#Astro

Where the Alps Meet the Stars: Milky Way Rising over Almsee

The Milky Way rises behind the mountains to the south of Almsee, glowing above the dark silhouettes of the Totes Gebirge. Almsee, nestled at the northern edge of this range in Upper Austria, is a crystal clear alpine lake known for its calm, untouched atmosphere. Surrounded by steep limestone peaks and dense forests, the area feels remote and almost timeless, especially after sunset when the last visitors leave and nature falls completely silent.

Since March, the Milky Way core is visible again from the northern hemisphere, and I wanted to make use of this opportunity. I headed to Almsee late in the evening and arrived around 2 a.m., with the core rising roughly around 3 a.m. in April. Because it stays low above the horizon, it was important to gain elevation so the surrounding mountains would not block the view. For that reason, I climbed a small mountain called Ameisstein. The ascent was quite interesting since the path is not well signposted and, of course, it was completely dark. After about 30 minutes of hiking, I reached the spot I was aiming for and stayed there for the rest of the night. Three other photographers were also nearby, and I had a short chat with them in the morning. In the end, I was able to capture several nice timelapses, use my star tracker to reveal fine details of the Milky Way, and even use my H-alpha clip filter to bring out subtle red emission nebulae in the image.

In the end, I was very happy with my first image of the Milky Way Core in 2026.

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