The Steinernes Meer - day tours in Lech Zürs

Hiking trails & Routes

Austria

Bezirk Bludenz

Dalaas

The Steinernes Meer - day tours in Lech Zürs

Hard

4.9

(130)

626

hikers

The Steinernes Meer - day tours in Lech Zürs

03:41

9.89km

470m

Hiking

Corals, shells and ammonites at 2,000 meters altitude? On this good eight-kilometer tour you will hike through a sea in the mountains - the Stone Sea with fossils up to 200 million years old. Start of the hike is at Formarinsee. From there you walk past the Alpe Formarin and the Capricorn Monument.

The path leads you uphill over Alpine pastures. After a good two kilometers you have reached the unique rock formations. First you see a small coral reef, the harbinger of the Stone Sea. The next section leads you through the large clusters of fossils. Have fun discovering and viewing the ancient testimonies of bygone life - but with caution. The path takes you past marked localities through the karst area.

After six kilometers you will reach the Freiburger hut. Here you can stop and enjoy the great view of the Formarinsee. Along the water you walk back to the turning loop for the bus.

The blue hiking bus takes you from the post office in Lech regularly up to the starting point of the hike and then back again.

by Lech Zürs

Last updated: August 25, 2026

Tips

Includes segments that may be dangerous

Parts of this route comprise highly technical, difficult, or hazardous terrain. Specialist equipment and prior experience is required.

After 4.62 km for 20 m

After 5.36 km for 20 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.11 km

Stone Sea (Lechquellen Mountains)

Highlight (Segment) • Natural Monument

Here you are on an alpine karst plateau in the Lechquellengebirge, also called the Steinerne Meer. Namesake are the fossilized coral reefs, shells of shells and giant clams, tower snails, ammonites and belemnites, which you can discover here. About 200 million years ago, the rocks were probably deposited here.

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Tip by

7.47 km

Freiburger Hut

Highlight • Mountain Hut

The Freiburger Hütte is a hut run by the DAV. The hut managers Kathi and Flo have had the hut and their colorful team under great control for years. Due to the good accessibility, the hut is very busy during the day. In the evening, it becomes significantly quieter above the picturesque Formarinsee. Nevertheless, you should definitely reserve an overnight stay. You can find information about the hut here: freiburger-huette.at

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9.35 km

View of Formarinsee

Highlight • Viewpoint

Fantastic lake, you only really get the size when you see people at the water.

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Tip by

9.89 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

4.85 km

2.43 km

2.39 km

228 m

Surfaces

3.26 km

3.17 km

1.77 km

1.46 km

228 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (2,230 m)

Lowest point (1,810 m)

Weather

Today

Monday 12 October

10°C

3°C

1 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

June 24, 2023,Gipfelrunde Formaletsch & Steinernes Meer

Decelerated, easy hike through great landscapes in the Arlberg

The starting point is the parking lot at the Formarinalpe. To get here, you have to enter the toll road at the barrier before 8:00 a.m. and come out again at 4:30 p.m. Accordingly, you have a lot of time here. Alternatively, you can also get here by bus, which runs …

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July 5, 2024,🇦🇹 Zum Formarinsee übers Steinerne Meer

Great tour over the Steinernes Meer. Since only a toll road leads to Formarinsee, it is rather quiet there. But the 24€ for the ticket from Lech is worth it

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June 23, 2026,🇦🇹 Lechtal - Formarinsee - Steinernes Meer - Freiburger Hütte

At the same spot, the Lechweg starts/ends, depending on which direction you walk it.
Those with good fitness can extend the tour by climbing the Formaletsch. The turn-off is only marked by a handwritten sign and is easy to miss. For us Komoot users, however, it's not a problem if the ascent is already planned.
Private access to the Formalinsee/Alpe …

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August 2, 2022,Formarinsee, Freiburger Hütte & Steinernes Meer

Today I drove to the starting point of my last year's Lechweg (komoot.de/collection/1316523/-der-lechweg-von-der-quelle-bis-zum-fall) with my ladies. There then visited the Formarinsee, the Freiburger Hütte and the Steinerne Meer.

Also very impressive on the second visit. The view of the Formarinsee in the direction of the "Red Wall" is particularly impressive every time. The Formarinsee had significantly less water today than …

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September 23, 2023,Zum Steinernen Meer

On Friday evening the rain turned into sleet and we experienced the first onset of winter. But that doesn't stop the DAV hiker from going for a ride. We trudge through more than 10cm of snow to the Steinernes Meer, which challenges us with its treacherous crevices between the rock formations. We return via the Formarinalpe and spend the rest …

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June 24, 2023,🇦🇹 Rund um den Formaletsch im Lechquellgebirge: Freiburger Hütte – Steinernes Meer – Formarin-Alpe – Formarinsee - Freiburger Hütte

Today four tours with different levels of difficulty are offered. Unfortunately, because of the knee, I can't do what I would like to do. So I decide to go for the shortest option because of the circumstances.

We start hiking from the Freiburger Hütte. Soon we come to the themed path known as the "Steinernes Meer". This rises gently over …

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July 22, 2024,Rundtour Freiburger Hütte / steinernes Meer

After replanning the tour in the morning (rain/thunderstorm warning), we went from the Freiburger Hütte to the Steinernes Meer in the afternoon

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March 29, 2019

Corals, shells and ammonites at 2,000 meters altitude? On this good eight-kilometer tour you will hike through a sea in the mountains - the Stone Sea with fossils up to 200 million years old. Start of the hike is at Formarinsee. From there you walk past the Alpe Formarin and the Capricorn Monument.
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Translated by Google •