sort of promon- j tory extending from the main mass of the mountain, and 2 hrs. are yet needed j to reach the summit. After another ^ hr., chiefly throitgh forest, the rough path reaches a sort of hollow in the mountain, called Barenloch. Here a faintly marked track joins our path. It is the most direct way from Berchtee- gaden, but is so rough and steep that it is rarely chosen. Here the view of the precipices of the Untersberg is extremely striking; the ascent becomes steeper, and the creeping pine takes the place of other coniferous trees. Continuing the ascent, with a view on the 1. hand to- wards Reichenhall, the traveller before long attains the upper level of the mountain. The highest summit lies to the rt. and seems easy of attainment, 1>ut the numerous and deep clefts in the limestone form a labyrinth which severely tests the local knowledge of the guide. He cannot here, as on a glacier, extricate himself from a diflEi- culty by a few well-directed blows of his axe, and it is often necessary to turn about and force a passage in a new direction ; but the distance is not great, and before long the traveller attains the summit. The view of the ranges from the Dachstein to the Lofer Alps, and especially of the nearer mountains surrounding the Konigs See, is ex- tremely tine ; but in the opposite direc- tion the long ridge of the mountain itself conceals the city of Salzburg and a considerable portion of the plain. It appears as though it could be no more than a short walk to follow the ridge from the highest summit to the Salz- burger Hohe Thron, whence one may look down directly on the city, and the course of the Salza and the Saale to ROUTE A — KXCURSIOXS FHOM UKKCIITESGADEN. the junction of those streams ; Imt the difficulties of the way are such that from 4 to 5 hrs. of hard work are re- quired to go from one point to another. One of the curiosities of the mountain is the ice-cavern called Kolowrats-Hijhh, discovered in 1846. The entrance is on tlie east side of a projecting hunch in the ridge, called the Gdcreck. This is scarcely accessible except from Glaneck ( § 44, Rte. A) a village 4 m. S. of Salz- burg. From that place, where guides, ropes, and lights may be procured, it is reached in little more than 3 hrs. To the botanist the flora of this moun- tain is very interesting, but owing to the broken naUireof the surfiice, there is some uncertainty as to finding several of the rarer species. Among those characteristic of this region of the Alps ma}'' be noted Saxifragra Burscriana, Plctirospermi'.m Aiisti'iatv.m, Savssurca ■pygmcsa, Soycria montuna (this, as well as the last, only at the S. end of the mountain), WlUcmetiaapargioides, Cam- panula alpina, J'ozzm alpina, Peclicu- larls incarnata, and Allium Vic torialis. The Hohe G'oU (8,266') is the highest summit of the ridge dividing the basin of Berchtesgaden from the valley of the Salza. Its form at a distance, from whatever side it be seen, is that of a dome or cupola, though on a nearer ap- proach it is found to be more sharply cut than had been supposed. Four ridges radiate in opposite directions from the peak, and between them are four hollow bays or amphitheatres, which give to this mountain a peculiar cha- racter. It has been unduly neglected by travellers, because of the supposed difficulty and even danger of the ascent, which are insisted on even in the recent edition of Scliaubach's usually ac- curate work. Though a steep climb, there is nothing that will be considered | a difficulty by a practised mountaineer. It is accessible from the E. by the Ross- feld, on the N. side of the Bliintauthal, or from Berchtesgaden by the Jager- schneid. Ilerr Ilinterhuber, who made the ascent by the latter route, recom- mends Hiuterbrandner of Berchtesgaden as a competent guide, and warns future travellers that very unreasonable de- mands were made at the Yogelalm, where he passed the night, a very un- usual circumstance in the German Alps, These are the highest chalets, about 2^ hrs. from Berchtesgaden. The way thence lies by a rough slope called Ja- gerwiesel to the Jagerschneid riJge. The summit may be reached either by following the ridge of the Hohe Brett (7,690'), which is a secondary peak of the Hohe Goll, or else by a more direct but very rough course through the Todten Graben, one of the four hollows or recesses spoken of above. The highest point is marked by a wooden cross. A some- what lower projecting peak is marked by an iron cross, beside which is a little box with a book, wherein the few who reach the summit inscribe their names. A passage called the Rauchfang, for- merly frequented by poachers, has been rendered quite impassable. Besides other rare plants, the botanist may find here Valeriana Sujiina. The Jenner (6,162') is a pyramidal summit projecting westward from the range connecting the Hohe Goll with the Hagengebirge. Unlike the Goll, it is Very easy of access, yet commands a re- markably fine view of all the neighbour- ing 7nountains, besides which it looks down into most of the surrounding glens. The traveller may descend to- wards the Konigs See by the Kunigs- bach, joining the path of the Torrener Joch (Rte.F) ; or he may make a rath^^r longer detuur, with a guide, and descend to the Kessel, taking care to have a boat in readiness to carry him to his inn. The Sclneihstein (7,422') lies in the main ridge overlooking the valley of the Salza, at the head of the Bliintau- thal (Rte. F.), about 3 m. S. of the Hohe Goll. The view is in some re- spects similar to that from the latter peak, but less extensive. It is con- sidered by Bavarian botanists to be one of the best habitats for rare plants. Besides most of tlie species found on the other peaks of this district, Chcrleria 8v0 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BERCHITESGADEN DISTRICT. imhricata, Vhaca Jrigida, and Sesleria tenella, have been found here. On the S. side of the Schneibstein extends a considerable mountain mass collectively called Hagengebirge, whose western headland is the Kallersberg (7,709'). Next to the GroU this coin- inaads the finest general view of any of the summits E. of the Kunigs See. The rocks contain numerous fossils. The most convenient way to approach it is from the Mitterhiitte (about 5,200'), where the traveller may sleep after having, on the previous day, ascended the Jenner or the Schneibstein. Thence he ascends to the Kallersberger Alp, the highest chalets in this district, and in 2 hrs. more attains the summit. Instead of shattered rocks, absolutely bare, or covered only with lichens, and some little flower rooted here and there in a cleft, the peak presents a slope clothed with alpine vegetation, remind- ing the mountaineer of the ordinary aspect of the Swiss and Savoy Alps. In descending he may take a very in- teresting way from the Kallersberger Alp by the Bdrensvjik, a singularly wild hollow, half filled with^ fallen rocks, where the herdsmen obtain their supply of water only by melting the snow remaining from the spring ava- lanches. By the so-called Steinerne Stiege a track leads to the Landihal, a trough dividing the Hagengebirge from the lower summits overlooking the Konigs See. Here the traveller may choose between the way by the G-otzen- alm to the Kessel, or keeping more to the 1., he may reach the Kegenalm, and descend by the Kaunerwand to the head of the Konigs See. Should the love of the wildest alpine scenery induce him to spend another night in some herds- man's hut, he should turn to the 1. from the Landthal, and follow a track called Luchspfad, which will lead him up to the plateau of the Hagengebirge, inter- mediate in character and in height be- tween that of the Untersberg and the Steinerne Meer. Numerous summits rise from 500' to 1,000' above the gene- ral level. The plateau is bounded on the N. by the Bliintauthal, on the E. by the defile of Lueg in the valley of the Salza, and to the S. by the Bliihnbach- thal. Even though the traveller should not intend to descend into the latter valley, he should not fail to reach the pass of the Wihlthor (Rte. F.), and gain the grand view of the Uebergossene Alp, which there rises exactly face to face. On the way, going or returning, . he should make a slight detour to attain the ridge of the Laubsattel. whence he looks down on the Ober See and the upper end of the Konigs See. The Steinerne Meer, which, with its alpine lakes and the impressive dreari- ness of its high plateau, may well detain the mountaineer for two or three days, is noticed in Kte. D. Those who do not intend to cross to Saalfelden may reach one or other of its higher sum- mits — Fimtenseetauern(S,'iSS' ),ov Hund- stod (8,532') — from St. Bartholoma, or from some sennhiitte that would be reached on the first day from Berchtes- gaden. The return to that place may be made on the following day by the Wimbachthal. The Watzmann (8,988'), being the highest summit visible from Berchtes- gaden, has naturally attracted the atten- tion of many mountaineers. Deservedly so, for the view is very grand and ex- tensive ; but the ascent does not alFord as much of incident and variety as that of many other peaks of lesser height. Though at first sight it appears very steep, the ascent is free from all diffi- culty, and reduces itself to a long, nearly uniform climb along an arete, not narrow enough to trouble any ex- cept persons predisposed to giddiness. To the practised mountaineer a guide is not necessary, so long as he keeps to the northern arete ; but in this, and all other mountain excursions in this dis- trict, the tendency of the rocks to split into deep clefts should be borne in mind. The stranger is liable at every turn to be stopped by some impassable chasm where he anticipated no diffi- culty in his way. In order to reach the summit, it is customary to sleep at ROUTE A. — ASCENT OF THE WATZMAKN. 81 one of the chalets on the northern slope of the mountain. The usual, and the easiest, course is to commence the ascent from the road to Eamsau, a short -svay before the junction of the Wimbach with the RamsautT Ache. After mounting for nearly 2 hours through forest, the path enters on alpine pasture^;, broken by projecting rocks and scattered blocks. It is usual to pass the night at the Gv.glalp (5,139'), wliich offers worse accommodation than is usually found in the Bavarian Alps. Above the alp the way becomes rather steeper, the broad rounded ridge be- comes gradually narrower, and from time to time the traveller approaches the verge of the precipices facing the "Wimbachthal. To the 1. is seen a hol- low filled with snow, called the Diirre Grube, A-isible from Berchtesgaden, and above this, in 2 hrs. from the Guglalp, a point in the ridge is attained whence for the first time the summit is visible. On the opposite side of the Diirre Grube another similar ridge meets that by which the traveller has hitherto as- cended, and by that way the track from Konigssee, mentioned below, joins the ordinary path. Henceforward the two routes are united. The ridge becomes more and more narrow as it rises to- wards the peak, but it is only where it approaches the summit that even ner- vous persons can find any difficulty. In from 3t to 4 hrs. from the alp the tra- veller attains the Hohe Spitze, marked by a large stone man and a painted cross. The cairn covers most of the narrow level space, leaving little room for visitors. A book is deposited in a recess, wherein they write their names. The Watzmann is a double peak, and the southern, or Hintere Spitze, appears to be higher by a few ft This is some- times called Schonfeld Spitze, but is not to be confounded with the highest point of the Steinerne Meer. The ridge con- necting tlie two summits is so rent by deep clefts that it is a tediou.s and diffi- cult operation to pass from one to the other. It appears that the S. peak h:'s been reached but twice, and the passage -V. T. involves some risk. Overlooking all the mountains ^vithin a radius of more than 30 m., excepting only the Uebergossene Alp, the view offers a very extensive and grand panorama, wherein the main chain of the Noric Alps chiefly attracts the view. The nearer views are scarcely less interesting. In the writer's opinion, the way from the hamlet of Konigssee, though rather stepper, is decidedly more agreeable than that by the Guglalp. An active mountaineer will have no difficulty in making the ascent from the inn at that place, but it is true that the peak is more often clear at an early hour ; and imless he start from the inn considerably before daylight, he wiU do better to sleep on the mountain. The path from Konigssee mounts steeply on one side of the gorge of the Klingerbach to the large and clean-looking chalet of Her- renrain (4,163'), thence bearing to tht- 1. to the Kiihrainalp. This stands on a ridge rimning parallel to the main mass of the Watzmann, which culminates towards SSW. in a peak called the Kleine Watzmann. Below the Kiihrain- alp this ridge is separated from the slope leading up to the Guglalp by a short glen, called the Schapbachthal. through which a torrent runs down to the Eamsauer Ache. Above the alp, a wild, stony, trough-shaped hollow, called the "Watzmanuscharte, runs up between , the ridge of the Kleine Watzmann and I its loftier namesake. Towards the sum- i mit of this hollow is a small glacier. The lower part of the TVatzmannscharte, opposite the Kiihramalp, is nearly level, and in order to reach the main peak, the traveller crosses it diagonally, and ascends by the 3Iittoralp to the Fatzalp (5,506'), where he may pass the night as well, or as ill, as at the Guglalp. A stiff climb then takes him up the ridge at the 1. side of the Diirre Grube, above which he joins the ordi- nary route to the summit. If thetraveUorascendingfromKonics- see should find clouds gathering round the summit of the mountain, he will perhaps do well to alter his course, as 82 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. flid the writer under such circumstances, and turn his steps to the Watzmann- scharte. As he ascends, the rocks of the Great and Little Watzmann rise more and more steeply on either hand, and the scene, when he reaches the little glacier at the top, is one of the wildest that can be imagined ; the eifect I leing heightened, if, through some break in the clouds, the green meadows, and luxuriant foliage, and neat houses of the vale of Berehtesgaden are seen in strange contrast with the savage scenery that surrounds him. Most of the rarer plants mentioned below are to be gathered here. The botanist will reap an ample harvest on this mountain. To mention but a few of the more interest- ing species, he will find in the lower alpine zone (.5-6,000') Heradeum aus- triacuvi, Scnccio abrotanifolius, and Rhododendron chamcBcistus ; and in the upper zone, Pcrpaver al'pinum (on the highest peak), Draha Sauteri, Cherleria iiiihricata, Potcntilla ciusiana, Saxifraga stenopetala, Valeriana supina, Leontodon Taraxaci, Crepis hyoseridifolia, Cam- panula alpina, Prhnidaminima, Kobresia caricina, and Sesleria tenella. With this fine peak we close the list of tlie excursions from Berehtesgaden, as ihe Hochkalter and the Kammer- linghorn are more conveniently visited from Hirschbuhel. (See next Ete.) The botanist at Berehtesgaden should apply to Herr Apotheker Birnguber for permission to inspect a manuscript cata- logue of rare plants found in the neigh- bourhood by the late Dr. Einsele. EOUTE B. SALZBURG TO ZEIX-AM-SEE, BERCHTESGADEX. Berehtesgaden Ramsau . Ober Weisbach Saalfelden Zell-am-See . Post Stunden 6 2| 6 4i 4 23i Eng. miles 14 6J 14 lOi Mi The road here described, of which one portion is fit only for light country carriages, is the most interesting way for a traveller going by road from Salzburg to the tipper Pinzgau, being superior in scenery, and nearly as short as the post-road by Lofer. It may also be recommended to those going from Salzburg to Gastein, who wish to visit Berehtesgaden on the way. The scenery on the way from the latter place to Zell- am-See is of a very high order, and in- cludes one of the most singular ravines in the Alps. The water of the Alhe, also called Ache, and Aim, mentioned in the last Ete. as the stream which drains the basin of Berehtesgaden into the Salza, is in part diverted into a canal, which is carried across the plain NE. of the Untersberg to the city of Salzljurg. The road to Berehtesgaden keeps for several miles near to this canal, leaving to the rt. the village of Glaneek, at the base of the Untersberg. After passing Gredig, a projecting rock that looks like a huge block fallen from the Untersberg, half closes the entrance to the valley of the Albe. On its south side that stream turns eastward towards the Salza, and a branch road runs along its 1. bank to join the high road from Salzburg to Hallein (Ete. F.) Near the point where the canal is derived from the Albe are some considerable marble quarries and saw mills, established by King Louis of Bavaria. The valley soon contracts to a defile between the steep SE. face of the L^ntersberg and a ridge projecting northward from the Hohe G611. The name Hanaende Stein ROUTE B. — RAMSAU. i<3 is sometimes given to the defile in general, sometimes to the point where the frontier between Austria and Ba- varia was fixed in 1815, when Berehtes- gaden was preserved to Bavaria, while the secularised territory of Salzburg was assigned to Austria. This was the ancient limit of the little territory of Berchtesgaden, which long preserved a Feparate existence under an ecclesiastical ruler, who bore the title of prior, in spite of many attempts on the part of successive prince-archbishops of Salz- burg to gain possession of it by force or by diplomacy. There is still seen the inscription, ' Pax intrantibus et in- habitantibus,' set up at all the frontiers of his little territory by a certain Prior Rainer in 1514. Soon after passing the Bavarian customs stations, the road reaches Schellenherg (1,506'), a large village most picturesquely situated. The road now crosses the stream, keeping that side till near Berchtesgaden. On issu- ing from the defile, the traveller gains at length a view of the mountains sur- rounding Berchtesgaden, among which the Watzmann towers supreme. To the 1. is seen a eountr\- road practicable for light carriages, which goes to Hallein over a deep depression in the ridge, on the E. side of the Albe. Passing oppo- tite to the Salzberg, the traveller soon after reaches Berchtesgaden. As mentioned in last Kte., the road to Saalfelden follows the SW. branch of the Albe, henceforward called Pamsauer Ache. For more than 4 m. the pipes conveying saturated brine from the Salzberg to Eeichenhall run alongside the road. The reason for taking a direction so wide of the shortest line leading to that place is apparent when, on reaching the Ilsangmuhle, the traveller sees the machinery by which the brine is conveyed over the pass of Schwarzbachwacht' (2,907')- At this point there existed a vast amount of mechanical power, embodied in the fall of a mountain torrent from a height of 3S4 ft,, uselessly expended until the local engineers thought of setting it to G the task of raising the brine over the ridge dividing the Albe from the Saale. The lowest pass over that rid^^e is that of Hallthurn, only 2,225 ft. above th.