Leitersteig - bottleneck on the old path to the Plöckenpass

Level of difficulty: Easy

0.2 km

Distance
0.1 h

Duration
1073 vm

Lowest elevation
1137 vm

Highest elevation
0 vm
65 vm

Leitersteig - bottleneck on the old path to the Plöckenpass

Routes to the Plöckenpass (Austrian section) run over long stretches in landslide terrain (flanks above the Valentinbach, ascent to the Theresienhöhe). They are subject to constant maintenance and are not permanent. On the other hand, sections in bedrock have fallen victim to modern road construction (rock steps in the pass gorge, etc.). Only the Leitersteig (lower part) is still preserved and offers a small but lasting impression of the original route over the Plöcken Pass, as it was used for thousands of years and destroyed in the 20th century, apart from fragments. In the 2020s, this last special section of the path is also threatened with destruction by the construction of a private extra-high-voltage underground cable line (Project of Common Interest PCI), which is wanted by the EU.

A first glimpse