Experience the pristine nature of the Hohe Tauern National Park at your own pace, with respect for nature and a small footprint. That's what slow travel in the Rauris Valley is all about.
Consciously savoring instead of hastily consuming: Stress and hectic holidays are a thing of the past. Today, it's primarily about experiencing your holiday destination, getting to know the locals and their culture, hospitality, and cuisine. But it's also about genuine, sustainable nature experiences, which have become so rare these days. In Rauris, the largest municipality in the Hohe Tauern National Park, slow travel is also always about minimizing your ecological footprint – from travel to your destination and local transportation to winter sports.
Travel in a relaxed manner, instead of rushing.
Those traveling to the Rauris Valley by train begin their mindful relaxation journey right at home and can rely on good connections at the end of their trip: Regular buses run year-round from the Zell am See and Taxenbach train stations to Bucheben. During peak season, additional guest shuttles on Saturday and Sunday mornings, midday, and early afternoons enhance the connection between Taxenbach train station and Rauris/Wörth. Incidentally, the Guest Mobility Ticket, introduced this year, is free for all buses and trains throughout the entire province, ensuring a car-free, sustainable, and consciously slow-paced winter holiday in the Rauris Valley.
In slow motion through the valley ends
Much of the breathtakingly beautiful winter landscapes in the five side valleys of Rauris can only be explored on foot. In return, they offer nature experiences that clear the mind and expand the spirit and soul. Guided winter and snowshoe tours with a National Park ranger lead you into one of the most beautiful valley heads in the Salzburg Alps, right through the heart of the Rauris primeval forest. Pristine, snow-covered winter landscapes, peace, and solitude also await slow travelers while cross-country skiing between Bucheben and Bodenhaus, as the rhythmic glide through the snow is like a journey to oneself. Thanks to the high altitude of up to 1,200 meters, the 30 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails in the Rauris Valley remain in excellent condition well into spring.
Stomping uphill on touring skis through fresh powder snow and feeling the crisp, clear winter air on your skin promises a truly personal mountain adventure with extraordinary sensory experiences in the Rauris Valley – after all, the Hohe Tauern National Park is one of the most magnificent mountain landscapes on Earth. Our tip: With the Rauris guest card, the Rauris shuttle buses (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) to the cross-country ski trails in the Hüttwinkl Valley and the National Park are free of charge – as are the guided snowshoe tours offered there with National Park rangers.
Skiing like in the old days in the Gold Mountains
Emotions instead of emissions. Skiing has been practiced in the Rauris Valley for 140 years. Today, testers still refer to it as one of the "most scenic ski resorts in the entire Alpine region" (skiresort.atOutdoor sports enthusiasts will find a vast and pristine network of slopes of all difficulty levels here, offering magnificent views of the Goldberge mountains. Austria's first climate-neutral mountain lift whisks skiers and snowboarders to the starting point in no time. Three-quarters of the electricity for its operation is generated in its own power plant, and emissions from the lift's operation are offset by CO2 certificates. For an even smaller footprint, skiers can take the free ski bus to the Rauris Hochalm lift, allowing them to reach the slopes of the Hochalm lifts in an energy- and CO2-saving manner from mid-December to early April. Further information is available at [website address missing]. www.raurisertal.at.
