Hike Bergkastel - Lake Goldseen

After you have taken the cable car to Bergkastel (2,170m), take route no. 33. It runs parallel to the cycling routes from the beginning. There is quite a lot of traffic around the cable car station – there is a huge restaurant, a large park for children (Goldpark) and a lot of cyclists who let themselves be taken by another cable car ending below the Mitterkopf peak (up to a height of approx. 2,500 m above sea level). After a while, fortunately, the footpath leaves busy places and leads through a sparse forest.

The road suddenly bends into a gigantic stone sea. A long time ago there was a glacier here, currently a tree sometimes peeks out between the stones. More difficult sections are overcome by wooden footbridges.

After crossing the stone sea, you will go above the valley of a small stream. The first arresting and partially vantage point is a small chapel.

You slowly pass the last trees in the valley and enter a desolate world. The valley closes with a huge rock wall, which you will have to climb. So ahead of you is the biggest climb of this hike. Sometimes you will pass gigantic stones that have rolled here from the peaks high above you.

The road climbs quite steeply. About 2/3 of the way up is this flat patch of grass with a beautiful view of the Bergkastelspitze. It's all dug up by marmots here.

From the rock embankment there is a view of the entire desolate valley that we climbed. On the horizon you can see the cable car station and further down the Nauders. The mountains on the horizon already belong to Switzerland.

The highest point on this hike is approximately 2,600 meters high. There is a post with a view of both the lower lake and down to the cable car.

From the vantage point, you can see the lake about 40 meters below you. The ridge above the lake is also the border with Italy.

The lake is really beautiful, so it is definitely worth going down to it, or continuing on to the second higher lake.

The path to the second, higher lake is probably the most challenging part of the hike. The path basically leads over boulders and you need to follow the signs carefully. Directly below you, deep between the boulders, a small stream meets.

The path will take you directly to the outlet of the stream from the lake. Just in front of it, the path to the top of the Bergkastelspitze branches off, to which you only have 300 meters of altitude left.

If the lower lake was beautiful, the upper one is even more beautiful.

The tourist route doesn't go any further. If you want to look at the lake at least a little from a height, you have to choose a route leading up. But be very careful, it is one huge stone quarry.

The reward for the unpleasant ascent is the view of both lakes at the same time.

The way back is the same, but you can extend it a little further and see the third and fourth lakes. Just before it starts to descend from the embankment, there is a fork in the direction of Pedroßscharte (2816 m), Ganderbildspitze and Westlicher Mataunkopf. If you go in this direction, after about 500 meters you will come across the third lake, which is just a puddle. In the distance you will see lake number two where you were a moment ago and after another 50 meters lake number four.

The fourth lake is also nice, but it is definitely not as beautiful as the first two.