Archery Parcours Heutaler Hof

The 3D-Parcours Heutaler Hof is in Heutal, close to Lofer, Salzburg, at an elevation of 1000 m. You arrive via Unken in the direction of Heutal, then several curves uphill and finally 4 km towards the end of the valley. You pay the parcours fee in Heutaler Hof (Note, they do not work on Mondays) and then proceed towards the practice range with bull’s-eye (WA) target faces. The hotel has its own practice range with 3D targets. Warning: one of the ponies likes to run between the targets and is not afraid of the archers. There is an atrium which allows practicing in rainy weather. Usage of the parcours is free for hotel guests.

To start the parcours, go left along the slope and you will see the first target – a bear. Then up into the forest, then right, then downhill again. The parcours is packed with unorthodox shots. Here are some highlights:

1. There are two steep shots. The first one is uphill, at a chamois, around 45 m distance. There is a rope so that you can climb up and fetch your arrows. The second one is a 25 m distance, almost straight down.
2. Take care at the Iron Chamois – it is really made of iron and only the kill zone is foam. A wrong shot may send your arrow in an unknown direction.
3. Test your speed with the Running Hare – the target is on wheels and you can draw it with a wire. It will roll down for about 20 meters, in which time you can shoot at it.
4. The Disappearing Beaver is a creek water controlled mechanism which fills a pipe with water. The pipe and the beaver are mounted on a seesaw and as a result the beaver emerges for a short while and then sinks again. If the water level is low or the mechanism is stuck, you may need to wait longer for the beaver to appear.
5. The Spider Web requires you to shoot from a slope into a trough. The spider is sitting in a rope-woven net, approximately 1.5 m above ground. There is no backstop, but there is also no danger of losing your arrows. The last bit of the slope is difficult to navigate after a heavy rain, even with the provided rope. As an alternative, you can skip the steep downward shot, go along the forest road and do the last three targets from below.
6. The Game Trail is another test of speed, as well as of your tracking skills. You have 3 minutes to find six targets in a stretch of about 30 metres. The targets are hidden in a thick copse of trees next to the road. You are only allowed to go forward, no backtracking. You are also not allowed to see the trail before you go shooting. Sometimes, the targets are accompanied by other assorted small animals – an owl, some rats, a pair of hares next to the fox etc.

This parcours was obviously designed by a passionate archer (Peter, the son of the hotel manager). It gets partially repositioned every year. The targets are well maintained and nicely chosen, and the 3D practice range at the beginning is definitely a positive experience. There are score cards and a hand-drawn map of the parcours, available in the hotel. You can clean your shoes after the parcours at the water trough opposite the hotel – there is a water tap and some brushes.

Hotel Heutaler-Hof provides generous portions of tasty food, including the occasional hunting trophy – reindeer roast, chamois schnitzel or deer ragout. The chef takes a stroll through the dining room every once in a while, asking if something could be added to the already rich breakfast menu, so special breakfast wishes are also served, for example eggs with bacon. The guests usually are seated with name cards, but there is no problem when one wishes to dine at another table – some people, whose significant others do not like archery, have come alone and are thus able to find parcours buddies. In the evenings, there were two menus, as well as a custom-tailored scrapbook selection – a hiking destination, the weather forecast or a local recipe to take home, to name but a few. The atmosphere was very friendly, everybody was talking immediately on a first-name basis (this might have been because of the 1000 m elevation, but then again, it might not have). The chef sometimes waits tables and his wife cooks her famous spaghetti. Their son, Peter, is generally working as service personnel and is always ready to bring a cool drink outside in the garden and have a short chat. The majority of the guests are archers (mostly from Switzerland, where they have only five parcours, the poor things, and from Germany). On Saturdays, there is a “Tipi-Evening” in the big Indian tent (only in summer) with fire water, a piece pipe, campfire and American Indian music. You should be dressed for drinking, because you will warm up pretty quickly.

The practice range, the entrance to the parcours and the roofed atrium are directly opposite the hotel. The atrium also sports a Kegelbahn (sort of a bowling alley for Austrian), a tennis table, foosball, as well as enough space to sit quietly and repair your arrows. The rooms are neatly furnished and most of them have a balcony overlooking the practice range. Opposite the hotel, there is a small building which houses the three small ponies. Next to it, there is a kids’ trampoline and a hot tub. There is a swimming biotope as well, which only the most hardened seals can use in the autumn. The other people can enjoy a nice sunbathing on the nearby chaise-lounges. The little ones can occupy a small playground with a playhouse close to the water. Additionally, the Heutal valley is a good starting point towards 25 other parcours in a 35 km radius, two of which are right next to the neighbouring hotel. The nearest archery store is in Rupolding, Germany (ca. 30 min driving), but in cases of emergencies you can also ask the chef for help, for example if you need to replace a broken bowstring.

Excursions nearby

1. Staubfall is a waterfall, about 15-20 minutes on foot. You go through a well secured narrow chine which has its own small waterfalls. The two banks invite you to stay a while and listen to the babbling brooks.
2. You can reach the ski places Winklalm and Wildalm via easily navigable dirt roads, even if you are a green city-dweller.
3. Sonntagshorn is the nearest tall peak which can be climbed in a day trip.
4. Loferer Steinberge are around 6 hours on foot away and are more suitable for experienced hikers.

Farther excursions: You can reach Salzburg in 35 minutes through the small corner of Germany. Pillersee, in which you can also bathe in the summer, is in Tirol, ca. 30 minutes of dirving away. Other possibilities are St. Johann in Tirol, Kitzbühel, Zell am See, Saalfelden, Lofer and many more. Of course, do not forget the many archery parcours in Salzburg, Tirol and Germany.

An archer from Switzerland had brought four self-made ski-bows. They had a rather heavy hand shock, with draw strength ranging from 20 lbs to 40 lbs.

Pictures bullet place

Pictures atrium

Pictures Heutaler Hof

Pictures Staubfall

Pictures Winklalm and Wildalm

Pictures Pillersee

Picture ski-bow of swiss archer