The best hiking routes in Natura 2000 Schutzgebiet Inneres Pöllatal

The Natura 2000 Schutzgebiet Inneres Pöllatal offers a distinct high-valley walking experience shaped by the active Lieser river and steep alpine slopes. Unlike more open, dry valley floors, this protected area is characterized by a mosaic of wet grey-alder forests, gravel banks, and damp mountain meadows. Walkers will notice how the river constantly reshapes the valley floor, leaving deposits of coarse gravel and creating small side channels next to the main path.

The main route through the valley is a wide, gravel-surfaced forest road that runs parallel to the stream, making it straightforward to navigate. For those looking for varied underfoot conditions, narrower, root-crossed dirt tracks branch off into the denser woodland and closer to the water margins. This is a deep mountain valley, meaning you will not find wide, panoramic plateau views here; instead, the landscape is defined by towering rock walls that frame the forested valley floor.

In June, the damp meadows along the Lieser are particularly rich in flowering alpine plants, which thrive in the cool, moist microclimate created by the river. The area is well-frequented near the valley entrance, but the upper reaches toward the valley head offer a much quieter, more enclosed forest character.