- sea (Rte. A.) ; but it was found exj^e- dient to lengthen the route by many miles, and to traverse a pass nearly 700 ft. higher, in order to get the benefit of an agent costing next to nothing, yet able to raise the brine to a height of 1,263 ft. above the reservoir wherein it is received at the ILsang- miihle. After jjassing the opening of the Wimbachthal, noticed in the last Rte., the road reaches Bamsau (2,163'), a small village with a good country inn, a chosen resort of Munich landscape painters. The village i is in the immediate neighbourhood of much pleasing and even grand scenery, but the site is not equalto that of Berch- tesgaden. The forms of the AYatzmann and other peaks as seen from this side are far less bold, and there is not so varied and rich a foreground. Those who do not traverse the whole road from hence to Reichenhall, described in the next Rte., should go at least as far as the Taubensee, and may on the same day make a pleasant detour by the Reiter Alp, either to the Reitalphorn (5,747'), overlooking the valley of the Saale from Lofer to Reichenhall, or to one or other of the peaks of the Reiter Steinberg mentioned below. About ^ ni. beyond the village, the road leading to Reichenhall turns off to the rt., while that to Saalfelden preserves the westerly direction which it has held nearly all the way from Berghtesgaden, After traversing some outcropping beds of triassic Bunter sandstone the lime- I stone reappears ; and the road, after I twice crossing the torrent, reaches the I Hintersee (2.603'), one of the wildest i and most picturesque of the many j mountain lakes of the Bavarian alps. It I occupies a deep deprfssion between the ! range of the Steinhcrg, culminating in I the Hochkalter (8,595'), and a still more ■ rough and boldly sculptured mass, sume- ] times collectively called the Reiter Steinberg, and including several suia- 84 SALZBUIJG ALPS. § 45. BEKCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. the uneven surface of the rock; and the faint light reflected from the rocks is farther softened by the bushes rooted in the clefts above that partly roof over the opening. Excepting the Schwarzenberg Klamm,nearUuken (§i4, Kte. A.), this is the most remarkable of the ravines of this district, and may almost bear com- parison with the famous gorge of Pfafers, in Switzerland. The road enters the vaDey of the Saale at the SvHttered village of Ober Weissbach. The good country inn (zur Frohnwies), 2,173 ft. above the sea, is at the upper end, some way from the church. The charge for a light one-horse carriage from Frohnwies to Berchtes- gaden is 6 il. From Frohnwies upwards, for a dis- tance of nearly 6 m., the valley of the Saale forms a remarkable defile, the pas- sage of which iu bad weather is not altogether free from risk. Through the Hohlwrg, as it is called, the floor of the valley is nearly level and of moderate vridth, but it is enclosed on either side by precipices which at many points are absolutely vertical. In the spring, and at other seasons after wet weather, mas- ses of rock are often detached, and large fragments not unfrequently reach the road. The slight flavour of danger, and the sternness of the scenery, add interest to the passage. At one point, where the Diesbach torrent descends in a water- fall from the Steinerne ]\Ieer to join the Saale, stands a solitary mill, the only \ house in the defile. Even the lover of fine scenery feels relief when, at a point where the valley bends from SSE. to due S., the deep trench widens out into a comparatively wide green basin backed by the snowy peak of the Yischbachhom, beyond which the summit of theGrlockner is also visible. In the midst of this basin, 2,476 ft. above the sea, stands Saalfelden (Inns: Auerv.irth ; Tim- merlwirth). The village stands on the Urschlauer Ache, nearly 1 m. E. of its confluence with the Saale. The position is extremely flue. The valley of the Saale is here intersected by a line of valley (mentioned in the introduction), whi'.-ii to the E. forms the Urschlauthal mits, the highest of which are the M'dhlsturzhorn ( 7,470'), the Stadlhorn (7,449'): and the Spit^horndl {7,229'). Among the few houses by the lake shore is a ver}' fair country inn and a hunting lodge of King Max. It would appear as if the S vV. end of the lake had been filled up with debris fallen from the surrounding mountains; and no stream is S"en to flow through the barren stony plain, over which the road is carried, till it reaches a rocky barrier, which has to be surmounted iu order to gain the head of the valley. Gaining a view of the Hockeissjnt;^ {S,2o9'), at the SW.end of the range of the Steinberg, the road finally ascends to the Hlrschoiohel Pass (3,896'), hern marking the frontier be- tween Austria and Bavaria. A small but good country inn stands beside the customs station. This is well situated for the moun- taineer who would explore the Steinberg range. Tlie ordinary excursion is the ascent of X\\e Kaiii,iierIin[jhorn (8,146'), easily reached in 3^ lirs., and command- ing a very fine panoramic view. The botanist may find Orchis Spitzelii and Drabct Spit^elii during the ascent. The pedestrian wishing to take the eihortest way to Lofer may follow a path to the rt., "which crosses the Kleine Hir- sckbuhel (4,243'), and decends by Wil- denthal to the high-road aboA-e St. Martin. The road to Saalfelden -fit only for very light carriages — descends at first by the rt., then at the 1. side of the Weissbach torrent. About 2 m. from the pass a finger-post by the road side points ih^ way by ^vhich the traveller may descend into one of the most extra- ordinary of those deep clefts that have been cut by mountain torrents through the limestone strata in this part of the Alps. This is kno\vn as the Seissenberg Klamm. The pathway is for the most part a wooden stage, erected for the pur- pose of clearing the masses of felled timber that are floated down the torrent for conveyance by the Salza to Eeichen- hall. In one part the direct light of day never penetrates into the chasm, where the torrent rages and frets against ROUTE B. ZELL-AM- OT Urselauthal (Rte. G.), and to the W. the Leoganglhal. noticed in § 44, Rte. F. To the NE. the stem ifinge of the f5teinerne Meer (Rte. D.) rises in mena- cing proximity to the village, while from many points in the valley the snowy points of the Grlockner and its atten- dant peaks form an admii'able back- ground. Numerous castles, each with its store of historical or legendary re- collections, crown the eminences on either side of the valley. The Lichtenberg is that which commands the finest view. Above Saalfelden the broad valley of the i^ivdle extends for several miles nearly •tit a dead level. The road, after crossing the stream, runs due S. on the W. side of the valley, the floor of which is broken into rough undulatino: ground, covered by tre<^s, and the stream seems at no distant time to have changed its channel. When at Saalhof, a castle about 7 m. above Saalfelden, a stream flowing from the W. is crossed by a wooden bridge, while the road runs straight on to the lake of Zell, no stranger could suspect that in the short level space thus traversed he had crossed a watershed be- tween one river-basiuand another. Such, however, is the fact. The stream left on the rt. hand is the Glemmbach, the main source of the Saale (§ 44, Ete. Gr), while the lake sends its waters southward to the Salza. Careful examination is needed to ascertain whether the lake did not at one time extend from the Salza valley to Saalfelden. It would then have received at once the head waters of the Saale and the Salza, and the outflow must have been carried, either at one and the same time, or altemateh% through the valleys now traversed by both those rivers. Leaving to the 1. the castle oiPrielan, standing on swampy ground, at the N. end of the lake, and now used as an inn, the road runs along the W. shore to Zell-amnSee (Inns: Brau, clean and fairly good ; Lebzeltner, reasonable), a village little resorted to by strangers, yet enjoying a position not surpassed by many others in the Alps. The lake from which it takes its name — theZeUcr See — lies about half -way between the highest j portion of the mam range of the Noric ! Alps and the extremely bold and rugged ; mass of the Steinerne Meer and Ueber- j gussene Alp. In its usually placid sur- 1 face both the snowy range to SSW. , and I the grey limestone masfscs to NE., are ' mirrored. The lake is said, on the ati- thority of L. von Buch, to be 620 ft. in depth, and its heiLiht above the sea is j about 2,4o0 tt. ; that of the village being ! 2,469', or nearly exactly that of Saalfel- } den. The traveller should not fail to I take a boat excursion on the lake, which is more than 3 m. lone, and Jitarly 2 ni. wide. The views in botii directions are finer than from anj' point on the shore. In the lake are found two very rare water-plants, Nymjjhfsa biracUata and Mgrophila Sa uteri. \ Of mountain ascents most to l^e re- commended is that of the HciHlxftid (6,946'), reached in 4 hrs. from the vil- lage. The view is of a high order, and it is one of the best points for studying the great 8W. face of the Uebergossene Alp, which on this side is called Wetter- wand. Geniiana prostrata has bt^n found on the mountain. Nearer at hand is the Schmittencr Huhe. (6,441'), lying W. of Zell-am-See, and easily reached in 3 hrs. Still nearer, but not com- manding so good a view of the lake, is the Honigkogl (6,085'). There is one serious drawback on the advantages oi 1 Zell-am See as head-quarters for alpine tourists, in the neighbourhood of the ex- tensive marshes, which spread widely from the S. end of the lake into the valley of the Salza. The village is, in- deed, supposed to be free from the ma- laria caused by them, but they undoubt- 1 edly tend to disfigure a site which in other respects offers many attractions. In spite of its small size. Zell-am-See is a local centre of some little import- ! ance. Country diligences ply twice a day in 4 hrs. to Mittersill, another nms ; to Saalfelden and Lofer, and another to Taxenbach and Lend. The church of j St. Hippolytus contains some curious { work in carved stone, and deserves a visit. 8C EOUTE C. SALZBURG TO ZELL-AM-SEE, BY EEICHENHALL, It being supposed that most travellers fjoinjr from Salzburg to Zell-am-See desire to pass by Berchtesgaden, prece- dence "was given to that way in the last Rte. The easiest and shortest w-ay is, liowever, by Reichenhall, along the good road which nearly all the way keeps to the valley of the Saale, and which, though offering less variety, yet affords the traveller an opportunity of seeing some very fine scenery. A third way, best suited for the pedestrian, combines a visit to Reichenhall with some of the most striking scenery described in the last Rte. 1 . By the valley of the Saale. SALZBUKG ALPS. § 45. BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. Gumping, the site of a town now buried in the earth. The occasional discovery of objects of antiquity has given some colour to the popular belief. A little farther is the village of St. Martin, with a fine gotliic church,, opposite the open- ing of the Kirchenthal, a short glen descending from the Ochsenhorner. Its torrent, after rea(;hing the valley, runs parallel to the .'^aale, and joins that stream only close to Lofer. The pedes- trian who would gain a fine view may turn aside, and mount by a paved track to the little village of Kirchenthal (2,898'). The church, a handsome building in the Italian style, is fre- quented by pilgrims. A sliort distance beyond the village of St. Martin the valley is narrowed be- tween the E. base of the Loferer Stein- berg, on the 1. bank, and the Reiter Steinberg, also called Reiteralmgebirge, that rises above the rt. bank of the Saale. The defile, called Pass Li'ffensteiv^.'was formerly fortified, like most af the similar defiles in this district. Here the path from the Kleine Hirschbiihel, mentioned in the last Rte., descends into the vaUey. On a; rock above the pass is the ruined cas-tle of Lambrecht, near to which is a cavern, called Lambrechtsofenloeh, t-o which is attached a legend that has made it the frequent resort of the natives of the valley, bent on the fruitless search for buried treasure. Less than a mile farther isthe hamlet of UnterWeissbach, followed by that of Ober Weissbach, where the road from Berchtesgaden by the Hirschbiihel Pass joins our route. The remainder of the way to Zell-am-See is described in Rte. B. 2. By the Tauhensce. It was men- tioned in Rte. B that instead of carrying the brine fom the salt mine at Berchtes- gaden to Reichenhall by the shortest road, and over the lowest pass between those places, the pipes are led along the valley towards Ramsau, and the brine then raised by water-power to the pass of Schwarzbachwacht, whence it de- scends to Reichenhall. There is a rough road from Reichenhall to Ramsau, fo?the most part following the line of the brine- Post Eng. Stunden miles Reichenhall . 4 9i Unken . 5 111 Lofer . 2i 5| Weissbach . 25 6 Zell-am-See . . 8| 20 22i 52J The road between Salzburg and Lofer is described in § 44, Rte. A. At Lofer the traveller may find a post omnibus that plies daily to Zell- am-See. but unless he secures a front place be will see next to nothing of the scenery. Above Lofer the road runs for some way over marshy ground, and according to local tradition, passes at a place called ROUTE D. — STEINECNE MEER. conduits, which may be taken on the way to Saalfelden. It is practicable for light carriages, but is better suited for the pedestrian. The distance from Eeichenhall to Kamsau is about 14 Eng. miles, and avoiding the latter 'vnllage, the distance to Weissbach is about 27 m., or 4 m. more than by the high-road. This road leaves Keichenhall by the rt. bank of the Saale and follows the stream for more than 5 m. On the 1. hand is seen the steep northern face of the Lattenbery, which is the collective name for the mass of mountain, rather a high plateau than a range, that diA-ides the rfaale from the basin of Berehtesgaden. Several sum- mits, the highest of which is the BreysesseUcopf (o,o3f)'), rise above the general level of the plateau, which is covered with rich pasture, being, imlike the other mountains of this district, well supplied with water. About 3 m. from Eeichenhall the road crosses the Eothel- bach, a stream descending from a tract of peat moss near the summit of the plateau. By that way goes a path fre- quented by the herdsmen. Nearly 2 hrs. from Reichenhall the road reaches the opening of a more considerable stream — • the Schwarzhach — issuing from a glen that divides the Lattenberg from the much higher and more-rugged mass, col- lectively known as the Reiter Steinberg. Through this glen mounts the road to Eamsau, passing at its opening the little village of Jettenherg (1,626'), lying close to the foot of the very bold summit of the Alphorn (5,716' ), which projects north- ward as a promontory from the mass of the Steinberg. From the village the road ascends for 2 hrs., often passing alongside of the brine pipes, to the Sckwarzbachicacht (2,907')j heing the summit of the pass, and the site of the reservoir where the brine is received after being forced up from the Ilsang- miihle (Rte. B). The descent on the S. side is much shorter than the ascent from Jettenberg, and the scenery very in- teresting, commanding very fine views of the Watzmann, and other surrounding mountains. To the rt. rise, behind the outer slopes of the Reiteralp, some of the higher summits of that mass. [If accompanied by a guide, the tra- veller may find a way across the range to the valley of the Saale, descending to the hamlet of Eeit, on the rt. bank of that stream between Unken and Lofer.] Leaving the brine pipes to the 1., the road to Eamsau descends to the Taubensee, a highly picturesque little mountain laki- with a few rocky islets, and in ^ hr. more joins the road between Eamsau and Hirsehbiihel about ^ m. from the former village. This is avoided by the traveller bound for Saalfelden and Zell-am-S^«, who turns to the rt., and follows the road described in Ete. B. The summits of the Eeiter Steinberg, and especially the E. point, locally called Eisberg, are unusually rich iu rare plants. EOUTE D. BERCHTESGADEN TO SAALFELDEX, BY THE STEIITERXE MEEK. The roads described in the two pre- ceding Etes. all make a considerable detour round the mass of high mountains enclosing the Konigs See ; but a glance at the map shows that the direct way from Salzburg and Berehtesgaden to the upper valley of the Saale is over tlie rugged mass of mountain called Stcinerne Mecr, lying S. of that lake. Except by practised mountaineers the distance from Berehtesgaden to Saalfelden will be found a very long day's walk, and it is advisable to sleep at the inn at Konigssee, and start by boat at the earliest dawn, unless the traveller should prefer to sleep at a chalet. The latter alternative is recommended to the na- 88 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. tiiralist, who will thus gain time to en- able him to examine the singular region over which his track is carried. The usual way to the Steiuprne Meer is to laud beside the Schranhachfall , a water- fall on the SW. shore of the Konigs See. The spray falls so widely into the lake as to wet persons approaching the spot in a boat. A steep ascent of ^ hr., partly through forest, leads to the Schranbachalp (2. 859'). Beyond this the copious stream of the Schranbach, which lower down forms the waterfall, disap- pears from view. The track crosses the bed of a little lake that seems to have been drained through some subterranean channel. Once, or oftener, during the ascent the torrent will be seen to emerge to daylight, and then again be either lost amidst the limestone gravel or drawn off through a fissure. From the UnterlaJmercdp a path turns off to the Sigeretalp and Trischiibl (5,749'), whence the traveller may descend tlirough the "Wimbachtbal to Ramsau, or return to Berchtesgaden. The Un- terlahneralp (3,375') appears to be completely enclosed towards the S. by an amphitheatre of limestone rocks, but there is a passage in that direction through a cleft called the Savgasse, in which hes a steep pile of fine debris mingled with large blocks. An hour's ■Steep ascent is required to reach the summit, passing about half-way a spring of very cold water, possibly the last that the traveller will see for many hours, unless his guide should point out another to the 1. of the track near to the Ober- hihneralp (4,606'). This stands on a shelf of the mountain whereon he lands j after passing through the Saugasse. Here the rocks begin to exhibit the crevassed character, but the clefts show I a vigorous growth of alpine plants. | Several circular hollows in the rock are passed on either hand, and here and | there planks are laid over the wider j crevasses. Still ascending, and passing t through a sort of gap, called the Ofen- ! loch, the traveller reaches in 3^ or 4 hrs. j from tlie shore of the Konigs See, the I Flint ensee, a somewhat dreary tarn, ' 5,248 ft. above the sea. Keeping toth^ 1. he reaches a point where the rocks descend almost vertically to the water's edge, and a rumbling and gurgling sound is heard under the surface. The ten- dency of floating bodies thrown into the water towards this spot shows that the little lake has here a subterranean out- let. Rugged limestone summits rise on every side, the highest of which — the Funtenscetavern (8,388')— hes to SE. { The chalets at the farther end of the lake are tolerably clean, and the traveller 1 may there find tolerable night-c^uarters. j If his guide be not thoroughly acquainted with the pass, it will be prudent to take I some one from the Alp to show the way j over the trackless plateau of the Stein- erne Meer. From the chalets, or from I those of Im Feld (mentioned below), several of the higher summits may be reached, or the naturalist may devote a long day to exploring the stony desert. The Funtenseetauern is reached in about 3 hrs., passing by the Feldalph. The highest summit — the Schovfeldspitze (8,696') — has been rarely attained. Tlie way to Saalfelden ascends be- tween the Viehkogl (7,080') and the HirschJcoj-'f {QMO' ) to the Schonbilk/alp (6,114'), a small green tract — the highest pasture — almost surroiinded by the bare rocks, which from a distance simulate in a strange way the aspect and form of a glacier. Here commences the passage of the tract to which the term Steinerue Meer (sea of stone) properly belongs, though the name is commonly given to the entire mountain mass lying S. of the Konigs See. The high plateau which the traveller now traverses is not by any means a solitary example of the kind, as numerous other instances may be found in the Styrian and Carnic Alps, not to mention that of the TTntersberg, described in Rte. A; but this is pro- bably the most remarkable for its extent, and for the absolute nudity of the sur- face. Its length, from the SecJiorn (7,416') toNW.. to tlie 7?w«c//^or/2 (8,035') towards SE., is above 5 m., and its breadth in most places is not less than 2 m. In sume seasons a trickling spring of water ROUTE D. — THE GRUNSEE. 