Zettersfeld - Neualplseen (Goiselemandlweg Nord)

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive into Austria, then continue driving towards Spittal and further towards Lienz (a little after Spittal the highway ends). Further on, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through the Drau Valley. In the center of Lienz, at the roundabout, we continue right towards the settlement Matrei. Already after a few hundred meters after the roundabout, we continue sharply right and then left over the bridge towards the settlement Thurn. Further on, we always follow the green signs »Zettersfeld Zentrum«. A little before the ski center, when the road starts descending, we will notice on the left side of the road a macadam road which leads towards the ski area and is closed to traffic. By the road there are also yellow hiking signposts. We park on one of the smaller parking lots nearby. A little further on the main road there is also a much larger parking lot.

Path description:
From the starting point, we head onto the macadam road (path 9b) following the signs »Steinermandl«. The road, which is closed to traffic, ascends towards the east and brings us to the ski area where we soon reach a junction.
We continue left following the signs »Steinermandl« and then ascend for some time below the chairlift that leads to the summit of Steinermandl. The road later turns left and ascends somewhat more steeply. From the path we otherwise have a very nice view all the time towards the Lienz Dolomites and the town of Lienz. The road then becomes gentler and leads us past a large artificial lake intended for snowmaking. Here the road turns slightly right and brings us to a marked junction.
Ahead along the road, the path leads to the summit of Steinermandl and the upper chairlift station. We continue left upwards onto the footpath, which starts to ascend the grassy slope. Higher up, as the slope becomes gentler, we reach another junction.
From the right, the path from the upper chairlift station joins us; to the left lead the western path to Goiselemandl and the western path to the lakes Neualplseen; we continue straight ahead following the signs »Goiselemandlweg Nord«. From the junction, the path crosses grassy slopes towards the northeast and brings us to a junction where another path from the upper chairlift station joins from the right. From the path we have a nice view here towards the peaks above the Debanttal valley, and along the path there are also benches.
At the mentioned junction, we continue left and cross the slopes on the eastern side of the peak Goiselemandl. Later the path crosses a fence and descends slightly below the steep northern slopes of Goiselemandl. Further on, the path brings us again to more grassy terrain, along which we then ascend gently all the way to the lakes Neualplseen. Around the lakes there is also a nice panoramic path.

Trip can be extended to: Östlicher Sattelkopf ( 30 min) , Schleinitz (2 h 30 min)