Just like the train station in a certain popular film, there is a cable car station in Tyrol, Austria that leads to a magical realm. This place is Hexenwasser, also known as Witches’ Water, a unique theme park that invites visitors to experience the magic of nature with their own senses.
Location and How to Get There
The Hexenwasser or Witches’ Water park is the recreation area at the central station of the cable car at the municipality of Soell in the state of Tyrol, west of Austria. Soell is located close to the valley of the Inn River, which is a 10-minute drive from the city of Kufstein. The Hexenwasser barefoot trail’s origin is near the middle station’s exit.
What to See There
Hexenwasser Hochsoll boasts of the longest barefoot trail in Austria, with a length of about 1 mile. Visitors are invited to walk on the path on their bare feet, to experience the varied textures of the soil, stone and water-strewn ground that they’re treading on. It’s not at all as harsh as it sounds, and in fact walking on the trail has a massaging effect on one’s feet. While the hikers are going barefoot, their shoes are temporarily displayed in the so-called Tyrolean Shoe Museum, where they become as like art pieces put on exhibit to admire and examine. Meanwhile, the barefoot path leads up to the Witch’s Stone Mill, where pebbles from the river are polished into beautiful shiny stones.
Another attraction is the Beehouse, where visitors observe the interesting behavior of these fascinating insects. If it rains, tourists can seek shelter under the gigantic Witch’s Umbrellas, which also catch the raindrops and somehow make music with them. The Witch’s Hearth teaches how to make a fire, and even how to bake bread over it. The Witch’s Cauldron is a strange house in the shape of a pot, and the Witch’s Bathhouse is a place to rest and wash up with warm water. Over at Hexenwasser Hohe Salve, there is a huge wind harp that makes music out of the blowing mountain winds, as well as a sundial that tells time like they did in the past.
History
Witches’ Water takes its inspiration from the legends of witches who had supposedly lived in the area now occupied by the park back in olden times.
Cost
Entrance into all of the Witches’ Water stations is free, but the cable cars do charge a fee. For the cable car to Hexenwasser Hochsoll, those with experience pass costs 12,50 Euros for adults and 6 Euros for children born from 1996 to 2006, while for Tyrolean residents and holders of the SkiWelt-Gasterkarte (guest pass), the cost is 11,50 Euros for adults and 5,00 Euros for children. For the cable car to Hexenwasser Hohe Salve, experience pass costs 16 Euros for adults and 8 Euros for children, while Tyrolean residents and Ski-Welt guest pass costs 15 Euros for adults and 7,50 for children.
Other Info
Witches’ Water is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. For more information, log on to the Hexenwasser website, http://www.hexenwasser.at/.