89 may be found at one or two points of the surface; but as a general rule it is absolutely devoid of moisture, and the keen eye of the botanist can scarcely discern the few rare specimens of alpine vegetation that nestle in the chinks of the ruck. To the ordinary observer it is absolutely bare, silent as the grave ; perhaps as absolute a desert as is to be found anywhere on the earth's surface, well deserving the name ' Todtes G ebirge,' given in Styria to such wastes. The rifted aspect of the rock, and the rounded hollows that recur at int+^rvals. involuntarily recall the appearance of the moon's surface as seen through a powerful telescope. In 2^ hrs. from the Funtensee the traveller reaches the Weisshach Sc ha rte {7, 4:62'). The plateau, whicli has hil^lierto sloped upwards to the S., here comes abruptly to an end, and the traveller has before him a view of unexpected grandeur. Standing on the verge of what appears a sheer preci- pice, he looks down upon Saalfelden, and the Zeller See, and the Dienten moun- tains, heri dwarfed to mere hills ; while behind them is spread out from W. to E. the great snow}"- chain of the Hohe Tauern from the Dreiherrnspitz to the Ankogl. Except the main range of the Pennine Alps, there is no continuous ridge in the Alps so unbroken by deep depressions. Facing round tu the N. the view of the stony desert just traversed is scarcely less remarkable. The de- scent is extremely steep and rugged, chiefly by slopes of debris lying at the higliest angle of repose, till in 1 hr. the Wcissbachalm ( 5,68 1') is reached. Here spring water, and usually milk, may be obtained. A better path is now found. At the Maria Aim, about 1^ hr. lower down, is a little inn where beer, bread, and eiigs may be had ; but 1 hr. more of easy M-alking carries the traveller to Saalfel- den (Rte. B). Ten hours, exclusive of halts, should be allowed for the walk from the sliore of the Ivonigs See to that place. A decidedly more interestins: and rather shorter way than that above described is by the G-riinsee. Instead of landing at the Sehranbach waterfall the boat .should be taken to the Sallc;t Alp, where visitors to the lake usually go ashore to visit the Obersee; thence ascending totheGriin- see. The following extracts are from notes kindly supplied by Mr. E. E. Tuckett:— 'We quitted the boat at 3.30 p.m., and taking it leisurely but steadily, with only occasional halts to admire the exquisite views, we follovred for the next 2 or 3 hrs. one of the most wonderful mountain paths I ever saw. It was a mixture of the Gemmi and the Dala Leitern, enriched by a beautiful growth of trees and ferns, and by glorious views of the lake; so close, that although some 2,000 ft. below us, we could apparently have chucked a stone into it.' The steep face of the mountain up which the track is carried is called the Sagcreck- wancl. Alter losing ^ hr. in a fruitless attempt to make a short cut, Mr. Tuokett's party reached the Sagereck- alp at 7 p.m., where the first good water seen since leaving the lake was found. This alp, which commands a noble view, is not t)ccupied during the height of summer. Another ^ hr. ascent over curiously broken ground brings the traveller to the beautiful Griinsee (•i,oO-i'). This lies in a hollow opi^n to the N., but enclosed on the E. by the Hohenscheile (7,950'), on the S. by the Griinseetauern, and on the W. by the Slminetsheig. Those who do not desire to reach the upper level of the Steineme Meer may return to the Konigs See by a path which winds round the Simmets- berg to the Oberlahneralp, and thence descends to the Schraubach fall. A short way above the Griinsee are the sennhiit- ten of the Griinseealp, where fresh milk, and in case of need, rough quarters for the night may be obtained. ' Erom hence the path or track, if such it may be called, leads up the rugged wall of the Griinseetauern to a lonely group of chalets, called by the senner Im Eadel, but designated Im Eeld on the Bavarian ordnance map. Here we received every attention and hospitality, and passed a most merry evening. Plenty of clean hay furnished us with 90 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BERCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. excellent beds, and we got a capital night's rest.' The chalets of Ini Feld, generally known here as the Fddalp (6,048'), are reached in about l^hr.from the Griinsee, and in from 3^ to 4 hrs. from the Sallet Alp, or about the same time as is required to ascend to the Funtensee from the Schranbach fall, though they are fully 700 ft. higher. They lie in a depression of the ridge that separates the Funtensee from the much deeper hollow occupied by the Griinsee. The Feldalp commands a beautiful view, in which a portion of the Konigs See is seen in marvellous contrast with the rugged and barren limestone masses near at hand. Near this point the attention of the traveller will be attracted by the ftrange forms into which the rock has been weathered. Instead of circular pits, which are seen elsewhere, we here have rounded conical eminences, some- what resembling a beehive in form, split by diverging clefts and crevices. At some points these eminences are so near together that it is scarcely possible to pass between them. The flora of this and the upper plateau of the Stein- erne Meer includes most of the rare species mentioned in Ete. A as charac- teristic of the mountains surrounding the Konigs See. The Siberian pine, Zirbe, or arolla (Pinus Cembra) is rather common, especially on the heights surrounding the Griinsee. From the Feld- alp a track leads down to the Funtensee, but the traveller bound for Saalfelden mounts directly to the plateau of the Steinerne Meer, and in 2 hrs, steady walking will reach the ridge of the "Weissbach Scharte. There are, at least, two other points whence it is possible to descend from the plateau towards the valley of the Saale, but they are both somewhat difficult, and fit only for practised mountaineers. The most easterly of these, lying nearly due S. of the Funtensee, is the Bi(chauer Scharte (7,490'). A very steep descent leads thence by the Kreutzhofalm (5,148') to the village of Aim in the Urschlauthal (Rte. G). The other passage lies considerally NW. of the AA^^issbach Scharte. The way lies from the Funtensee towards the S. base of the Huiidstod (8,532') ; the summit connect- ing the mass of the Steinerne Meer with the Watzmann, Crossingthe ridge of the Diesbach Scharte (6,679'), the tra- veller descends to the Diesbachalm, and then, keeping along the Diesbach tovvQnt, falls into theHohlweg (Rte. B) between Frohnwies and Saalfelden. He may also take a path leading XAY. from the^Dies- bachalm to Hirschblihel. In case the traveller, after exploring some part of the plateau, should wish to descend to Ramsau or to Berchtesgaden by the Wimbachthal, he may traverse a comparatively deep depression in the ridge connecting the Himdstod with the Gjaidkopfen (7,626'), and so reach the Trischiiblalp, whence an easy path leads down to the AYimbachthal (Rte. A). Route E. salzbueg to lend, by the valley op the salza. Hallein . Golling . Werfen . St. Johann Lend Austrian miles 2 2 . 2\ 2 lOi Eng. miles m 49^ The above are believed to be the true distances, but in posting the stages from Golling to Werfen, and thence to St. .Tohann, are, or formerly were, charged 3 miles each. The valley of the Salza, ROUTE E. SALT MINES OF HALLE IN. 91 from Salzburg to St. Johann, is one of those considerable breaclies in the gene- ral disposition of the Alpine chain that has suggested to geologists a belief in the action of mechanical forces acting on a large scale upon the earth's crust. In the present instance the conformation of the mountain masses, through which runs this deep cleft, is so irregular, that it is difficult to argue securely as to their ori- ginal direction before they were broken up by the working of dynamical and meteorological agencies ; but when we fix our attention on the great line of valley running parallel to the crystalline axis of the Noric Alps, and see that the stream of the Salza escapes from this main valley by a course at right angles to its previous direction, through a de- file between mountain masses that must at one time have been continuous, it is difficult to avoid the belief that the open- ing was originally effected by mechanical force, however it may have been after- wards enlarged by erosive action. Like other similar transverse valleys, this has been turned to account for the purpose of running a high-road tlirough the out.^r ranges of the Northern Alps into and across the central chain. From St. Johann the road described below turns westward, and is carried through the Pinzgau quite to the head of the val- ley of the Salza. Another road in the opposite direction leads to Kadstadt, and thence either eastward into Styria, or southward into Carinthia ; but the larger part of the traffic, at least in summer, arises from the concourse of visitors pro- ceeding to the baths of Gastein. In the present Ete. the road to that place is de- scribed as far as Lend, but the Gastein valley is included in § 52. In summer a diligence plies daily from Salzburgto Bad Gastein, a distance of 15 Austrian (70^ English) miles, in 13t hrs. The fares are rather high, and for two persons travelling together it costs no more to hire a small carriage. The usual charge to Gastein, with one horse, taking H day for the journey, is 12 fl. and 1 fl. trinkgeld. The scenery is in some parts fine, and always inter- esting, but not equal to that of the road by Hirschbuhel and Saalfelden, described in Ivte. B. The post road from Salzburg keeps to the 1. bank of the Salza, but there is an equally good road by the opposite bank. The former passes by the Castle of Hellbrunn (§ 44, Ete. A), and the modern castle of Anif,belonging to Count Arco. To the same proprietor belongs a very large brewery, formerly appertain- ing to one of the royal family of Bavaria, passed on approaching Hallein. Near that town many large barges, used ex- clusively for the conveyance of salt, are usually seen on the river. Clouds of smoke and steam from the salt-works announce to the traveller his approach to Hallein (Inns: Postor Adler; Sonne; travellers are also received at the Baths, or Soolbade-Anstalt), an ancient town, 1,473 ft. above the sea, famous since the time of the Eomans for the salt mine, which is opened in the hill close to the town, but extends a considerable dis- tance underground. It appears that the deposit containing the salt, either in the crystallized state or diffused through the mass, is continuous with that forming the Salzberg near Berchtesgaden. The ancient name of the mine is Tuval, but it is more commonly known as the Dum- ber ff, that being the name of the hill wherein the galleries are bored. These are at five different levels,and are connec- ted by shafts descendingat asteep incline down which the miners and visitors slide from one level to that below it. Having obtained through the innkeeper a ticket of admission,the visitor ascends on foot or by carriage in f hr.to the village of Diirn- berg (2,531'), with a handsome church built of marble and commanding a fine view. The entrance to the mine is by a long gallery or tunnel, and at the end of it the visitor, first equipped in a suitable dress, descends the slide or slioot at an angle varying from 38° to 46°, which leads him to the next lower level. The mode of extraction is very simple. Fresh water is introduced into large reservoirs, and gradually converted into brine, by dissolving the salt diffused 92 SALZBURG ALPS. § 4,5. BERCPITESGABF.X DLSTRICT. throii2;li the miiti'ix. When saturated, the brine is eonvf-yed to boiling-houses ■^here, at the cost of a vast consumption of fuel, it is converted into salt. "When the visitor has reached the lowest level of the mine, he is conveyed back to day- li£jht close to the town of Hallein, by riding astride on a seat conveyed very rupidly on an underground railway, through a tunnel more than | mile in length. The annual produce of salt is about 25,000 tons. The strangeness and novelty of the expedition to the mine attracts many visitors, including not a few ladies. For 10 or 12 m. beyond Hallein the vnlley is open, and the level floor is from 1|- to 2 m. in width. The post-road is carried along the E. side of the Salza. but at some distance from its banks. Kather more than 6 m. from Hallein is Ki'.chl, with a decent inn (beim Auer) commanding an excellent view of the Hohe Goll(Ete. A.), which rises due W. The traveller who intends visiting the Schwarzbach waterfall should here leave his vehicle, cross the Salza, and follow an easily-found track leading him to the fall, and saving a detoiir of 3 m. The church of St. Nicholas is a guide to the stranger seeking the fall. Golling (Inn : Post, probal^ly the best on this road) is a village overlooked by an old castle, frequented b^' travellers on account of the interesting scenery in the neighbour II ood. The chief attrac- tion is the waterfall of the Schwarzbach, better known as the GoUivgerfaU. Though the volume of water is not very considerable, this must be reckoned amongst the most picturesque of alpine waterfalls. It well deserves a visit, for which 1^ hr. suffices, or 1 hr. if the tra- veller hire a one-horse car, costing only 1 florin. The pedestrian, lea^Hng the high road at Kuchl, as mentioned aboA-e, ^vill lengthen his walk by little more than \ hr. The Schvjarzhach torrent is with great proV)ability believed to be a subterranean outlet from the Konigs See, bursting out from a rocky cleft at the base of the Hohe Goll, at'a point 1,916 ft. above the sea, or just SO ft. lower than the Konigs See. There are two principal falls, whose united height is 270 ft. The visitor should on no ac- count omit to mount to the point where the stream is seen to burst out from the rock. Paths have been made to the best points of A-iew, and there is a little inn supplying refreshments. The paths from Golling to Berchtes- gaden and the Konigs See are noticed in Rte. F., and the Lammerthal, with the road to Abtenau, is described in S 46, Ete. E. About 3 m. S. of Golling begins the remarkable defile called Pass Lueg, a very deep cleft between the Hagenge- birge to the W. and the Tannengebirge to theE. The name is sometimes given to the entire valley as far as Werfen, but in a special sense to the narrowest part, at the N. end nearest to Golling. The road from that place keeps to the rt. bank of the Salza. About 2 m. from the village a finger-post is seen, with the di- rection ' Xach den Oefen der Salzache,' and the traveller Avill do well to turn aside and devote ^ hr. to following the Avinding path that Avill ultimately lead him back to the road at a point only \ m. above that where he left it. At this place a considerable bergfall seems to have flung huge masses of rock into the bed of the river, sufficient in some places to almost completely cover it over. The path is so well contrived as to lead visi- tors Avith no trouble to the most curious points of view. He peeps into vast caverns, formed by the blocks that have fallen together, and hears, though he can scarcely see it, the raging of the water that struggles below to escape from its temporary prison. A singular scene is sometimes beheld here, when the woodmen are let doAvn by ropes into these dark recesses, in order to free the masses of timber, floated down from the upper part of the valley, that are often caught in the crevices of the rock. The path from the Oefen leads the visitor back to the road near to the chapel of Maria Brunneck (1,669'), whence he gains an excellent view of the opening of the defile of Lueg. At some points ROUTE E. ASCENT OF THE UEIJEKGO.SSENE ALP. 93 this is no wider than tlie cxiict space cut by the Salza, as it has gradually lowered the opening between the opposing rocks, and the road is artificially sustained on a ledge or shulf formed of pine trunks. .Such a position, on so important a road, has naturally been much disputed in time of war. A little cavern above the road, now used as a fort, is called Croatenloch, from having been held by Croat troops in the war of 1742. In 1809, the Capuchin friar Haspinger, with a few Tyrolese volunteers, held the pass for a considerable time against a large force of French and Bavarians. For several miles the drfile continues wild and narrow, hemmed in between the high clitFs on either side. At the bridge of Aschau tlie read crosses to the 1. bank, passing the sohtary inn of Ste- genwald, who.se former host was one of the leaders in the struggle against the French invasion. From hence an ex- cursion may he made to the Tannenge- birge (§ 46, Rte. Gr). Before long the road passes the torrent from the Bluhn- hachthid, one of the finest of the alpine glens of this district. By that way the mountaineer may reach Berchtesgaden and Saalfelden (see Ete. F). The ex- tensive smelting works, called Bluhhaus, at the opening of the glen, stand a little N of the Castle of Hohcnwerfen, perched on a rock about 370 ft. above the level of the valley. This was the hunting- seat, stronghold, and state prison, of the prince-archbishops of Salzburg, some of whom are said to have rivalled the feu- dal chieftains, their cotemporaries, in the cruelties practised on the victims of their wrath. Passing over a sort of gap between the castle hill and the moun- tain on the W. side, the road reaches Werfen (Inn : Post), in size a village, but ranking as a market town, 1,747 ft. above the sea, commanding a fine view of the Tannengcbirge. The interesting ascent of the Uebcrgossene A^i^ may be undertaken from hence, by the Bliihn- bachthal, or by the parallel glen of the Hollenthal, which opens close to Werfen, or from the village of MuMbach (^here tiiere is a fair country inn), about 7 ni. from Bischofsiiofen, connected witli that place by a good road. This great moun- tain, the highest limestone summit of this district, may be considered as a SE. prolongation of the range of the Stein- erne 3Ieer, which it resembles in ui general structure ; but as the upper pla- teau is fully 1,000 ft. higher, the snow, which rests only in the hollows of the Steinerne Meer, here accumulates and forms a glacier of some extent. A cart- track through the Hollenthal, where iron ore has been extracted at many points, goes as far