Due to a National holiday, I could enjoy an extended weekend. So, I decided to go on a short trip to Styria. There, I was hiking in the beautiful Bärenschützklamm today.

This hike is supposed to be quite popular, especially on weekends. Today was a bridge day, so I hoped that it would not be too bad. However, when I arrived there, I immediately ran into a large group of Hungarians (!). Fortunately, though, this group was so large that they had to wait for each other (especially at the lookout points, where not all of them would fit at the same time). So, I soon left them behind me.

After an hour-long ascent to the entrance of the gorge, I was finally (almost) alone. Therefore, I could really enjoy the beautiful gorge. It is only accessible thanks to 115 bridges and 49 ladders which are anchored to the steep cliffs. Without those, hiking would be impossible. Of course, this only adds to the experience.

When I arrived at the lunch station "Guter Hirte" (Good Shepherd) around 1 p.m., I finally understood why I met so few locals: A true Styrian already has a hearty meal and a schnaps at this time!