
Hiking trails to the Nessler Alm
Various routes for botanists and connoisseurs
Pettneu via Lavenarweg - The COSY Hike
Start point | Tourism Association in Pettneu |
Characteristics | forest and panoramas |
Total walking time | approx. 3.5 hours |
Difficulty | Medium / 4 km / 400 vertical metres |
Stops | at the Nessler Alm, Almfrieden, inns |
From the information office in Pettneu (next to the church), walk along the village road to the Raiffeisenbank, and from there follow the signs upwards to the left. After about 300 m, the wide forest path begins, which you follow to the Nessler Alm.
The hike leads through the forest and blooming mountain meadows, and past the Egghaus – an old farm with a wonderful view of the valley. It offers many wonderful views to the Hohen Riffler (3,168 m), Pettneu's local mountain, to the middle Stanzertal with the villages of Schnann and Flirsch, and to the Eisenspitze (2,859 m).
Hundskopf - The Hike for BOTANICS
Start point | Tourism Association Pettneu |
Characteristics | forest and panoramas |
Total walking time | approx. 3.5 hours |
Difficulty | Medium / 7.5 km / 414 vertical metres |
Stops | at the Nessler Alm, Almfrieden, inns |
From the information office in Pettneu (next to the church) walk along the village road to the Raiffeisenbank, there follow the signs up to the left, and after approx. 300 m the path turns into a forest path between the houses.
Following the signs to Hundskopf, the path leads variedly through pasture areas with small hay huts, beautiful mixed forest, and fragrant mountain meadows, sometimes steeply over bends to the Pleißlereck. Here the path joins the Stöcklweg and continues west to the Nessler Alm.

Stöcklweg - The NATURAL FORCE Hike
Start point | Tourism Association Pettneu |
Characteristics | forest, meadows and panoramas |
Total walking time | approx. 3.5 hours |
Difficulty | Medium / 7.5 km / 414 vertical metres |
Stops | at the Nessler Alm, Almfrieden, inns |
From the information office in Pettneu am Arlberg, walk along the Dorfstrasse to the Raiffeisenbank, and from there follow the signs up to the left. After about 300 m the path turns into a forest path between the houses.
Following the signs to Stöcklweg, you’ll pass the avalanche protection dam to the Gridlonbach. There, the path turns north and zigzags past the catchment basin to Pleißlereck. The path continues west to the Nessler Alm, and a further 200 m east is the Old Nessler Thaja. For the descent to Pettneu, follow the road to the village.
An alternative is to turn left into the forest about halfway through the path, and follow the Way of the Cross over the Kalvarienberg back to the village. The Kalvarienberg, whose wayside shrines were lovingly restored in 2013 and 2014, offers a wonderful view over Pettneu and the Stanzertal – a perfect spot for reflection and contemplation.
Franz-Kurz-Weg - The Hike for ALPINISTS
Start point | Tourism Association Pettneu or district of Vadiesen |
Characteristics | forest, meadows and panoramas |
Total walking time | approx. 3.5 hours |
Difficulty | Medium / 5.5 km / 400 vertical metres |
Stops | at the Nessler Alm, Almfrieden, inns |
Starting from the Pettneu information office, the hiking trail leads past the parish hall and further west over the ‘Zettler’ and the ‘Hasli’, where it joins the Franz-Kurz-Weg above the western district of Vadiesen. The path leads through some steep bends through the pine forest, before it continues over beautiful high meadows to the Hirschenbad – an idyllic, almost mystically hidden little natural biotope. Here the hiking trail joins the forest path towards Nessler Alm and Old Nessler Thaja.
Alternatively, if you’re starting from the district of Vadiesen, follow the asphalt path past the Hotel Olympia, and after about 500 m the forest road joins the Franz-Kurz-Weg towards Nessler Alm.
Kalvarienberg - The CULTURAL Hike
Start point | Tourism Association Pettneu |
Characteristics | forest, meadows and panoramas |
Total walking time | approx. 3.5 hours |
Difficulty | Medium / 5 km / 400 vertical metres |
Stops | at the Nessler Alm, Almfrieden, inns |
From the information office in Pettneu (next to the church), walk along Dorfstraße to the Raiffeisenbank, and from there follow the signs up to the left. After about 300 m turn left into the forest path, and after a few metres, the Way of the Cross towards Kalvarienberg begins, the image of which was lovingly renovated in 2013 and 2014.
The Kalvarienberg, with its small chapel, offers a wonderful view over Pettneu and the Stanzertal and is perfect for pausing to reflect and contemplate. Further north, the footpath joins the forest path, which you can follow to the Nessler Alm and Old Nessler Thaja.