as Hull (3,154'), the highest hamlet. Above this fine pastures ex- tend up to the Mitterfeld Aim (5,o29'), where it is usual to pass the night. This point, whence the eastern face of the mountain rises very grandly, may be reaL'hed in 2i hrs. from jNliihlbach, passing the copper mine of Mitterberg. Few enjoy a greater variety of names. Besides those best known — Uehergos- sene Alp or Aim — it is often called Ewige Schnee, and sometimes Schneealm or Verwunschene Aim. The latter desig- nation referring to a legend which fre- quently recurs in the Swiss and German Alps. To these must be added the name Wetterwand , by which it is known in Piuzgau. The highe.st summit, near the S. edge of the plateau, is (on the Wer- fen side) called Hochkoiiig, and mea- sures 9,643 ft. above the sea The way ascends from 3Iitterfeld by the Gaisnase in 2 hrs. to the Ochsenriedel, a stony hollow at the base of a noble pinnacle of bare rock called Thorsaide. The re- mainder of the ascent, chiefly over a gently sloping and little crevassed gla- cier, takes 2 hrs. In 1865 the directors of the Miihlbach copper mine erected a small stone hut on the highest peak. There is room for two persons to lie down, but without firing the cold at night must be severe. It is possible, though rather difficult, to follow the ridge connecting this mountain with the Steinerne 3Ieer. As a panorama the view from the AVatzmann may be pre- ferred, but the rock scenery here is much grander. Above Werfen the valley of the Salza, 94 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BEPXHTESGADEN DISTRICT. here called Pongau, opens out consider- ably, and from hence to 8t. Johann the mountains on either side are neither so high nor so bold in form, being in a geological sense, an eastern prolongation of the Kitzliiihel and Dient en mountains. Some German -n-ritei-s have supposed that this portion of the valley was at some not very distant period a lake, si- milar in position to the Zeller See (Rte. B), which was partly drained by some con\Tilsion that opened a passage for the Salza through the defile of Lueg. Few modern geologists will be inclined to accept this latter view. To establish the former existence of a lake, careful examination of the groimd and accurate levelling will be required, Eather more than 1 m. abovs Werfen the post-road divides. One branch leading to Villach in Carinthia passes the river and goes through the Fritzthal, over a low col to Radstadt (§ 46, Rte. F). The road t-o G-astein and the Pinzgau keeps to the 1. bank. Not far from the bridge, on the rt. bank of the Salza, is Doi-f Werfen, also called Werfen Pfarr, not to be confounded with the Markt (market- town) of the same name. It has a fine old Gothic church, with a curious monu- ment of Christoph von Kiinburg. The pedestrian should here turn aside, and ascend for some way by the Radstadt road, till he reaches a projecting point that commands an extremely fine view of the valley and the surrounding moun- tains, amongst which the Uebergossene Alp towers preeminent. If he would gain a still wider view, he may take the summit of the Griindeck (5,94:9') in his way to St. Johann. On the road by the 1. bank of the Salza is the very ancient village of Bischofshofen (Inn : Hirsch), containing two interesting churches. The more ancient is the Maximilians Kirche, founded by St. Rupert. The Frauenkirche is larger, but more modern. It contains some monuments, and several Roman antiquities found on the spot ; e.g. a Roman altar, now used as a bap- tismal font. Xear tlie village there is a fine waterfall of the Gainfddbach, whence the bold peak of the Thorstein is seen to the E, After passing the torrent from the MuhlhackthaJ , along which a new road is carried to the mining A^llage of Miihlbach, mentioned above, and in Rte. G, the high road crosses the Salza, and soon after reaches St. Johann (Inn : Rosians, very fair). The village, called, for the sake of distinction, St. Johann im Pongau, stands on rising ground, about 390 ft. above the riverT 2,034 ft. above the sea, a few miles below the point where (after flowing nearly due E. for 45 m.) it turns northward towards Salzburg. The road from hence to Rad- stadt, which mounts to the E. along the Kleinarlbach, is described in § 52, Rte. E, The road to Lend crosses the Salza, and is carried WSW. amid picturesque scenery, to the hamlet of Schwarzach. In the village inn is shown the identical table whereat the leaders of the Protest- ants entered, in 1731, into the covenant called Salzbund, whereby they bound themselves to quit their homes and country rather than surrender their re- ligious convictions. The result of the persecution directed agai n st them was the emigration of more than 22,000 persons from this part of the then principahty of Salzburg. A short excursion maybe made into the little glen of the Wenger- hach, which opens on the high-road close to Schwarzach. At its head is a water- fall of great height, but with a small volume of water. On rising ground W. of the glen is Goldcgg (2,686'), a village with an ancient castle, long inha- bited by the powerful family who derived their name from this place. It contains a large hall, built in the 16th century, after the castle had passed from the Goldegg family to the Counts of Schern- berg. The painted coats of arms of most of the princely and noble families of the time, accompanied by historical and allegorical details, will be likely to interest the antiqiiary. Above Schwar- zach the valley of the Salza is contracted to a defile, not, however, comparable in point of grandeur to that of Lueg. The road recrosses the river to the rt. bank, and about 2 m. farther reaches Lend {Inns, : Post; good), a .straggling ROUTE F. — TORRENER JOCII. 95 village extending along both lianks of the Salza. Here the road to Mittersill and the head of the Pinzgau is carried due W. (§ 50, Rte. A), and that to Gas- tein mounts SE. through the Klamm (§ 52, Ete. A). EOTJTE F. BERCHTESGADEK TO THE VALLEY OF THE SALZA. The traveller wishing to go from Berchtesgaden orKonigssee to the valley of the Salza has a choice among many different routes, none of which is devoid of interest. 1. By the Hangencle Stein. This is the only way fit for persons who travel in heavy carriages. They follow the road from Berchtesgaden to Salzlmrg, through the defile of Hangende Stein, to the point where the stream of the Albe turns eastward. A cross road, about 2 m. in length, keeps along the 1. bank of the stream, and then joins the main road to Hallein, described in the last Rte. The distance this way is about 15 m. 2. By the Durnhrrg. A road easily practicable for light carriages follows for about 10 m. a nearly direct line NE. from Berchtesgaden to Hallein, passing over the Diirnberg. In approaching Hallein it goes within ^ m. of the en- trance to the salt mine (see last Ete.), HO that the traveller may visit the mine and make his exit through the lower tunnel close to the town of Hallein with very little loss of time. 3. By the Bossfeld. The moderate walker, who pr'^fers a mountain view to underground sight-seeing, may turn to the rt. from the last-mentioned road, and reach the summit of the Bossfdd (4,264') by a pleasant and easy Avalk over alpine pastures. Tlie summit is a northern outlier from tlie range of the Hohe Groll, and commands very pleasing ■N-iews. It would be possible to combine this with a visit to the salt mine. 4. By the Torrener Jock. This ex- tremely agreeable pass may be made from Berchtesgaden, or from the inn at Kcinigssee, the time in either case being about 7 hrs. steady walking. In going from the Konigs See it is well to re- member that the true course keeps near to the Konigsbach (Ete. A.) all the way, and the traveller should not be led aside by a tempting path to tlie rt. The as- cent is tolerably sleep, through a ravine with the Jeuner on the 1., and the Ba- renwand on the rt., till the pastures of the Konigsbergeralp are reached. There is here a gamekeeper's lodge. Due E. of this lies the Torrener Jock (5,697')) which may also be reached di- rect from Berchtesgaden by a less steep path than that by the Konigsbach. The ridge falls but slightly on the E. side of the pass, and the track lies for ^hr. over alpine pastures till it reaches the cha- lets of the Obere Jochalp, near tc which the plateau ends abruptly, and a steep descent leads down to the Blihitav.thal. On the Austrian side of the j^ass the E. edge of the plateau, which shows like the summit, is called Vordere Joch, and the Torrener Joch, or true summit, Hintere Joch. The view from the pass is not remarkable, but those gained dur- ing the ascent are beautiful, and the position of the Obere Jochalp is striking. I From the pass the summit of the Jcnner (Rte. A) may be reached in 40 min. j ToNE. is the Hohc GbU (8,266'), and be- side it the Hohe Brett (7-690'), while S. ! of the pass rises the Schneihstein (7.424'). i The Bliintauthal, through which lies the way to Golling, carries down to the Salza, opposite that place, the drainage of tlie range from the Hohe Giill to the Hagen- 96 SALZBURG ALPS. § 45. BEKCHTESGADEN DISTRICT. gebirge. After descending nearly due E. for some distance the streamlet, along which tliepath runs,joins another coming from a southern branch of the glen, is- suing from the heart of the Hagenge- birge. Henceforward the way lies NE. until the path (passing near a fine wa- terfall) enters the valley of the Salza near the bridge opposite Golling. In taking the pass from that place it is im- portant to follow the rt. hand branch of the Bliintauthal, where this joins that coming from the Hagengebirge. 5. By the Bluhnhachthal. There is no doubt that the most interesting route for the mountaineer, going from Berch- tesgaden or Konigssee to "Werfen, is by the Bluhnhachthal, an extremely fine alpine glen that penetrates deeply into the midst of the highest peaks of this district ; having the Uebergossene Alp to the S., and the chief summits of the Hagengebirge to the N. Its western end is closed by the ridge connecting the former mountain with the Steinerne Meer. The most convenient way to ap- proach it from Konigssee is to sleep at the Eegenalm (Ete. A), and mount thence by the Landthal to the "W, end of the range of the Hagengebirge. This may also be reached from the Obersee by a traveller starting from the inn at Konigssee at early dawn. There are two passes by which the descent into the Bliihnbachthal may be effected. The shortest course is by the BJilhnhach- thorl (6,609'), a depression between the Klein Te-xfelshorn (7,391') and the Al- 'penriedhorn (7,729'). Decidedly more interesting than this is the pass of the Wildthor, lying farther W,, near the head of the Bliinbachthal, right opposite and very near to the Uebergossene Alp. The track leading to it passes by a little tarn, called Blaue Lake, Ij-ing between the Hocheck (7,703') and the Ober Schonfeld. Passing a solitary chalet at the Vordere Wild- alp, the track reaches the Wildthor (7,077'). A steep descent through a rocky cleft leads down to the head of the Bliinlachthal. This fine glen, men- tioned in Rte. E as opening a little N. of the Castle of Hohenwerfen, is too rarely visited by travellers, but it is the favourite hunting ground of some neigh- bouring proprietors. From its head to the high-road is counted a walk of 4 hrs. About half-way is a handsome shooting- lodge ( Jagdschloss ) beside another old building designed for the same purpose by some former prince-bishop. Except when occupied by hunting parties, a stranger may obtain good accommoda- tion here. The ascent of the Ueber- gossene Alp may be effected as well from the Jagdschloss (2,64:0') as from the Hollthal (Rte. E). Another interesting excursion is over the Urschlauer Scharte (6,889'), the ridge connecting the Uebergossene Alp with the Steinerne Meer. By that way Saalfelden is reached in 9 hrs. EotTTE G. SAALFEI.DEN TO LEND, BT THE UESCH- LAUTHAL. Reference was made in the introduc- tion to this section to the ranges of triassic and palseozoic rocks lying S. of the high range of the Steinerne Meer and Uebergossene Alp, that are collec- tively known as the Dieiiten Gebirge. These are separated from the high lime- stone mountains by the UrschJauthal, or Urselauthal, mentioned in Rte. B as opening into the vaUey of the Saale at Saalfelden. By that way, and by the passes mentioned below, there are easy paths from Saalfelden to Lend, or to Werfen (Rte. E). That by Dienten ia traversed by a good horse tracJc» ISCHL DISTRICT. 97 The general direction of the Urschlau glen for nearly 3 hrs. is ESE., but the stream and the path wind considerably. H hr. from Saalfelden is the village of Aim (2,490'). Above this the glen con- tracts, and for more tlian 1 hr. continues in the same direction (under the name Vorderthal) to Miihllehen. Here the torrent makes a sharp turn, and the head of the glen, called Hinterthal, is seen opening to NNE. By 1 liat way goes the path to Moshach (3^363'), the highest hamlet, very finely situated at the base of the precipitous rocks of the Ueber- gossene Alp. Even those who do not intend to traverse the Urschlauer Scharte, mentioned in the last Kte., will do well to visit the head of the Hinter- thal. From Muhllehen the horse-track mounts ESE. to the Filzen Pass (3,953'), sometimes called Hochfilzen, but not to be confounded with the place so named on the way from St. Johann to Saalfel- den (§ 44, Rte. F). From the summit the track descends to Bienten (3,041'), a small village possessing an ancient church, with pictures defaced by time, at the head of a short glen that descends a little E. of S. Iron mines were for- merly worked here, and some interesting minerals are still found. About 10 min. above the village, near a building that is, or was, used for making iron nails, are rocks containing trilobites (?) orthoceratites, and other palaeozoic fos- sils. ENE. of the village a track is carried over the Dientner Aim (4,517') into the Muhlbachtal which joins the valley of the Salza between St. Johann and Werfen (Ete. E). Ini^tead of cross- ing the pass, the mountaineer should ! ascend the Sclineeberg (6,292') lying a : little to the S., due E. of Dienteii, and ! may thence reach Bischofshofen (Kte. | E) by the Miihlbachthal. The pano- \ rama is tirst-rate. \ The torrent descending from Dienten j preserves the ancient form of the name, j being called Tuonta. This has cut an extremely deep ravine, and the track, | after crossing to the 1, bank some way below the village, winds round the shoulder of the mountain, commanding X. T. " H noble views of the high peaks to the S., and descends into the valley of the Salza a little above Lend. It is a walk of 4 hrs. from that place to Dienten. The track, which is practicable for carts, cannot be missed. There is another way which is about equally short, but not to be so easily found. It avoids the Filzen Paes and Dienten, crossing the ridge some way W. of that village. The alp is called Griinberg, and the summit may be reached in 3^ hrs. from Saalfelden. In descending, the path to the rt. leads nearly due S. to Taxen- bach. The way to Lend is either to follow the ridge on the W. side of the Diententhal, or else to descend into that glen at a point where it is possible to cross the Tuonta and follow the cart- track to Lend (Kte. E). SECTION 46. ISCHL DISTRICT. Ix describing the road from Salzburg to Lend (§ 45, Kte. E) we had occasion to remark that the deep cleft in the Nor- thern Alps marked by the valley of the Salza in that part of its course is very far from having the geological signifi- cance that belongs to the upper valley of the same river, or to the valley of the Inn between Landeck and Hall, or to several other valleys whose direc- tion approaches due E. and W. At the defile of Lueg the river flows between the Hagengebirge on one side, and the Tannengebirge on the other, merely di- viding into two portions what was once a continuous mass ; and there can be little doubt of the orographic connection be* '98 SALZBURG ALPS. § 4G. ISCHL DISTRICT. tween this and the still more consider- able mass of the Dachsteingebirge,whose axis lies in the prolongation of the first- named range. Northward from this principal mass are a series of outl;)'ing ridges and isolated groups, distributed ■vritti little apparent order. In the midst of these outer ranges lie the numerous lakes that have made the district here described justly celebrated for the variety and beauty of its scenery. In the centre, , und at a convenient distance from several of the most picturesque lakes, is Ischl, ■which within a comparatively short time has risen to importance as one of the most attractive of Alpine watering-places. The,smali tract surrounding that village, extending to the head of the Lake of Hallstadt, has long been of importance for the salt-mines that have rivalled those of the somewhat similar district of Eeichenhall and Berchtesgaden, and on this account has long formed (under the name SalzJcammergut) a distinct depend- aucy of the Austrian crown. The Alpine district, however, included in the present section extends consider- ably beyond the limits of the Salzkammer- gut ; and it has therefore seemed better to take the name from Ischl, now uni- versally known as a centre of attraction for travellers visiting the Eastern Alps. The western boundary is fixed by the valley of the Salza, and that to the S. by the road from Werfen toRadstadt, and thence along the valley of the Enns to Steinach. To fix the eastern limit is not so easy, but the most natural boun- dary' seems to be the valley of the Traun as far as the N. end of the Lake of Hall- stadt, and thenceforward the hne of de- pression followed by the Aussee road, entering the valley of the Enns a little way above Steinach. The detached masses of the Traun- at^in, the Schafberg, and Hollgebirg, are the northernmost notable summits of thf! Alps, all of them lying north of any part of the Swiss territory. Al- though the highest summits of the Dach- stein group — Hoher Dachstein (9,845'), ThorsteinC 9,677'),— do not reach 10,000 iSe«t, there is a greater extent of glacier than would be expected by a traveller familiar only with the central and southern ranges of the Alps ; and these and the associated peaks oifer to the en- terprising mountaineer the attraction of difficulty which in regard to some of them has not yet been surmounted. The traveller finds tolerable quarters everj^where in the inhabited places in this district, and comfortable inns at many of the more attractive stopping- places. It is to be regretted that moun- tain inns such as those now common in Switzerland have not yet been provided to meet the wants of travellers. This deficiency is particularly felt at the Vorder Grosausee, one of the spots most attractive to the mountaineer that can be named in the Eastern Alps. The visitor who would become tho- roughly acquainted with the charm- ing scenery of the outer ranges of this district, near Salzburg, should consult two papers, by Dr. Walhnann, in the Jahrbuch of the Austrian Alpine Club, vols. ii. and iii. EOUTE A. SALZBrKG TO ISCHL, EXCURSIONS FROM ISCHL. Hof St. Gilgen Ischl Austrian miles 2 2 ■ !^ 7i Eng. miles 34i Diligences ply daily between Salz- burg and Ischl, employing 6|-hrs. — fare about 4 flor. 'I?here is also an omnibus KOUTE A. — SALZBURG TO ISCHL. 