The forest starts behind the house and the walking trails right beside it. For dogs, Ellmau is a good place. So that the holiday stays good for everyone else too, there are a few rules: in the house, on the bus, in the gondola and at the lake.
Elfi and Alois have two dogs in the family themselves. So what you read here is not a set of house rules handed down from above; it is what we would tell friends coming to the Wilder Kaiser with a dog for the first time. The rules for the region come from the Wilder Kaiser tourist board; where prices may change, we say so.
In the chalet: what applies to dogs
- Welcome in all five apartments, the four apartments and the Grizzly Suite.
- €8 per day per dog.
- Please mention your dog when you book. Then we know before you arrive.
- Sofas and beds stay dog-free. Please bring a blanket or basket, a bowl and a towel.
- The dog doesn't come into the sauna.
The apartments have a terrace, the suite a balcony and a sun terrace. The last walk of the evening starts at the front door: a few steps and you are in the forest.
The first walk: from the front door
The chalet is up on the Kirchbichl. Forest and walking trails start behind the house, and the village is about ten minutes' walk downhill. In the village centre dogs must be on a lead. A quiet evening walk takes you to the Bergdoktor farmhouse in about 20 minutes.
Lead and muzzle: the rules in the Wilder Kaiser
The four villages of Ellmau, Going, Scheffau and Söll each set their lead rules in their own by-laws. For guests it comes down to this:
- Bus, train and lifts: lead and muzzle are compulsory. That goes for the KaiserJet and the regional buses too, on which dogs are allowed.
- Public areas such as playgrounds, schools and shopping centres: lead and muzzle as well.
- Village centre and near pastures: lead.
- Length of lead: Söll and Going also specify it (two and three metres respectively).
So a muzzle belongs in your luggage, even if your dog never needs one at home. Put it on a few times before the holiday and you save yourself the argument at the valley station.
Up the mountain by lift
Dogs may travel on the lifts in the region, on a lead and wearing a muzzle. On the Ellmau-Going lifts the charge was most recently €6 per day per dog; in Scheffau and Söll dogs travel free (according to the tourist board, please check before you go). From the chalet it is about ten minutes' walk to the Hartkaiserbahn valley station.
Up top: on hot days go early, take water, and on the alpine pastures be considerate of the grazing cattle. More on that in a moment.
Alpine pastures, cows and meadows
The alpine pastures of the Wilder Kaiser are workplaces, and the meadows in the valley are fodder. The region asks three things of all dog owners:
- Keep your distance from cows and wild animals. Go round pastures where you can, and never walk between a cow and her calf.
- Keep your dog on a short lead near pastures. If a cow comes towards you in a threatening way all the same, let the dog off the lead. That is what the Austrian code of conduct for alpine pastures recommends.
- Always pick up after your dog, in the meadow too: dog mess can cause stillbirths in cows.
Swimming: where dogs are allowed in the water
For people, Lake Hintersteiner See is the loveliest swimming lake in the area; for dogs, unfortunately, it isn't. At the lido dogs are allowed only on the terrace by the kiosk, not on the lawn and not in the water. The tourist board asks dog owners in general not to use the region's lakes as a dog bath, and names these places instead:
- the dog pool behind the Stöcklalm at Hexenwasser in Söll,
- the Gieringer Weiher pond,
- the dog beach on the eastern shore of the Walchsee,
- the marked dog areas at the Pillersee.
Söll also has the Hundemeile (“dog mile”) along the Stampfangerbach stream, free and with no need to register.
When the dog needs a day off
A day at the KaiserBad or a long summit walk is not for every dog. Ellmau has several providers of dog sitting and dog walking; the Wilder Kaiser tourist board keeps the current list. Please ask them directly and in good time.
Packing list for the dog
- EU pet passport with microchip number and valid rabies vaccination (from Great Britain: an animal health certificate)
- A muzzle and a short lead
- Poo bags
- Bowl, blanket or basket, towel
- A water bottle for the walk
“Two dogs are part of Elfi and Alois's family. We get on well. I have nothing against dogs, as long as they leave my bread rolls alone.”Grizzly, the house bear
