Secret tunnels and surfers: Why you need to visit Austria’s Almkanal

The Almkanal winds unobtrusively through Salzburg. Most tourists don’t stumble across it at all, despite the fact it flows straight into the heart of the city. But the locals know that the walk along the canal is one of the most beautiful in town. A stroll along this historic waterway isn’t just a treat for the eyes; there’s a rich history waiting to be discovered here too.

I join the towpath in the north, at a crossroads where the canal meets the lake. A few locals are standing around in swimming costumes and shorts. They’ve evidently just had a dip in the chilly water. I begin cycling south, and enjoy the sweeping panoramic view of the green city and mountains beyond. The landscape is like something from a child’s imagination; it’s a cheery crayon drawing come to life in magnificent detail. Farmland and meadows lead up to the distant alpine mountains that encircle the city. To my left, a farmer drives his tractor through his field, finishing off his work in the evening sun. The highlight of this panorama is the blue-green Almkanal which divides the landscape. It’s barely wider than the cycling path, its sides neat and smooth, and its pace serene.

I come from the UK, where the word ‘canal’ brings to mind a certain shade of sludge green. Perhaps a broken shopping trolley lodged in the mud, or homely canal boats littered with potted plants and rusting bicycles.

The Almkanal couldn’t be more different from this. In German, an ‘Alm’ refers to the pastures on Alpine mountains. The name is a possible clue to the canal’s original use: to water the fields and gardens in the city centre, and support the growing population of Salzburg. The canal is deceptively idyllic in appearance and name - it is, and always has been, a part of the city. It might look like something from a fairy-tale, but it’s an economic resource that Austrians have exploited for centuries.

It’s kept so clean by the hard work of the city council who drain the canal each year. They shovel the mud and debris away, and carry out repairs. And they also take the opportunity to make money and indulge the curiosity of subterranean enthusiasts by offering tours of the tunnels deep below the quaint old-town .

The tunnels were first dug in the twelfth century to allow the water to flow underneath the Mönchsberg (the small city mountain which the famous Salzburg Fortress sits upon).This underground system is known as the ‘Stiftsarmstollen’, and has the less-than-thrilling claim to fame of being the oldest underground water system in central Europe. The Almkanal once supplied the spectacular city fountains. Nowadays the cold water in the tunnels provides ‘air-conditioning’ to the Salzburg theatre and museum.

Cycling along the water, you’d never guess that this pleasant canal has such an unusual and thrilling history. There are people sitting on the banks to soak up the sun and tranquility. Others are in small groups, sharing food and swimming together. More than once a mother duck with her troupe of fluffy ducklings crosses my path.

It’s likely that the tunnel was intended to be a potential escape route, providing a convenient (if damp) route out of the city in times of political turbulence and violence. Salzburg’s history is ridden with tales of secret mountain caves that have provided shelter over the centuries to those in need. So it’s only natural that there’s one at the very heart of the town.

The vicious power struggles between pope, emperor and princes of smaller regions were once common in the area which now makes up modern-day Germany and Austria. The Prince-Archbishop of the seventeenth century probably wanted it to be an accessible escape route as tensions spiralled.

The builders made use of the materials they had to hand, and the walls of the tunnel are a gallery of geology. Marble slabs line the floor in places, which are actually tombstones, stolen from an abandoned cemetery. Other materials were taken from the remains of the Roman city that once stood where Salzburg is today. This wonderful example of recycling extends the incredible history of the Almkanal back to antiquity.

Another twenty minutes’ cycle south, and I see what looks like a mill in the distance. But as I get closer I realise that it is, in fact, a purpose made ‘surf wave’ for the city’s surfers. No one is balancing atop the wave when I sail past, but two men are resting nearby, leaning on their boards and sipping casually at their beer.

The canal’s source is in Berchtesgaden in southern Germany, and it eventually ends when it flows into the Salzach river. On its journey to Salzburg, the waterway winds through the villages along the German-Austrian border. For centuries, this gentle source of energy has powered water mills, providing flour to bakers. And still does to this day. Just before the canal flows underground as it reaches the city, it powers the water mill of St. Peter’s monastery, where flour and bread is still made today.

In fact, the Almkanal plays an extremely important role in the city’s infrastructure. Should Salzburg be hit by a natural disaster, the Almkanal is the reliable source of back-up power, intended to provide electricity to the city’s hospitals. And just as important to the laid-back Salzburgers, it powers the city’s two largest breweries - the Stiegl and Augustiner breweries.

I have been captivated by this extraordinary sliver of water swelling through northern Austria. I’ve fallen in love with both its beauty, and its dark history. It’s my favourite place for a short walk or cycle in the evenings, to soak up the tranquility and picturesque surroundings. But its history and usefulness is what makes it a real force within Salzburg, and deserving of the fondness that the locals feel towards this ancient part of the landscape.