9y whidi takes 1 hr. longer, at a fare less I by 1 flur. For hired carriages (lohn- ' kutscher) the charge is 8^ flor. with one i horse, 12^ flor. -svith two horses, with i 1 flor. trinkgeld to the driver, — time I about 9 lars. { The great majoritj of travellers who [ take this road make Ischl the object of ' their journey, intending to remain many days, or even weeks, at that place, and making it the centre for the numerous j excursions there offered to the choice of the stranger. But it may also be very well taken on the way from Salzburg to Vienna or to Trieste. The road from Ischl to Steinach (Ete. D), and thence to Bruck an der I\Iur on the rly. from Vienna to Trieste (in all, about 108 Eng. m.), is throughout very interesting and may easily be accomj)lished in two days. The first stage from Salzburg is al- most constantly up-hill, so that the pedestrian gains little time by taking a carriage. Leaving Salzburg (§ 45, Ete. A) by the Linzer Thor, the road passes close under the Nockstein, a promontory from the Gaisberg. Looking back, the traveller gains a wide view over the plain of Bavaria and the mountains beyond Salzburg. Soon after reaching the level of an undulating and broken plateau, a road to Ebenau turns off to thert., while the high-road keeps on nearly due E. to Hof (2,203'), where the omnibus stops, or did stop, for dinner at a bad inn. The place consists of this, the chuTch, and two or three houses. The complaints against the inn and the food here have been so general that travellers were advised to dine either before or after the journey, or else take refresh- ments with them ; but it is fair to say that some recent accounts are less un- favourable. Travellers from Gastein or the upper valley of the Salza to Ischl usually follow the road from Golling by Abtenau (Ete. E), but those going from Berchtesgaden to Ischl, who have no occi^sion to go to Salzburg, will do well to reach Hallein by any of the roads or paths mentioned in § 45, Ete F.. and then follow a country road to Ebenau, ', H an easy walk of 3^ hrs. from Hallein, ar.d 1 hr. more takes the traveller to Hof. This road from Hallein to Hof is pa.ss- able for a country carriage. In going from Hof to St. Gilgen the traveller not pressed for time should make a slight dt'toiu- by the Mond See, unless he in- tends to make the latter the aim of a special excursion (see Ete. C). From Hof to Ischl the road presents a succession of charming pictures, form- ing a fit introduction to the fascinating scenery of this district. The first lake seen is the Fioschelsee (2,097'), a narrow basin of dark-blue water, with an old castle at its NW, end. The road runs along its S. shoi-e, passing at the east- ern end the little village of Fusdui (Inn : 3Iohr), and then mounts the low ridge that divides this from the next lake. The view looking back over the Fuschelsee is very pleasing, but no way comparable to that which is gaineil when, after passing the col (2.525'), thr road begins to descend the SE. slop*^ towards the Wolfgang See. The poverty of language, and the need of economising space, counsel the writer to avoid the frequent use of epithets. Sutfice it to say that the traveller who, with mode- rately favourable weather, visits this and the other lakes of this district with- out exquisite enjoyment, must be de- void of all sense of the beauty of nature. In descending from the pass, the whole length of the lake is seen stretching to SSE. for about 7 m. with richly wooded slopes of moderate steepness, above the rt. or S. shore, contrasted < u the opposite side with the extremely bold range of the Schaf berg. The ridg^^s and promontories that etretch out from it towards the lake seem to have been cut away as they approach the water, and one of them in particular— the Fa^kenstein — shows a vertical preeipicf of pale grey limestone, that harmonises in a marvellous way with the dark green of the pine woods, and the azure blue of the lake. The lake, and the ascent of the Schaf- berg, are described lower down among the excursions from Ischl, but many 2 100 SALZBURG ALPS. § 46. ISCHL DISTRICT. travellers find it a better plan to halt on their way to Ischl at the village of St. GUgen (Inn : Post, tolerable, not cheap), whence the ascent is as short and interesting as that from St. Wollgang. Those who do not require a carriage to convey their luggage will do well to engage a boat from St. Gilgen to Strobl, a hamlet at the E. end of the lake, about 7 m. from Ischl. The post-road is carried along the S. shore, where a promontory stretches out and nearly divides it in two parts. This has been formed from the debris de- posited by the Z'mJce.tihach, a stream des- cending from the Hoher Zinhn (5,778'). A path here turns SSW., and follows the torrent to the fine waterfall of the Schreinbach, about 1 hr. di>tant from the road. From Strobl the road follows the Ischl, which is the outlet of the lake, crossing the .stream, and again returning to the rt. bank. There is a foot-path by the rt. bank nearly 1 m. shorter than the road. IscHj. (Hotels: A very large and handsome new house managed by Herr •Bauer was opened in 186-3 — beautifully situated, but the charges t^xtravagant ; Kaiserinn Elizabeth, bxirnt down in 1865, reopened in 1868; Ki'euz, very well kept, not dear ; Post, tolerably good ; the following are the best among the second-class inns — Erzherzog I'ranz Karl; Stern; Eaierischcr Hofj stands close to the junction of the Iseiil with the Traun, 1,595 ft. above the sea. Though the most populous place in the Salzkammergut, and styled a market town, this was 25 years ago no more than an Alpine village, but its almost unequalled advantages of position, and the reputed good effects of its baths, had already begun to attract visitors. Among these were the late Emperor Ferdinand and his Emprc-ss, who often resided in an ordinary house in the village. The continued preference shown to the place by the imperial family, and by a large portion of the wealthier classes in Austria, has made it a sort of Alpine capital, where, during two or three bummer months, the leaders of fashion and ministf rs of state combine M-ith their ordinary occupations some- thing of the enjoyments of mountain air, exercise, and beautiful scenery. The Emperor's viUa is as poor a specimen of architectural art as the garden is attrac- tive by the taste with which it is laid out, and the admirable view which it commands. Several Austrian noblemen have also built villas close to Ischl, and several buildings of a public nature con- tribute to give to modern Ischl the air of a provincial capital. Among these may be reckoned the baths and Trink- halle (a large building in the Grecian style), a theatre, a casino, a good circu- lating library, cafes, &c. It naturally follows from the altered condition of the place that Ischl is by no means a cheap summer residence; yet, as compared with places of a similar character in England or France, it cannot be called very ex- pensive. Those who remain for some time will find it economical to engage lodging in a private house. Except at the most crowded season, these are found without diflficulty. A stranger remain- ing over 6 days pays what is called a Kurtaxe of 5 fls., ynth. 1 fl. more for each additional member of the same family, ' The produce of this tax, which must annually amount to a large sum, is en- trusted to an Improvement Committee I (Verschonerungscomite). It is com- plained that the money is mainly ap- 1 plied to what we should call parochial I purposes, and that little or nothing is now done for the benefit of the strangers , from whom it is raised. There are, in- deed, numerous walks well laid out and planted, with benches, and monuments , of various degrees of artistic merit, close to Ischl, but these have existed for many ' years ; and it is justly said that the funds 1 should be applied so as to facilitate the excursions which are the main attrac- tions of the place, by improving mountain paths, and cross-roads, &c. The curative means employed here, under the direction of one or other of , the competent physicians who reside here ' in summer, are even more varied than \ at lieichenhall. The brine is employed ROUTE A. WOLFGANG SEE. 101 for baths, and the steam from the eva- porating pans is used either for vapour baths, or inhaled by patients who walk about in a covered gallery over the pans. Mud from tlie salt mine is also applied externally in certain cases. In addi- tion to these there is a sulphureous spring used for baths, either by itself, or in combination with the brine ; and the whey-cure (molkenkur) is followed by other patients, with or without the use of baths. Of short walks about Ischl a long list might be given, but this is scarcely ne- cessary. Among the most agreeable are, those to the ruined Castle of Wilde/iH in 1 hr. from Ischl, to the Eettenbach Muhle, rather less than 1 hr. distant, and thence to the so-called AVilduiss, about 1 m. farther; and lastly, that to the Hohenzoller waterfall, returning through the Jainzer-thal. Of the longer excursions from Ischl, many are commonly made partly or alto- gether by carriage. These are usually to be found standing ready for hire, but in the full season those Avho would avoid disappointment should secure their ve- hicle beforehand. In making an agree- ment for a carriage, it should be stated that the price includes extra horses (Vorspann), which are required on some mountain roads. The tariff established by the local authorities is hung up in all the hotels. The rate is about two fl. per Austrian mile for those with 1 horse, and about 3 fl. for those with 2 horses — Trinkgeld, oO kr. for half a day ; 1 fl. for the entire day. The charge is the same whether the carriage be kept for returning to Ischl or not. Persons requiring post- horses must give 2 hrs. notice to the postmaster. The best guides for moun- tain excursions are Schiitz, Graf, Karl Neff; Hiitter Fl5rl, and Kicher. The pay for a day's walk is 2 fl. The charge for a chaise-a-porteur (Tragsessel) is fixed by tariff for the excursions usually made by ladies, being about 5 fl. for the shorter excursions, and nearly double as much for those occupying the whole day. Each bearer expects in addition a trinkgeld varying from 20 to oo kv' The charge for excursions not enume- rated in the tariff must be fixed by agreement. We now proceed to notice the more, interesting of the excursions from Ischl, remarking that, according to the route selected by each traveller, he may take one or more on the way to and from that place. 1 . To the Wolfgang See, and ascent of the Schafberg. — The Wolfgang See, more properly called St. Wolfgangs See, and also Aber-See, has been already men- tioned as lying on the N. side of the road from St. Gilgen to Ischl, Visitors from Ischl may take the carriage to St. j Wolfgang, or stop at Strobl, and there j hire a boat. This lake attracts travel- I lers as well by the extreme beauty of its ! scenery, as because it is the more conve- nient way for approaching a mountain that commands one of the most perfect I panoramic views to be found in the en- tire range of the Alps. From whichever side it be approached, either by St. G-il- gen in coming from Salzburg, or by Strobl at the end nearest Ischl, no tra- veller should omit to traverse the lakni in a boat, whence alone the scenery of ' its shores can be fully enjoyed. The I utmost length is not more than 7 miles, I and its height above the sea 1,751 ft. j The greatest depth is said to be 360 ft. I Without rivalling in grandeur the Ko- ! nigs See, or the Hallstadtersee, or th.- i Bay of Uri in the Lake of Lucerne, it. ' maybe compared fur picturesque beauty , witli any one of the smaller lakes of the I Alps. The feature which best serves to fix its peculiar physiognomy on the me- mory is the grand precipice of the Fal- kenstein. On arriving opposite the great mass of grey rock that rises from the water's edge, the boatmen are careful to exhibit the remarkable echo by shouting out ' Heiliger Vater Wolfgang, komm ich zuriick, sag ja.' In ordinary fine weather the echo answers 6 or 7 times 'ja;' but when the air is troubled the answer is faint, or scarcely heard at all. As this often happens when bad weatlier [ is impending, the question is more appo- 102 SALZBURG ALPS. 46. ISCHL DISTRICT. site than might be supposed. The chief village on the lake shore, and that best (I'-serviug a visit, is St. Wolfgang (Inns : Rossel, tolerably good ; Zum Cortisen, complaints of the attendance; Hirsch, said to be dear; this and the last enjoy a fine view of the lake), standing on the narrow space be- tween the foot of the mountain and the lake. There is a curious Gothic church here (built in the earlier half of the fif- teenth century) containing the shrine of St Wolfgang, and several remarkable specimens of early German art. Espe- cially curious is the high altar, with a central compartment carved and coloiu'ed by Pacher of Brunecken, in or about 14:81. The wings contain paint- ings on panel attributed to Wohlgemuth. The original chapel built on the rock l)y the saint is seen in the middle of the church. Opposite the building is a curious fountain, dated 1515, with a bronze statue of St. Wolfgang, stiinding on a pedestal whence issue four jets of delicious water. The main object of mo«t strangers visiting St. Wolfgang is the ascent of the ^■■hxifberg (5,837'). Of the many moun- tains throughout the range of the Alps that have been compared to the Eigi, this alone presents a tolerably close re- semblance, for the reason that here the most varied and charming effects of lake scenery are combined ^A^th a noble Alpine background. Three lakes — the Wolf- gangsee, Mondsee, and Attersee — ap- proach close to the base of the mountain ; and beyond these the eye rests on not less than nine or ten others, extending in the far W. to theChiemsee and Simmsee, not to speak of the many smaller sheets of water that lie imbedded, like blocks of sapphire, in a setting of grey rock and emerald Alpine pasture. The Alpine panorama extends from the range of the Todtes Gebirg to the Steinberg and Lofer Alps, with a peep at the dis- tant Tauern range ; but the objects that engross most attention are the grand peaks of the Dachstein group, whose keen shafts break through tlie coating of glacier that covers their middle height, and point upward to the sky. The landlerd of the Eossel at St. Wolfgang is the owner of a mountain inn on the top of the Schafberg, recently enlarged, and made very comfortable. During the crowded season beds can be secured only on presenting a ticket from the landlord at St. Wolfgang, so that most travellers start from that place. Practised mountaineers do not require a guide, unless it be to carry a knapsack. The charge is \h fl., or 2 fl. if the descent be made by St. Gilgen ; mules cost 9 fl.; and Tragsessel 10 fl., with a trinkgeld of 25 kr. to each bearer. Por staying the night at the top, each man is entitled to half a florin addi- tional. A slight addition to these charges is made if the traveller descend on the N. side of the mountain to Scharfling or Unterach. One of the guides here, named Panzner, is well acquainted with the entire district, and has picked up some knowledge of the local geology from the Austrian professors whom he has accompanied. He is said to be also a good mountaineer. The beaten track is very rough, but cannot easily be missed. In 2^ hrs. the traveller, going gently, and stopping to admire the charming views, may reach the Oberalp, I where he joins the track from St. Gilgen. I There is here a little inn belonging to j the master of the post at that place; but when that at the top is not over full, it j is much to be preferred for passing the ! night, as at least 1 hr. of a rough ascent I is required to reach it from the Oberalp. j The mountaineer who does not object I to lengthen somewhat so easy a day's I walk, is advised to take the top of the ! Falkenstein on his way from St. Wolf- I gang to the Schafberg. There are few j points whence it is possible to look down I so directly upon an Alpine lake, and I the effect is very beautifid. A guide is j needed to find the way from thePaiken- j stein to the Schafberg. i The latter mountain is ascended very I frequently from St. Gilgen, and it is a '. good plan to vary the route in going or returning. ROUTE A. ISCIIL TO THE AUSSEE. 103 The N. side of the Schafberg is much steeper than that facing the Wolfgang- see, in some places forming vertical pre- cipices ; but there is no difficulty in de- scending b}' the paths leading to Schar- fling on the Mondsee, or to Unterach on the Attersee, places which have much the same relative positions as Immensee and Kussnacht in respect to the Rigi. The geologist who has mastered the somewhat intricate relations of the secondary strata in the mass of the Dachstein group, will find the same beds repeated in the Sehafbei'g, which is in truth only the highest part of a ridge extending more than 20 m. from the Schober, near Moudsee, to Ischl, and is perhaps orographically a western extension of the main range of the Todtes Gebirg, described in the next section. The northern botanist will be in- terested by finding many Alpine plants on the Schafberg; but, as compared •with several other mountains of this district, it cannot be called productive. 2. To the Grmmdensec, and Falls of the Traun.- — This expedition should not be omitted by those who do not ap- proach Ischl by the Liuz road, in con- nexion with which (Ete. B.) they are described in this work. In going from Ischl, the most agreeable way is by boats on the Traun. The operation of shoot- ing rapids is scarcely to be performed elsewhere in Europe so safe!}'' and agreeably. In that way the Lake of i Gmunden is reached in less time than } by carriage. 