almost everywhere.
Wildlife
Alpine flowers may be a colourful adornment to the mountains, but the sighting of wildlife can be a highlight of any walk. In the Austrian Alps there should be plenty of opportunities to study birds and animals in their natural environment, but since most of the mammals are notoriously shy, you’ll need to walk quietly and remain alert to be rewarded. On some of our trips we’ve studied ibex on an exposed ridge above the Braunschweiger Hut, had young marmots play round our stationary boots, watched roe deer watching us, and been impressed by the grace and speed of a small herd of chamois racing across a near-vertical scree. Each of these experiences served to enrich our day and remains imprinted on memory long after.
Ibex (Steinbock in German) must count among the most striking to observe in the wild. The male, with its large, knobbly, swept-back curving horns and stub of a beard, is the king of the mountains. It has fairly short legs and a stocky body, but its powerful muscles enable it to spring onto narrow ledges of rock with surprising ease, or race away from danger with an unexpected turn of speed. The female is smaller and less showy than the male. With a grey or coffee-coloured coat and much shorter horns, she spends most of the year away from adult males, and when sighted could be mistaken for a chamois. It is only in the autumn-to-winter mating season that males seek out the females. First, they fight for the right to mate, and then the hills echo to the sound of clashing horns. Some hut wardens spread salt near their huts to entice ibex to graze nearby, and this is often the best way to observe them.
Less stocky than the ibex, the chamois (Gemse) is distinguished by short, sickle-shaped horns and a white rump. Its thick winter coat moults during May or June, and in summer it takes on a dark reddish-brown colour with a black stripe along the spine, and a white lower jaw. Like the ibex, the chamois is well adapted to the severity of its habitat, and is more resistant to the harsh winter weather than the roe deer, with whom it shares the forests when snow covers its normal high altitude territory. It’s a graceful and extremely agile animal, but also a very shy one with a keen sense of smell and acute hearing which makes it difficult to approach undetected. When startled the chamois makes a sharp wheezing snort as warning.
In the early summer, young marmots may be seen in the alpine meadows
Of all alpine mammals the marmot is the most endearing and most often seen. These sociable furry rodents live in colonies below the snowline and can be observed in many regions covered by this book. Growing to the size of a large hare and weighing up to 10kg, the marmot spends from 5–6 months each winter in hibernation, emerging rather lean in springtime, but soon fattening up on the summer grasses. Towards late September, having accumulated a good reserve of fat during the summer, the adults prepare their nests in readiness for winter, with dried grasses scythed with their sharp teeth. The famous warning whistle is emitted from the back of the throat by an alert adult sitting up on its haunches; its main enemies being the fox and eagle.
Among other mammals that may be seen by chance in these mountains is the carnivorous stoat which sometimes attacks young birds in ground-sited nests, but favours voles or even young mountain hares. In summer its coat is a russet-fawn which changes to white in winter, and it invariably makes its nest beneath a rock or a pile of stones.
Both the dainty roe deer and more powerful red deer inhabit the wooded areas, of which Austria has so many. Having a nervous disposition and exceptional hearing, neither are easy to catch unawares. The red squirrel, on the other hand, can often be detected scampering along a forest path, or scrabbling up a tree, its almost black coat and tufted ears being recognisable features.
Coniferous woods are home to the nutcracker who, with a kre kre kre alarm call, rivals the jay as policeman of the woods. With large head, strong beak, tawny speckled breast and swooping flight, the nutcracker is adept at breaking open pine cones in order to access the fatty seeds which it hides to feed on in winter. Capercaillie and black grouse are also present in wooded valleys and the lower mountain slopes.
The alpine chough is among the most common of birds to be met on trips into the higher mountain regions. The unmistakable yellow beak and coral-red feet distinguish it from other members of the crow family, and it will often hop around popular summits and vantage points to gather crumbs left by visiting walkers and climbers.
The pastoral idyll of the summer Alps
Getting There
By Air
A number of airports in Austria and neighbouring Germany have regular flights from the UK, although some of the services mentioned below are charters only. All airports listed have good onward train and/or coach connections, and most areas organise local taxi pick-up services. Readers are warned, however, that air travel information is especially vulnerable to change, so you are advised to check carefully in advance.
Zürich airport in Switzerland is linked to the main rail network with a number of daily Austria-bound trains, and provides another option worth considering – especially for destinations in western Austria, as the airport is only 120km from Bregenz.
AIRLINE WEBSITES
By Rail
Holidaymakers keen to reduce their carbon footprint may wish to consider rail travel. For the majority of Austria’s alpine regions, Innsbruck- or Salzburg-bound trains will take care of most needs, with easy access to regional lines that serve the rest of the country.
Travelling from London St Pancras to Paris (Gare du Nord) via Eurostar allows a speedy start to the journey, although changing trains in Paris can be time-consuming. The onward route is through France and Switzerland (Basel and Zürich), then on to Bludenz, Landeck and Innsbruck. Alternatively, consider Eurostar to Brussels, then take the Vienna-bound express through Germany, with the option of changing trains in Munich for Salzburg or Innsbruck.
Since most rail journeys to Austria will involve overnight travel, it’s a good idea to book a couchette to ensure greater comfort and the chance of an unbroken night’s sleep.
By Car
Driving to Austria from the UK is neither the fastest nor the cheapest travel option – nor is it the most relaxing. But for visitors planning to camp and walk in several different areas, it may be the most practical. Conventional car ferries operate regular services between Harwich and the Hook of Holland; and between Dover and Ostend or Calais, while the Channel Tunnel offers a quicker crossing, with peak-time journeys on Le
