Behind the Memminger Hut, the E5 and Via Alpina take a downward course. Those who feel in top form in the mornings should take the little deviation to the Seekogel, from where a very beautiful view can be enjoyed. The path soon becomes steeper and leads downwards alongside the stream, the outlet of the lower Semisee lake. Cross the roaring floods at a small bridge and, directly beside the thundering waterfall, the route goes downward now on the right bank. After the waterfall, cross the stream again and climb down through ever higher vegetation. The path is rather wet and slippery in places. Finally, you will reach the floor of the valley and cross the Parseierbach stream. Here, the path branches off towards the left to the Ansbacher Hut. Via Alpina follows the forest road, however, past the valley station of the goods lift. There is a leisurely walk downhill following the road, ignoring the turn-off to the Saxeralm meadow. After a little more than 2h, you will reach the little village of Madau. In the 18th century, Madau was still a proud mountain village with 60 inhabitants, but today the landlord of the Hermine mountain inn is the only registered inhabitant. It is interesting to note that the village of Madau, which is situated only 2 hours away on foot from Bach in the Lechtal valley, belongs to the municipality of Zams in the Inntal valley for historical reasons. A special bus runs at regular intervals from Madau to Bach between June and September. The landlord of the Hermine mountain inn can provide you with more detailed information, which can also be found under www.madau.com. From Madau, keep following the forest road out of the valley. There is also track on the opposite bank of the stream, but it is not recommended due to the regular occurrence of minor landslides. Finally, you will reach a little chapel directly above Bach in the Lechtal valley. In the hairpin bend after the chapel, keep to the left and follow the asphalt road downwards. Just before it reaches the main road, a track across the cattle range branches off to the left. The path is not that easy to see, as several tracks have been created by the cows’ hoof marks. The red wooden benches provide some orientation however. The path soon becomes better and wider. After the last houses, which are visible from Stockach, keep to the right through the cattle gate and step out from the area bordering the woods onto a meadowland path. Pass between the houses to reach the cycle path to Holzgau. Follow this path across the bridge until you arrive in the centre of the little community.
From Holzgau, follow the signs for the E5 and Via Alpina closely in order to reach the cycle path and later the hiking trail leading to the turnoff into the Madautal valley above Bac. The trail will then be well marked and easy to find.
(Christina Schwann, OeAV)

Since 2002, the Lechtal valley has been classed as a Natura 2000 area (see Stage R48 of the Red Trail). But it is not just the Lech itself with its extensive gravel areas that is worthy of protection but also the slopes of the Lechtal and Allgäu Alps, where the side valleys and the cultural landscape rich in tradition display unique qualities that can scarcely be found elsewhere in the Alps. This chapter is dedicated above all to the numerous wonderful alpine plants that flourish in the Lechtal and Allgäu Alps: for every additional 100m in altitude, the temperature falls by 0.5°, the growing season shortens by 1 week and the amount of precipitation increases by 70mm. Many of the plants in the high mountains come from very far away, such as the mountain avens (northern tundra), the trailing azalea (North America) or the edelweiss, which we immediately associate with the Alps. But it actually originates in the Siberian Steppe. The plants’ strong persistence was originally designed as protection against drought, and today it acts as a perfect protection against the cold. The plants in the high mountain region struggle under difficult conditions. Not only does the growing season last between 50 and 100 days, but the everyday weather conditions are very taxing on the plants. On the one hand, there is more precipitation, but most plants must contend with drought due to strong sunlight and wind. One tried-and-tested solution is the formation of pads such as those formed by the trailing azalea, mountain aven or the alpine campion. Species growing in debris such as the alpine azalea or the somewhat larger alpine rockcress and the alpine buttercup live in even more extreme conditions. Their roots often reach deep down in order to reach water and nutrients. At the same time, this allows them to secure the always moving debris surfaces. The stretches of blue sesleria, characteristic of limestone-rich, sunny steep slopes, are particularly colourful. This is the habitat of alpine pasque flowers, lesser calamint, kidney vetch, gentian, black and red cabbage rose, fragrant orchid and many other rare orchids. Neither wind nor weather bothers the blue sesleria – there is only one thing that would disturb it: fertilisers. The valley meadows are in full bloom in early June. The fields are above all coloured by ox-eye daisies, sea milkwort and sage. The regular mowing has a natural selection effect and generates a large variety of species. The lovely orchids are particularly common here. An almost unmatched wide variety of orchids exists in the woodland close to the river: woodland hyachinth, fly orchid, dark-red helleborine, yellow lady-slipper and the marsh helleborine.
Literature: Lechtal, eine Landschaft erzählt ihre Geschichte, Werner Gamerith, Tyrolia Verlag
(Christina Schwann, OeAV)