3. To the Attersee and Mondsee. — The I vrny frona Salzburg to Gmunden, passing \ both these lakes, is described in Ete. C. | Th( ise who reach Lschl from Linz, or from fhe south, may make a very interesting excursion, requiring at least three days, in which they may visit both these lakes and return by the Schafberg and Wolf- | gangsee. They may go from Ischl j to Weissenbach, at the SE. corner of the Attersee, by a good char-road over , tlie low col dividing the Ziemitz from > the Hollgebirge. This is in itself a ' very agreeable drive, giving a charming ; view of the Attersee, and is worth making from Ischl by those who do not intend to make the entire round. Another way to Weissenbach, prac- ticable only on foot, is by Wirer's Waterfall, reached by a path turning to rt. from the road to St. Wolfgang. Above the pretty fall a path bearing to 1., or westward, leads to the lonely little Schwarzensee, a small sheet of water about 1 m. long and ^ m. broad. Above the lake the traveller continues to ascend northward, amid Alpine pas- tures, for 2 hrs., until he suddenly finds himself on the verge of the very steep face of the mountain overlooking the Attersee and Mondsee. A good path leads down to Weissenbach (Ete C), whence he may reach ilondsee on the same day. In returning he will follow the carriage road from Scharfling to St. Gilgen, a distance of only 4 m., passing the Krotensee (1,880'), a pic- turesque little tarn lying in a hollow- between the Drachenstein to W., and the Schpfberg to E. In this solitary spot Prince Wrede has built himself a modern castle in the style of Hohen- schwangau ( § 42, Ete. A.) The ascent of the Schafberg may be made from this point, and tiie traveller may return to Ischl by St. Wolfgang. The path to the Schwarzensee men- tioned above is often taken by pedes- trians going from St. Wolfgang to Ischl, who return to the road between those places by a remarkable cleft in the rocks, through wliicli the Schwarzen- bach torrent descends in a fine water- fall called Wirers St rub. The descent along the face of the rock by a path overlooking the chasm is scarcely ad- visable for nervous persons, though the sesseltriiger from Ischl sometimes cany ladies that way. 4. To the Au^t-ce and Grundelsce, — These two charming little lakes were too long neglected by visitors to Isclil, but of late years are much frequented, and the good inns there are often filled by persons who remain weeks, or even months, to enjoy the many advantages of the neighbourhood. The post-road to the little market town of Aussee i» 104 S^ALZBURG ALPS. § 4G. ISCHL DISTRICT. described in Rte. D., but the lake from which it takes its name is nearly 4 m. distant, beside the much smaller village of Alt-Aussee. In making the excur- f-ion from Ischl, the pedestrian should approach the lake through the glen of Ecttenhach, which opens into the Traun valley about ^ m. below that plact>. As far as the above-mentioned Wildniss, this is a favourite stroll for visitors. In 3 hrs. from Ischl the traveller reaches the Rettenbach Alp. To the rt. he has the ridge of the Sandling (5,619'), to the 1. the Hohe Schrot (5,691'), a western promontory from the mass of the Todtes Gebirg. The track, M-hich is sufficiently marked to make a guide almost superfluous, soon turns south- ward, traverses the pass between the Sandling and the Loser (2^ hrs. from Ischl), descends by Eamsau along the Augribach to Fischerdorf on the lake shore, and thence along its margin to AH-Aussee, where there is a good inn, \ more attractive than those at Aussee. The Aussee (a corruption from Aug- \ see), though only 2 m. long, and | m. j broad, is one of the gems of this dis- | trict. The scenery is of the highest ; order, especially from spots above its N. shore, where the grand mass of the Dachstein peaks is seen in the back ' ground. Of nearer objects the most , striking are the Loser (5,799'), rising due N., and the Trisselvjand (5,865') j E. of the lake. The lake is 2,2-17 ft. I above the sea, and, like all those of this } region, abounds in delicious fish. The j ascent of the Loser is an expedition much recommended. Practised moun- | taineers wishing to see something of the Todtes Gebirg (§ 47, Ete. C.) may tra- verse very rough ground between the Loser and a ridge called Klopf, whence they may descend on the 1. hand to the Augstwiesenalm on the plateau of the Todtes Gebirg, or on the opposite side to the Aussee. From Alt-Aussee those who have not yet seen any of the salt mines of this region may visit the Ausseer Salzberg, 1 hr. distant. The general plan of working is the same as at Hallein, but this is more interesting to the mineralo- gist from the variety of other substances here found associated with the common culinary salt. For sight-seers the Ischl Salzberg (Excursion 7) is more in- teresting. To visit the Gmndelsee the traveller may follow the rough road from Alt- Aussee to Aussee, about 4 m. At first it keeps away from the narrow cleft through which the Ausseer Traun de- scends from the lake, but lower down runs beside the stream to that village (Rte. D,), whence a pretty good road is cari-ied to the Grundelsee, a distance of nearly 3 m. A shorter way, and one commanding finer views, is by a path leading across the low ridge of the Tressenstein direct from Alt-Aussee to the Grundelsee (2,164'). It is not easy to give by description an idea of the special attractions of this lake. It. is enough to say that every one who has visited it counts it among the most charming scenes to be found in this district, so wonderfully rich in natural beauty. At the house of the Fisch- meister, at the W. end of the lake, strangers find clean and comfortable quarters ; and there is another inn on the shore at a spot called Ladner. The best course is to engage a boat to the farther end of the lake, about 4^ m., and then, following the valley eastward, to visit two smaller lakes, the Tbplitz See and Kammer See, the latter lying at the foot of the Weisswand. The Grun- delsee is one of the best centres for excursions into the range of the Todtes Gebirg, further noticed in § 47, Rte. C. Whether the traveller intend to unite the visit to these lakes with the excur- sion to Hallstadt, next described, or merely to return to Ischl, he shoidd on no account omit the beautiful valley leading from Aussee to Obcrtraua, at the head of the lake of Hallstadt. Less than 1 m, below Aussee the united tor- rents, called respectively Ausseer Traun and Grundelseer Traun, receive a third affluent from SE., called Oedenseer Traun, and the stream, henceforward bearing merely the name ROUTE A. — LAKE OF HALLSTADT. 105 Traun, follows a somewhat tortuous course through a cleft between the S, end of the range of the Sarstein and the Koppen. A char-road is carried through the valley down to the village of Ober-Traun, but the exquisite scenery- will be better enjoyed on foot. It is a "walk of only 2^ hrs. On the way the pedestrian should turn aside and visit a curious cavern called Koppenbriillcrhbhle, through which a torrent rushes with a strange sound, that has given its name to the spot. This has lately been made more accessible, and it may be easily reached from Hallstadt, the excursion requiring only 4 hrs. In the lower part of its course the Traun flows through a nearly level valley, rich with noble sycamores, between grand ranges of limestone rocks. The still mightier masses that rise above Hallstadt, on the opposite side of the lake, close the view, ■which for grandeur and beauty may vie with the most famous scenes in the Alps. Taking a boat at Ober- Traun, Hallstadt is reached in 20 minutes ; or if bound for Ischl, the traveller may go direct to Steg in 1| hour. For the ascent of the Sarstein, which may be combined with this ex- cursion, see Rte. D. 5. To the Hallstadter See. Those visitors who content themselves with a single excursion from Ischl usually select that to the lake of Hallstadt, and probably with justice. It does not combine the softer with the sublimer beauties of alpine scenery so com- pletely as some others, but in several respects it must be counted as among the most remarkable of alpine lakes. There is none other of any importance that lies so immediately under a great mass of ice-clad peaks, and there are few that are looked down upon by so bold and stern a range of precipices as those that encompass nearly the entire basin. The lake is a little over 5 m. in length, near 1^ m. in breadth, and the greatest depth is said to be 415 ft. Considering that we are here at the very foot of a mass whose summits ap- proach the limit of 10,000', the height above the sea level (1,769') is very slight, being in fact less than that of a great part of the Bavarian plain. On the E. side the lake is walled in by the ridge of the Sarstein {6.008'), an almost unbroken range, presenting a steep curtain of pine forest surmounted by a continuous face of limestone rock. To the W. and S. rise the far grander and more broken masses of the Dachstein Gebirge. The two highest peaks lie at some distance from the lake, but the impending summits are high enough to give a character of grandeur to the scenery without altogether shutting out the view of the glaciers that encompass the higher summits. The way from Ischl is by the post- road along the valley of the Traun until, a short way beyond Goisern (Rte. D), a road turns off' to the 1., and about 9 m. from Ischl reaches Sfeg, a hamlet on the lake shore close to the Traun. It has a tolerable little inn. It is im- possible not to compare ths position of this place with that of the similar hamlet of Konigssee, on the lake of that name. The similarity is in many respect-s very striking. If this be allowed to surpass its rival in stem grandeur, the other may claim the palm for variety. A very small steamer now plies on the lake of Hallstadt, but many tra- vellers prefer to take a boat, which is obtained for a trifling hire. It is indei-d possible to follow the carriage road for some way along the W. shore as far as the Gosaumiihle, at the opening of the Gosauthal (Rte. E), but the scenery is far better seen from the lake. A flne view of the lake and the valley of Gosau is gained from a point on the lower slope of the Sarstein which is reached by a path constructed at the ex- pense of Professor Simony of Vienna, one of the most suceessfid explorers of this district. Rather more than 1 hr. is necessary to go by boat from Steg to Hallstadt {luna: Beim Seeauer; Post; both belonging to the same proprietor, and both very well kept; Griiner Baum, very fair). This singillar village stands 106 SALZBURG ALPS. § 46. ISCHL DISTRICT. on the narrow space left between the base of the mountains and the water's edge. There is absolutely no level ground available, and the houses are built on successive ledges of rock, communicating by stone steps. It is not quite correct to say that it is accessible only by water, for in both directions practicable paths are carried along the lake; but they are little more than goat tracks, and that leading to the Gosau valley mounts more than 1,000 ft. above the level of the lake. The inconsiderable Miihlbach torrent falls through the vil- lage, and works two or three mills. The church is ancient and curious, dating from 1320 ; it stands on a terrace above the village, which affords a charming view of the lake. Here, as elsewhere in the Salzkammergut, a large portion of the population are Protestants, and a new church has been constructed for their use. The more interesting spots commonly visited by those who make the excursion from Ischl are here noticed, but the more laborious expeditions amidst the upper peaks of the Dachstein group will be described in connexion with Ete. E. An ascent of 50 min . by a good path takes the visitor to the Budolfsihit.rm, built by the Emperor Albrecht in 1 284 for defence against the attacks of the Archbishops of Salzburg, and named by him after liis father, Eodolph of Habsburg. An inscription by the v.-ay records a visit made to the neighbouring mine by Kaiser Maximilian in 1504. The tower, which is 1,150 ft. above the lake, is now used as the residence of the intelligent director of the salt mine. He has placed here a collection of minerals and fossils, and a portion of the remarkable objects of antiquity found in the so- called Celtic burying-places near at liand. Various articles worked in win- ter by the miners out of the marble of this locality are here kept for sale. The views from the windows of the tower are most interesting. The ascent to this spot is well worth making, even by those who do not visit the mine, or follow the path leading from hence to the Gosauzwang (about 2 hrs. distant), where the brine pipes from the salt mine are carred on arches across the opening of the Gosauthal, near the spot where the carriage road turns away from the lake to enter that valley. The salt mine (Hallstadter Salzberg) is excavated into the triassic strata of the mountain above Eodolph's tower. The chief entrance is about 500 ft. above it, and it is easy to obtain admission ; but the traveller in this district has other opportunities for visiting similar mines, which are all worked in the same manner as that of Hallein (§45, Ete, E) or Berch- tesgaden. Near to Rodolph's tower, in a little depression between the Siegkogl and the Kreuzberg. a large number of ancient graves have been uncovered during the last twenty years — in all over 850 — and a quantity of arms, implements, and or- naments, chiefly of bronze, have been extracted. The more important objects were removed to the Imperial Museum of Antiquities in Vienna, but some are to be seen in the tower. The best account of them has been published by Professor Simony (Vienna, 1851). In conformity with prevailing ideas, they were at first considered Celtic. According to the present state of knowledge they are referred to the latter part of the bronze age and the beginning of the iron period. Of the shorter walks near Hallstadt there is none so interesting as that to the Waldbach-Stni.b. The way to it lies through a short and beautiful glen open- ing close to the south end of the village. After making his way up and down several flights of steps amid the houses, the traveller sees the foaming torrent that descends from the waterfall. He follows its course between massive walls of rocks, whose ledges are fringed with trees, by a path winding amid huge blocks fallen from the heights above. After half an hour of easy walking, he reaches the head of this recess in the mountains, and sees a track mount- ing to the right towards a dark cleft in the mountain. The deep tones of the fall, and the cloud of spray seen through ROUTE A. — ISCHL SALT MINE. 107 the trees, would alone suffice to guide a stranger to the principal fall, which is one of the most picturesque in this land of waterfalls. Several paths have been carried to the most favourable points of view, and the excursion is easily accom- plished by most ladies. Two hrs. (going and returning) are sufficient. There is another fall, by some considered the finer of the two, reached in one hour's ascent from the lower fall (see Ete. E). The rough track, leading from Hall- stadt round the S. end of the lake may be followed by those who would visit the two curious spots called Hirschbrunn and Kessel, or these may be visited with less trouble by taking a boat, and landing at the nearest point of the shore. The Hirschbrunn often exhibits no- thing but a mass of waterworn rocks and pebbles, but after heavy rain, or in hot weather when the Dachstein snows are melting fast, a considerable volume of water here breaks out at a point a few feet above the level of the lake. The Kessel is a hollow on the slope of the mountain wherein, as in a caldron, lies a small pool of water. Under the circum- stances mentioned above, this is rapidly filled to the brim, and the water bursts out with a gurgling roar and rushes down to the lake. Those who visit this part of the shore, whether on foot or by boat, should not fail to extend the excursion to Ober-Traun (see Excursion 4). They may then take boat back to Hallstadt or to Steg. In returning from Steg to j Ischl, travellers often avail themselves of \ the barges that carrj- salt and other stores : down the river, an agreeable and rapid mode of convej-anee. Though there are several rapids, where the boats are hur- ried down between projecting rocks, acci- dents are unknown. In the dry season, the water of the lake is held back by massive sluices, in order to provide a suffi- cient volume when these are opened, to carry the boats down to Ischl and to the I lake of G-munden. ' The neighbourhood of Hallstadt and | Gosau is classic ground to Austrian I geologists; owing to the comparative j abundance of fossils, the relations of the . triassic and Jurassic strata have been pretty completely made out, and have served as a key to the right understand- ing of the other sedimentary' ranges of the Eastern Alps. A residence of some days at both the above-named places must be as interesting to the geologist as to the lover of grand natural scenery. Wall- ner (see Ete. E), would be a valuable I guide to the geological traveller. I 6. To the Gosau Lakes. For the excursion to Gosau the reader is re- ferred to Ete. E. Even though the traveller should go no farther than the Vorder-Gosausee, this is one of the I most interestinfr expeditions from Ischl. i To reach the Hinter-See, which lies in I the very midst of the highest peaks and ' glaciers of the Dachstein group, is just possible in one long da}', going from and returning to Ischl ; but it is far more advisable to sleep at least one night at Hinter Gosau, though the accommoda- tion is rough. Precedence has been given to the lakes, as they undoubtedly offi^r the strongest attractions to the lover of nature in this part of the Alps. We now enumerate some other expeditions that may conveniently be made in one day from Ischl. 7. To the Salzhcrg. The salt mine near Ischl, called for distinction Iscllcr Salzherg, will not much attract those who have already seen those at Berch- tesgaden or Hallein. Other travellers may be tempted to make the excursion, which has at least the attraction of novelty. The system of working is the same as that described in the Hallein mine, but there is the advantage here, that on certain days, of which previous notice is given at the hotels in Ischl, the galleries are lighted up; but in the mines of this region the salt is inter- mixed with earthy particles, and the surface does not exhibit any trace of the cr}-stalline nature of the mineral. Having previously obtained tickets of admission at the head office in Ischl, visitors go by carriage road for about 3 m. to the hamlet of Perncck, or Ber- neck. Thence the ascent is made on 108 SALZBURG ALPS. 46. ISCHL DLSTRICT. foot or by tragsessel, to the main open- ing of the mine, 3,170 ft. above the sea. The mine is not open to visitors on Saturdays or Sundays. 8. To the Ziemitz. It has been abeady remarked, that the Schafberg is but the central and highest portion of a range extending from the Schober, near Mondsee, to Ischl. The Ziemitz is the name given to the eastern end of this range overlooking the latter village. Its highest point, called Leonsbergzin- ken (5,071'), is reached in 4 hrs. from Ischl, and commands a very fine view of the neighbouring valleys, with three lakes, and with the Dachstein group in the back-ground. ^ 9. To the Hohe Schrot (5,691'). Men- tion has already been made (Excursion 4) of this mountain, Ipng in the angle between the Rettenbach and the Lower Traun, and forming the WNW. extre- mity of the Todtes G-ebirg, imless we prefer to consider the ridge,above spoken of, from the Ziemitz to the Schober as a continuation of the same range, separated only by the cleft through ■which the Traun descends to the plain. The ascent of the Hohe Schrot is longer and rather more laborious than that of the Ziemitz, but the view is finer, in- cluding the greater part of the Lake of Gniiinden, and part of that of Hallstadt, I with a noble alpine panorama. 10. To the Kahlenberg {6M6'). Visi- tors to Ischl are often induced to as- cend the slopes SW. of the callage, for the sake of the views gained over the valleys of the Upper Traun and the Ischl. The mountain lying in the angle between these valleys is the Kattrberg (4,758'), and 1 hr. farther is the some- vrhat higher summit of the Hainzen (5,364'). These form portions of a ridge extending NE. from the moun- tain mass lying S. of the Grosau valley, and this higher intervening range cuts off the best part of the view from the above-named summits. The highest summit of this group (sometimes known as the Ramsauer Gebirge) is the Kahlen- Irrg, and the ascent is but little more fatiguing than that of the Hainzen, and much more interesting, as it commands an admirable view of the Dachstein peaks and glaciers, which are not more than 7 or 8 m. distant. The ascent is made "without difficulty from Goisem, but still more easily from Grosau. 11. To the Chorinskyklause. Men- tion has been made, in § 43, of the sys- tem of dams generally used in the Eastern Alps for barring the course of a stream, and using the pent up water, set free by a sluice-gate, for carrying timber down to a lower valley. The very large consumption of timber inci- dental to the extraction of salt from brinehas led to the construction of these barriers — calledKlause— at many places in the mountains near Ischl. The largest of these, called Chorinsky klause, is designed to bar the stream of the Oberweissenbach, which descends from the W. into the valley of the Traun near Lauffen, a village on the road to Aussee, 3 m. above Ischl. A walk of 1 hr. from Lauffen along the Weissen- bach leads to the spot. When the massive sluice-gates are closed, the water accumulates till it forms a small lake covered with floating timber. About once a week the gates are opened, of which notice is given at Ischl, and the rush of the water bearing its load of timber down the glen is a curious sight, well worth a visit. The somewhat long list of excursions from Ischl here given by no means ex- hausts the roll, but those who spend a season here may be left to complete it for themselves. The mountaineer will naturally turn his eyes to the Dach- stein peaks, which are further noticed in Ete. E. EOUTE B. — FALL OF TII-E TRAUN. 