Austria

In winter Lech is one of the more sought-after skiing locales in all the Alpes yet in summer this fabulously scenic place is a haven for flora and fauna. Nestling in the Lech Valley on the banks of the eponymous river, Lech’s attraction for us as a centre is the wonderful infrastructure that allows easy access to lush meadows, crystal-clear lakes and high craggy mountains. For there are numerous cable cars and chairlifts floating up the slopes just a short walk from our hotel. We’ll spend the week exploring mostly the high country accessed by these cable cars. One such is Rüfikopf which lies at 2300m, almost a thousand metres above our hotel, it seems almost directly above the village! Here we can wander amongst beautiful short alpine turf littered with botanical gems such as Gentiana orbicularis, Dianthus glacialis, Pedicularis recutita, Bear’s Ear Auricula and Fairy Foxglove.

Yellow-billed Chough descend in chattering groups upon their favourite alpine lawns to seek out choice grubs. Alpine Marmots peer at us as we crowd around our first Fairy’s Thimble Campanula cochlearifolia forming a perfect mound of pale blue on a rock. Small Apollos waft gently past as we enjoy Soldanella pusilla and Soldanella alpina, delicate little beauties both. Alpine Grayling and Shepherd’s Fritillary fly in these high areas and we’ll hopefully come across White-winged Snowfinch and quite probably Rock Ptarmigan. Overhead are Lammergeier and Golden Eagle. During the week we’ll walk along the shores of a number of small tarns and alpine ponds where some careful searching will reveal Alpine Salamander and Alpine Newt. Primula hirsuta and Primula glutinosa flower in damp flushes alongside Tofieldia calyculata and the lovely Fringed Gentian. This is a wonderful area of gentians, and the prefect time – we’ll see the strident trumpets of Gentiana acaulis and Gentiana clusii, clumps of Gentiana bavarica and Gentiana verna, and to add to colourful palette yellow Gentiana punctata and purple Gentiana purpurea. Alpine Heath, Swiss Brassy Ringlet and Lesser Mountain Ringlet fly around rocky bluffs decorated with stunning blue Campanula cenisia, the most fabulous clumps of pink Silene acaulis, purple and orange Alpine Toadflax, yellow Draba hoppeana, Pedicularis rostrocapitata, and one of the highlights of these mountains Viola calcarata.

In the wild Zugertal Valley we’ll look for Chamois and Alpine Ibex and here we’ll come across a signature plant of this region, the extraordinary yellow Campanula thyrsoides. Lower in the valleys we’ll explore meadow and forests paths rich in butterflies such as Swallowtail, Camberwell Beauty, Bright-eyed Ringlet, Arran Brown and the intricately marked Titania’s Fritillary. We may see or hear Black Grouse as we walk amongst Campanula trachelium, Prunella grandiflorum, Round-leaved Wintergreen and Round-headed Rampion. Globe Orchids are common and we’ll see both Large and Chalkhill Blues as we enjoy Short-spurred Fragrant Orchid, yellow Pedicularis foliosa, deep blue-purple Aconitum napellus and the gorgeous pink bells of Cortusa matthioli.