109 Route B. LINZ TO ISCHL. Austrian Eng. miles miles Wels (by rly.) . 3i 16|: Lambach . . 2| Gmunden . . SJ 10. 15- Langbath (by steamer) ] f 8- Ischl ... 2 9 A large proportion of the Austrian visitors to Ischl, and nearly all of those from Bohemia and Prussia, approach it by way of Linz and the railway thence to Gmunden. This, the earliest of German railways, commenced in 1821, was de- signed and long used for horse-traction alone, the object being economy in the transport of salt from the salt-mines to the Danube. The portion between Linz and Lambach was made use of in the construction of the main line of rly. from Vienna to Sakburg and Munich — called in Austria Elizabeth- Westbahn, The remaining portion, from Lambach tu Gmunden, is worked as a branch line by the same company. Not much has been gained by the substitution of steam for horse power, as the two trains that run daily from Linz to Gmunden employ 4 hrs. in accomplishing 42 m. The height of the railway bridge at Linz is 815 ft. above the sea, and the rise from thence to Gmunden 723 ft. ; but the as- cent is chiefly between Lambach and Gmunden. As i«ras the former place the rly. is carried over a plain country, at some distance from the 1. bank of the Traun. There is little to attract atten- tion save the distant outline of theSalz- kammergut Alps, becoming gradually clearer and loftier as we approach them. The Traunstein and the HoUgebirg, as the nearest to the eye, assume an im- portance disproportion ed to their real height. Lambach (Inn : Eossel ; there is also a new well-looking inn at the rly. sta- tion) is a small town with many sub- stantial stone houses, famous for a Bene- dictine abbey, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, wherein the number three is repeated in every conceivable manner, even to the use of marbles of three colours for its pavement and decoration. The Ager, bearing the surplus waters of the Mond See and Attersee, joins the Traun close to the town. The branch rly., as well as the road to Gmunden, are carried along the rt. bant of the Traun. The Trauvfall, or Fall of the Traun, nearly |- way between this and Gmunden, is an object of attraction to many tra- vellers. Those who take their ticket;, only from Linz to Lambach, and hire a carriage on arriving at the rly. station, may find time to visit the fall and goon to Gmunden in time for the steamer ; charge for a carriage 5 or 6 flor. Others go by rl}'. to the Eoitham station, and thence walk in \ hr. to the fall, return- ing to the same station for the next train, or walking on to Gmunden, nearly 9 m. distant. The fall is caused by a broken ridge of conglomerate, running nearly all the way across the channel of the Traun, over and through which the stream : breaks, falling through a vertical height , of 44 ft. It is a cataract rather than a waterfall, resembling in some respects, but on a much smaller scale, the falls of the Ehine at Schaffbausen. The cir- cumstance that the ridge of rock does not completely cross the Traim was turned to account in the 16th century in ; order to form a canal alongside of the ! river, by which the salt barges from I Gmunden could pass to the Danube. For a fee of 70 kr. the miller will shut the j canal gates, and thus send a large addi- ] tional flow of water into the main chan- I nel, much improving the eflfect of the fall. no SALZBURG ALPS. § 46. ISCHL DLSTRICT. The scenery rapidly improves iu in- , terest as the traveller approaches Gmunden (Inus: Goldcnes Schiff, by the lake ; Goldener Hirsch ; Groldner Brunneu ; Sonne ; all good and reason- able ; besides several other second-class houses), a small town, beautifully situ- ated at the N. end of the Ginunden See or Traunsee, the most stately of all the beautiful lakes of this district. It will remind the traveller of the middle part of the Lake of Lucerne, but the peaks of the Todtes Gebirg form a grander back-ground than the Mythen. Baths of brine, derived from the salt-mines, and a large hydropathic establishment, lead many visitors to reside here in summer, at little more than half the ex- pense of a stay at Ischl. The finest views near the town are from the Tus- ehenschanze, the Calvarienberg, and from the Maxhiigel. The first is espe- cially to be recommended. The massive sluice gates, erected at the point where the Traun issups from the lake, deserve a visit. By their means the height of the lake is kept nearly uniform at all seasons. The object which must here especially attract the attention of the traveller is the Traunstein (5,538'), rising above the E. shore, in almost vertical precipices, to a heightof 4,200 ft. above the lake, about 4 m. S. of Gmunden. Though the absolute height be not very considerable, the extreme boldness of its form makes this one of the most remarkable moun- tains immediately overlooking any lake in the Alps ; for though it does not ap- proach the proportions of the summits enclosing the Bay of Uri, or the Lecco branch of theLakeof Como, or the neigh- bouring Lake of Hallstadt, its face is more precipitous, and it contrasts in a more remarkable way with the gentler slopes around. With the single exception of the Oetscher, near Maria-Zell (§ 54, Kte. F), this is the northernmost con- siderable summit among the outliers of the Alps. The outline of the mountain, as seen from Gmunden, offers a curious re- semblance to the profile of Louis XYI. Much nearer at hand is the castle of Oi-t, once belonging to Counts of that 1 name, standing on an island SSW. of Gmunden, connected by a long bridge with the mainland. Though not re- 1 markable in point of architecture, it is an extremely picturesque object. More I interesting to the lover of ai-t, is a visit I to AJtinunster, the most ancient village : on the lake, about 2 m. from Gmunden. j The church, containing several curious I monuments, deserves examination. Of excursions from Gmunden, that I most recommended, is the tour of the 1 Traunstein. A boat is taken to the foot I ofthemoimtain, and the traveller ascends j thence by the Leinastiege, following a i circuitous track to the Laudacksee, on the I NE. side of the mountain. Thence the ; way back to Gmunden is by the Him- j melreichwiese, enjoying at intervals very ; beautiful views of the lake. Active I walkers, who do not desire to return to ; Gmunden, may go from the Laudachsee i to Eisenau and Ebensee, but should have the aid of a local guide. The ascent of the Traunstein is easy, and practicable for ladies. The view is charming, I though not equal as a panorama to that I from the Schafberg (Ete. A). I The road along the W. shore of the j lake has been only recently completed \ at a great expense, from the necessity 1 for extensive blasting of rock. On that side, a succession of short promontories extend from the shore into the lake, and tend to diversify the scenery. On the first of these, after leaving Gmunden, is the village of Ort, opposite to the island mentioned above. Then the shore re- cedes to Altraiinster, and projects again to a point whereon stands the castle of Ebenzweicr. Near Fichtau is another point, and then follows a fourth, which, as seen from Gmmiden, seems to close the head of the lake. Here stands the ancient convent of TraunkircJien, sup- pressed in the 16th centuiy. Joseph v. Hammer has preserved, in a ballad, the traditional tale of a j-outh from the op- posite village of Eisenau, whose illicit passion for a nun in this convent l«d him to emulate the exploit of Leander, and eventually to meet the same fate. ROUTE B. — LANGBATH TO ISCHL. Ill Traunkirehen enjoys the finest position on the lake shore, and the views from the surrounding heights, especially the Son- oicnsteins^pitz (2,937'). are of extreme beauty. Most travellers prefer to traverse the lake by steamer. Two of these ply re- gularly between Gmuuden and Ebensee or Langbath, taking 1 hr. for the trip. The introduction of steam was here an important improvement, as the lake is exposed to sudden and violent storms, and boat navigation is attended by real risk in unsettled weather. The voyage is full of charm, and the interest attaching to the scenery is heightened when we regard this as the reservoir into which are gathered the streams from the other lakes that have made this region so attractive. Save the Mond See and Attersee, all join their waters here. Ebensee, on the rt. bank of the Traim, is the chief place at the S. end of the lake. On the opposite side of the stream, close to the point where it falls into the lake, stands the village of Langbath (Inn : Post), on the high- road to Ischl, and on that account, most passengers land here rather than at Ebensee. A large building, used for boiling the brine, of which a great portion is conveyed by pipes from Hallstadt and Ischl, is sometimes visited by tourists. Vast quantities-of wood are carried do%\Ti f i'om the surrounding valleys ; the smaller trunks and branches to serve as fii-e-wood, and the large stems to be formed into rafts that ultimately reach the Danube. Langbath stands at the E. base of the range of the IloUgebirg (fiu'ther noticed in Ete. C), and an interesting excursion may be made from hence to the Krana- bitsatiel. The shortest way is through the glen opening W. of the village. In 1 hr. the traveller reaches the Krehr- alp, and thence attains the summit in 3 hrs. But the active walker will make a detour by the lakes that lie in the Langbath glen above the Krehralp. In ^ hr. from thence he reaches the Vordcre Langbathsee. The path along the S. shore is very rough, and if the fisherman be at hand, it saves time and labour to take boat to the upper end of the little lake, about U m. in length. Another h hr. suffices to reach the second lake — Hhitcre Langbathsee — smaller, but more picturesque than the first. The Krana- bitsattel is a limestone plateau, similar in character to the upper part of the Untersberg (§ 45, Rte. 15). Its highest pointis XheFeuerkogl (5,175'). The view from this point has been lauded as amongst the very finest in this region. Two other excursions, sometimes made from Ebensee or Langbath, de- serve to be noticed here. The remark- able peak of the Erlakogl (5,051'), also called Spitzlstem, seen above the E. shore of the Traunsee, NE. of Ebensee, appears utterly inaccessible, but may be reached in 3^ hrs. by a steep, but not dangerous, path, and rewards the tra- veller by one of the finest views of the lake. Between the Erlakogl and the Traun- stein, two rather considerable torrents descend to the lake. One of these, called Eothelbach, from the red colour of the rocks above it, is seen to issue from a narrow cleft in the rocks. Mounting by a very steep goat-path, fit only for per- sons with steady heads, the traveller may reach a cavern called BotheJhach- hohle, in the interior of which is a little subterranean lake, spanned by a dome of rock. Those who go provided with Bengal lights enjoy a singular and striking scene, with a remarkakable con- trast, when they, on issuing from the cavern, regain the view over the Traun- see and the surrounding mountains. To reach the path leading to the cavern the easiest way is to take a boat to a pijint on the shore near that where the Eothel- bach falls into the Traunsee. This may be done as well from Gmunden as from Ebensee. For the way from Ebensee to the Of- fensee, see § 47, Ete. D. The road from Langbath to Ischl is traversed by omnibus twice a day. taking 2 hrs., but the scenery is so pleasing, that the traveller will prefer an agree- able walk of 3 hrs., unless he be hur- ried, in which case he may hire a carriage, 112 SALZBURG ALPS. § 46. ISCHL DISTRICT. with 1 horse for 3 fl. lo kr., or with 2 horses for 5 fl. 25 kr., besides a trinkgeld of 50 kr. to the driver. For Ischl and its neighbourhood, see Ete. A. EOTJTE C. SALZBURG TO GMUNDEN, OR LAMBACH, BY THE MOND SEE AKD ATTERSEE. The traveller who has already ap- proached the Salzkammergut by the high road from Salzburg, described in Ete. A., may take another longer but very interesting course, by which the Mond See, Attersee, and Traun See, will all be visited on the way from Salzburg to Ischl. It is also easy to unite this route with the former by taking the road from St. Gilgen to Mondsee, or by de- scending from the Schafberg to the latter village, and then folio-wing one or other of the courses described below; thus seeing everything of most interest in the exterior region before penetrating the interior recesses of Hallstadt and Aus- see, A sort of country diligence runs once a week from Salzburg, but at other times it is necessary to hire a carriage from that city to Mondsee (Inns : Lowe ; Krone\ a village at the W. end of the lake. There is a bathing establishment on the shore, about 1 m. distant. The Mond Sec (1.626') which takes its name fiom its somewhat ii*regular crescent form, is no unworthy rival of the neighbouring Wolfgang lake, from which it is separated by the range of the Schafberg. Though there is no single feature so remarkable as the Falkenstein, the mountains here rise more lx>ldly, and the general effect is sterner and wilder. An ancient Benedictine monastery at Mondsee, suppressed in 1791, was granted by Napoleon in 1810 to the Bavarian Marshal Wrede, in whose family it still remains. Many pleasing excursions may bo made from the village. The lover of lakes may follow the road leading NW. to Zell, and visit the pretty Zeller See, stretching northward nearly 4 m., be- tween wooded heights, not to be con- founded with its namesake in the Pinzgau, described in the last section. The stream from the Zeller See flows southward to Mondsee. Besides the Schafberg, noticed in Ete. A, several other adjoining summits offer views very beautiful, though less panoramic. The Schoher{'±,^QiQ'), whiehforms thewestern extremity of the Schafberg range, and lies between the Mond See and Fiischel- see, is easily reached in 2^ hrs., and well rewards the traveller's pains. On its western slope are the picturesque ruins of Wartenfeh, which may be taken on the way going or returning. To NE. is the Kidmsjpitze (3,562'), commanding one of the best views of the Mond See and Attersee. Herr Hinterhuber, the apothecary of Mondsee, is an excellent botanist, and will doubtless aid with his advice a stranger investigating the flora of this neighbourhood. No traveller visiting the lake will fail to take a boat excursion. If his object be to ascend the Schafberg, or to follow the road by the Kroteusee to St. Gilgen (Ete. A), he will land at Schdrfling where that road turns southward from the lake shore. If his course be to the Attersee, he will leave the boat at the E. end of the Mond See, and follow a track on the N. side of the vSee-Ache, which leads him in less than 2 m. to the larger lake, very near to Untcrnc}i,-v,-h.evQ there is a tolerably good country inn. The Attersee, also called Kammei-see. is the largest of the Austrian alpine lakes, rOUTE C. — THE llOLLGEBIRG. 113 being fully 12 m. long and in most places at least 3 m. wide. Its level is 37 I't. below that of the Mondsee, and its greatest depth is said to be no less than 1,597 ft. When seen by a stranger ap- proaching this district from the N. (the nearest rly. station is JUcklahruck, about 6 m. from the N. end of the lake) the effect is very fine, as the scenery constantly improves as the boat ap- proaches the S. end. To one going by water in the opposite direction it is far less interesting. The shortest way, however, for a traveller wishing to reach Lambach is to hire a boat which will convey him from Unterach to Schbrfling (not to be confounded with Scharfling, on the Mond See), and go thence by road to the Vocklahruck station on the rly. from Salzburg to Linz, 9 m. from Lam- bach. Another way is to engage a country vehicle at Schorfling, which will carry him to the Traunfall (Rte. B), a distance of about 10 m. Near Schorfling, at the N. end of the lake, he will ob- serve the castle of Kammer rising out of the water. It belongs to the Carinthian family of Klievenhiiller. If Grmunden be the traveller's aim, he should cross the lake diagonally from Unterach to Steinbach, on the E. shore, and thence follow a track through the liills, first E. and then NE., through the upper part of the Av.rachthaL by which he may reach Grmunden in about 5 hrs. The traveller who woiald see something of the singular limestone plateaux, so characteristic of this region of the Alps, may be tempted to take, in his way from the Attersee to the Grmunden See, the range of the Hbll- Gcbirg, which extends almost continuously bet vi^een those lakes. A considerable part of the range is so strictly preserved that no access is allowed to strangers not provided with a special permit. In any case, a good guide IS indispensable, and such may probably be found at Weissenbach, a small village at the SE. corner of the lake, taking its name from a stream which is called Aeussere Weissenbach, to distinguish from the other stream descending towards the Traun. between ^-. r. : the Ziemitz andHollgebirg, which bears the name Mittlere Weissenbach. There is a very fair country inn at Wei.ssenbach. which may serve as head-quarters for a traveller exploring the neighbourhood. The road hence to Ischl, fullowmg the two Weissenbachs, and the path leading by the Schwarzensee and Wirer's Was- serfall are noticed in Rte. A, Excursion 3. The highest point of the Hollgebirg is called Hbllkogl (0,754'), but the view is said not to equal that from the Fenerkogl {b,\l 5'), the highest part of the so-called Elranabitsattel. [Kranabit, in the dialect of the Austrian Alps, means juniper, and the word recurs not unfrequently in local names.] In mak- ing excursions over this and similar high plateaux, ample allowance should be made for the time lost owing to the difficulty of the ground, which is inter- sected by rifts and wide fissures, and sometimes made more difficult by masses of creeping pine covering the surface. From the plateau of the Hollgebirg, the traveller may turn northward and reach Grmunden through the upper part of the Aurachthal, or descend to Langbath by the glen noticed in Ete. B. 114 SALZBURG ALPS. § 4C. ISCHL DISTRICT. PiOlTE D. ISCHL TO STEIXACH, IN THE ENNSTHAL, BY AUSSEE. Anp?ee Mittemdorf Steinach . Austrian Erg. miles miles 3i . 16i 2" 9i 2 9^ 7i 35J Post-road. In starting from Ischl it jsnecessary to give 2 hrs.' previous notice to the postmaster. The traveller bound for the Styrian Alps, or for Bruck an der Mur. on the railway between Vienna and Trieste, will follow the road, here described. A portion of the way will be familiar to those who have made the excursions from Ischl described in Ete. A. For about 3 m. the road from Ischl keeps to the W. side of the valley, but at Lai(ffen (Inn : Zum Weissen Rossel) it crosses to the rt. bank of the Traun. That stream here forms a cataract over a mass of broken rocks, but the salt- barges descend the rapid by a lateral channel. At the opening of the glen of the Ober Weissenbach, near Lauffen, the path to the Chorinsky klause turns off to W. Above LaufFen the valley of the Traun widens considerably, and in 3 m. more the road reaches Goisern (1,764'), a thriving village with two decent inns. The Protestants, who are numerous in all parts of the Salzkammergut, have here a church or meeting-house, whither English visitors sometimes resort on Sundays from Ischl. Above Goisern the valley of the Traun sssumes a more alpine character ; to the rt. rises the range of the Eamsauer Gebirge from which the Steinbach tor- rent descends to join the Traun near the village of Eamsau ; on the 1. is the Sandling. and beyond it the more im- posing ridge of the Sarstein. In the centre the deep hollow filled by the Hallstadt Lake is defined by the steep mountains that inclose it on three sides. Before long the road toAus.see separates from that to Steg on the 1, of Hallstadt, and after passing St. Agatha, begins to ascend the very steep though not lofty ridge of the Pbtschen Joch (3,354'). This is a mere depression in the range which includes the Sandling and the Sarstein. The views on both sides of this pass are very interesting. Extra horses are taken for the ascent, which requires Ij hr. in a carriage, or rather less on foot. The descent on the E. side is rapid, and the road soon reaches Anssee. (Inns: Post, good but dear; Hackl, old-fashioned; Sonne, indifferent ; beimStiiger; Blaue Traube.) A rather large village, 2,159 ft. above the see., owing its existence chiefly to the neigh- bouring salt-works, but is much in- creased of late by the affluence of sum- mer visitors drawn hither by the beauty of the neighbouring scener}', and in some measure by the salt brine baths which are administered on the same system as at Ischl, along with the whey-cure, &c. The position is not equal to that of Alt- Aussee or some other places in this dis- trict, but the immediate neighbourhood of several lakes, and the varied and striking forms of the mountains around, assure to the visitor a long list of varied and interesting walks, the more remark- able of which are noticed in Pte. A, Excursion 4. The finest panoramic view in the neighbourhood is undoubtedly that from the Sarstein (6,558'), lying between the mountain basin of Aussee and the Lake of Hallstadt. The ascent is sometimes, though rarely, made from Hallstadt, crossing the lake in a boat and mounting to the Sarstein Alp. The ascent from the Aussee side is steep and very rough, but in that way the effect of the grandest portion of the ^'iew is increased by the charm of surprise. The Klamm, a spot especially inter- esting to geologists, is noticed in the next §. The high mountains lying S. of Aussee, forming the E. portion of the great group of the Dachstem, are often dis- tinguished by German writers as the KaYnmer Gebirge ; the northernmost summit of this range is the Hechkojrijcn ROUTE D. DEFILE OF STEIN. 11& (5,911'), which commands a view less i panoramic, but quite as beautiful, as \ that from the Sarstein. The way from Aussee to the valley of the Enns lies through a comparatively deep trough forming the natural division between the Dachstein Alps and the neighbouring group of the Todtes Gebirg. Near the village to SE. is a detached hill, the Radling, which partly fills the hollow space between the two groups. The post-road passes on the N. side of this eminence ; while the Oedenseer Traun, descending from the clefts of the Kammer Gebirge, and especially from a tarn called Oedensee, flows along its SW, side, and joins the Ausseer Traun a mile below the village. The pedes- trian will find it a more pleasing though rather longer course to follow the Oedenseer Traun, rejoining the post -road at Kainisch. Without any great ascent the road crosses from the basin of Aussee to that of Mitterndorf, which is scarcely inferior in point of scenery, and which is orographically important be- cause the drainage is carried from it in three different directions. In the centre of this basin, which may better be described as an undulating plateau, is Mitterndorf (2,638'), a village with a very fair inn at the Post. Above the village to N. and >*sE. rises a portion of the Todtes Gebirg ; SW. lie the summits of the Kammer Gebirge ; while the most picturesque and singular object in view is the Grimming (7,700'), an isolated mountain forming the eastern extremity of the main range of the Dachstein Alps, but separated from it by the deep defile of Stein. Through this opening the greater part of the drainage of the basin is carried southward to the Enns through the torrent called Salza, but not to be confounded with the more import- ant streams of that name, one of which drains the Pinzgau. while the other joins the Enns at Peifling. A small tributary of the Traun flows from the W. side of the same plateau to join the stream from the Oedensee, and on the N. side of the Grimming most of the mountain torrents are united in the 1 Grimmingbach, which runs ESE. to the Enns above Steinach. [The pedestrian who does not object to lengthen his walk by a few miles may well follow the rough track, just passable, but .scarcely safe, for light chars, through the defile of Stein. This is so narrow that it is necessary to ascend to a considerable height above the torrent before com- mencing the steep descent towards St. Martin. The traveller here gains a fine view of the opposite range of the Styrian Alps, in which the Knall- stein (8,511') nearly due S., and the Wildstelle (8,998') to SW., are the most prominent summits. He reaches the high road at St. Martin, about 6^ m. above Steinach.] Though not frequented by tourists, Mitterndorf must be a de- sirable stopping-place fora mountaineer, and especially for a geologist. The ascent of the Grimming is said to be best effected from Klachau, about half- way to Steinach. From its position it must command a remarkably fine view. Beds of lignite have been worked near the village. For about 4 m. from Mitterndorf the post-road mns nearly at a level due E. until, on approaching the base of the Grimming, it turns to SE., close under the rugged face of the mountain. After passing the hamlet of Klachau (2,581'), it begins to descend along the rt. bank of the Grimmingbach, which has cut a deep cleft in the rocks. On the oppo- site side of the glen the Wallerbach forms a fine waterfall. Lea^ving to the rt. the castle of Neuhaus, opposite Irdning (§ 53, Ete. D), we join the high road from Radstadt, and soon after reach Steinach (Inn: Post, tolerable country inn), in the valley of the Enns, farther noticed in the next section. 116 SALZBURG ALPS. § 4G. ISCHL DISTRICT. EOXJTE E. ISCHL TO GOLLIKG, BY GOSAU. ASCENT OF THE DACHSTEIX. A tolerable carriage road. About 40 miles. The Gosau lakes, lying in an alpine glen that penetrates deeply into the mass of the Dachstein Gebirge, are constantly visited from Ischl, but may rer}- conveniently be taken in the way from that place to Gulling, in the valley of the Salza. The route here described is convenient for a traveller wishing to combine a visit to the Salzkammergut with a tour in Tyrol. Having gone from Salzburg to Ischl by the ordinary road, he may return westward by this way to Gulling, thence reach Berchtes - gaden by either of the routes noticed in I 45, Kte. F, and continue his journey by Saalfelden or Lofer. The road from Ischl to Gosau is much frequented, and in good condition. That fjom Gosau 1 to Abtenau is rough, and it is ad- j visable to walk part of the way. As every traveller halts at Gosau at least long enough to visit the lower lake, it is better to take the carriage from Ischl only to that place. A light carriage j from Gosau to Abtenau costs' about 5 fl., besides trinkgeld. The pedestrian should prefer the path from Gosau to Abtenau mentioned below, especially when the weather permits him to enjoy the noble view frrtance. It lies at the eastern ex- i tremity of the great trough, extending i hence to the head of the Pinzgau. which | marks the northern limit of the crys- ! talline rocks constitutino: the central I chain of the Tyrol and Styrian Alps ; j which trough, as was seen in the intro- duction to this chapter, is nearly con- tinuous with that long reach of the Inn valley which in the same way marks the northern boundary of the crystalline | zone in Western T\to1. It is true that \ between this place and Admont the cal- careous secondary strata trespass across ; the boundary, and attain a great height on the S. side of the valley ; but they scarcely extend beyond the precipitous masses which the traveller sees from the road, and this local exception can scarcely be held destructive of tlie sig- i nifi^eance of the facts above pointed out. i The rantres enclosing the parallel valley of the Styrian Salza, may perhaps be ' regarded as indications of the action of j the same forces. i A light carriage, carrying the post, ; plies dailv between Hieflau and Lietzen I — fare, 2'fl. 60kr. | Up to this point, the traveller has ' followed the so-called Iron Road, keep- j iiflg a general direction towards SE. i Here the Enns takes the nearly due ; westerly direction, which it preserves to the head of the valley, henceforward called Ober-Ennsthal, while the Iron i R'^ad follows the glen of the Erzbach to ' the famous mining town of Eisenerz, j and leads thencetoLeoben( §63,Rte. H). The DifiJe of Gesdusc, through which the Enns forces its way from Admont to Hieflau, is justly famed as one of the grandest and most picturesque scenes in the Alps. Some others may be named where the absolute height ot the mountains above the level of the stream is greater, but few where the precipices rise more boldly to so great a height. The bottom of the defile is densely wooded wherever there is space for trees to take root, and above the forest rise on either side shattered towers and pinnacles of secondary limestor.e, attaining a vertical elevation of nearly a mile above the roadway. This was long a mere foot-path carried from one side to the other on ricketty wooden bridges, and it is only since 1850 that the well-constructed new carriage-road has been open to travellers. The Enns, which here becomes a furious torrent, especially in early summer, descends through the defile in a succession of falls and rapids a vertical height of 460 ft., hurrying down pine tnmks, felled on the surrounding mountains, that are arrested at Hieflau by a strong grating similar to that at the mouth of the Salza opposite Reifling. Less than 1 m. beyond Hieflau the road passes a group of houses called Ennsbrand, and fairly enters the defile. On the northern side the river is waUed in by the almost continuous mass of the Buchstein, merely broken by a few narrow clefts, through one of which, about half way from Hieflau to Admont, it is possible to attain the summit of the mountain. On the S. side the still higher range overlooking the defile culminates in the Hoch-Thor [7, 478'), a summit which has preserved the re- putation of inaccessibility, though it was reached by M. Schleicher in 1854. On the 1. hand is seen a ravine called Hartelhgrahen running deep into the rangre of the Hoch-Thor. About 3 m. farther a much deeper opening on the same side admits the sunshine into the heart of the defile. The considerable glen of the Johnsbach here pours its torrent into the Enns. Its source is on the S. side of the Hoch- Thor, and after flowing westward for some«miles, and passing the picturesque 128 SALZBURG ALPS. § 47. ENNS DISTRICT. village of Johnsbach (2,400'), it turns northward, dividing the Hoch - Thor from its western rival, the Reichenstein. For a further notice of the Johns- bacherthal see § 53, Rte. I. Nearly opposite the confluence of the Johnsbach is the cleft on the oppo- site side of the Enns, by which it is possible to make the ascent of the Buchstein, passingby the Grstatterboden. After traversing the grand and beautiful scenery of the defile for about 10 m., the road finally issues into the open valley of the Enns near a solitary inn called Heinlbauer (1,9970- ^0^* several miles the valley is open and level, and the waters of the Enns, held back by the narrow Gesause passage, move with a slow current, and have partly over- flowed the adjoining land, converting it into marsh where it has not been re- claimed by the labour of the monks. Midway in the valley, about ^ m. S. of the Enns, and 2,005 ft. above the sea, stands Admont (Inns : Post, kept by Draxler ; Buchbinder's ; both afford very fair quarters). This place derives its name and its importance from the famous Benedictine monastery (ad Montes) founded by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg in the 11th century. Long celebrated for its wealth and luxur}-, and more honourably for the literary and scientific labours of some of its members, the community has in the present century experienced a period of comparative poverty, chiefly owing to the rapacity of Gallic invaders. As in some other Austrian monasteries, the monks have in some degree kept pace with the general movement of the age. They have been active agricultural im- provers, and in the ecclesiastical college, or seminary, maintained here, instruc- tion in agronomic science and other practical matters is given to the students, with a view to the future advantage of the poorer classes in remote districts where the monks have the cure of souls. The very extensive pile of buildings, dating from the 17th century, as well as the church, were almost completely de- stroyed by fire in 1865. The library, built only about 90 years ago, was rescued from the flames. It is a really fine hall, richly decorated, and con- taining a precious collection of manu- scripts and incunabula (including an unique copy of Ottokar's Chronicle in rhymed verse), besides 20,000 vols, of printed books. The museum, including very complete collections of the local fauna and flora, was lost at the same time. The fish-ponds, with separate re- servoirs for each species of fish, covered in and locked up, are among the curiosi- ties of the place. Admont affords excellent head-quar- ters to the naturalist and the moun- taineer ; and the lover of legendary lore may amuse himself in collecting tales of fairies and kobolds that still circulate among the peasantry. The village suffered severely in the great fire of 1 8 65. The adjoining marshes are said to breed fever in autumn, and the fre- quency of cases of cretinism among the inhabitants seems to indicate the pre- sence of malaria : at other seasons there can be nothing to apprehend on this score. Those who do not undertake longer excursions should visit the Maria- kulm church for the sake of the noble view which it commands. The excursion most to be recom- mended to the mountaineer is the ascent of the Grosse Buchstein (7,269'), the highest point in the mass, lying between the road from Adlnont to St. Gallen and Altenmarkt and the angle formed by the Enns between those places. As already mentioned, it is accessible by a very steep path through a ravine on the N. side of the defile of Gesause. Those who take tliat way usually sleep at a very fair mountain inn at the Gstatterboden, and make the ascent next morning. An easier way is to follow the road to St. Gallen which crosses the Wcng-Pass, and descends on the NE. side through the glen of Buchau. From a little mountain roadside inn (Am Eisenzieher), about 1 hr. above St. Gallen, the ascent direct to the summit may be made in 3^ hrs. J. Eeidegger ROUTE A. LIETZEN. lL^f» IS a good local guide, and such is re- quired by a traveller descending by an opposite side from that taken in the asicent. The view, besides including a very extensive alpine panorama, com- mands a long reach of the Ober-Enns- thal ; but perhaps the most interesting object is the deep defile opening im- mediately under the ridge of the moun- tain, with the remarkable pinnacle of the Hoch Thor rising at the opposite side of the cleft. The Hoher Biirgas (7,351') is also within reach of this place, but ma}- more conveniently be visited from the Pyrhn Pass (Ete/B), or from Eosenau (Kte. E). Eor an account of the fine peaks rising S. of the Enns the reader is re- ferred to § 53. The botanist -will find ample occupa- tion in this neighbourhood: among other rarities he may collect Calla jjalnstris and Andromeda polifolia in the marshes below the A-illage, where Ledum jpa- Imtre also once grew, and on the sur- rounding mountains Papaver alpinum, Draba stcllata, Cherleria inihricata, PotentiUa minima, Saxifraga Burseri- ana, Valeriana elongata and V. cdtica, Achillea Clusiana, Cineraria cdpestris, Saussurca pygrncea, Crepis hyoseridi- foHa, Pedicidaris aspJenifolia and P. rose-a, several rare Salices, Malaxis monopJiyUa, Epipogium Gmelini, AUium j yictoriale, Festuca Schtuch::eri, and i Sesleria tenella. Cortusa Matthioli has j been also found in clefts of the lime- | stone rocks in the defile of Gresaiise. t There are two roads from Admont to Lietzen, of which the post-road, best i suited for carriages, is by the 1. bank { of the Enns. The fine views of the j neighbouring mountains are better seen in approaching from the west, than when travelling in the opposite direc- tion. To the 1. of the MiiJdaidhal, which descends from the Hoher Biirgas, and pours its torrent into the Enns N. of the village, is seen the pilgrimage church of Mariakxdm on an isolated hill; and behind it, farther W., the rounded ridge of the JY^^r/^Z-f;;-^ (5,611'). Alter crossing the river the road turns X. T. westward, and runs along the base of the Pleschberg to Ardning, where a torrent issues through a narrow gorge from the Ardningthal. [The mountaineer may reach Ardning by a circuitous but xitvy interesting walk by ascending the Miihlauthal from Admont, then crossing the ridge which connects the Pleschberg, with the Hoher Biirgas, and descending through the Ardningthal to rejoin the high road. If bound for the valley of the Steyer, he maj- cross a second ridge close to the SW. base of the Biirgas, and join the high road from Lietzen (Ete. B.), near the summit of the Pyrhn Pass. The valley of the Enns widens out to a breadth of fully 2 m. as the road, after traversing i?( it t ha/, -passes opposite the junction of the Paltenbaeh with the Enns. Through the Paltenthal runs the road leading by Eottenmann and Mautern to Leoben and Bruck ^§ 5:i Ete. E). The traveller joins 'that important line of communication be- tween Salzburg and Lower Styria at the post-station of Lietzen (Inns : Stanzinger's, be^t ; and several others), a thriving little market town, 2,168 ft. above the sea, where the stranger may procure good specimens of Styrian iron and steel manufacture. Another road, already in use in the Eoman period, lead's north eastward along the Pvrhnbaeh to the valley of the Steyer (Ete. B). An extensive peat moss near Lietzen occupies a portion of the space formerly filled by a shallow lake. From hence to Grobming the valley bends slightly to S. of W. This portion of the Ober Ennsthal is remarkable fur numerous ancient castles which add much to the picturesqueness of the scener)'. The road, keeping to the I. bank, passes at the little \'illage of Weissenhach the opening of a wild glen through which one of the many str^-anis bearing the same name issues into the main valley. The glen is completely enclosed at its head by the crags of the AngerJiiJhe, one of the summits fuimirg the eastern extension of the To.-tf-i-- 130 SALZBURG ALPS. § 47. E^;NS DLSTHICT. Gebirg. The traveller who carries a sketch book will scarcely fail to halt H while here, and will be tempted to do so again about 3 m. farther on, as 111- passes the ruined castle of Wolken- ■