Frutzkopf Hochgastra

From the municipal office in Düns, first gently uphill in a north-western direction, past the "Bovelhof" and along the asphalt road for a while at the edge of the village. After a quarter of an hour, turn left onto a hiking trail (called Quatschweg), signposts indicate the correct direction. After a while, it goes slightly uphill and soon you reach a junction again. We continue uphill, not left where the gate is. Shortly after, a marker shows the steeper path through the forest up to the connecting road Viktorsberg-Dünserberg. We cross this and continue uphill. Soon you can see the Satteinser Gulmalpe on the right.
At the alp, we stop and go left towards Viktorsberg. You pass wonderful wet meadows (Übersaxen-Satteins nature reserve), please be sure to stay on the path here. With luck, you can also see the rare dragonfly butterfly here at the right time of year.
Soon you arrive in the village of Übersaxen. We keep mostly north-north-west. Everything is well marked. It then goes downhill over meadows and through the forest and reaches the district of RAINBERG. There you have to follow the road for a while to the west. The shortcut over the meadows marked in the OpenStreetMap is no longer existent. You arrive at the bus stop on the federal road and follow it downstream. After a slight left curve, a small forest road branches off on the left - do NOT use this, but go a few meters further, soon the correct turn off to the left into the forest follows. At the next fork, go straight north and come back to the road. We go uphill a few meters on this, but soon you can go left again onto the hiking trail.
At the fork FRUTZKOPFKÄR, you can decide whether to make a small detour to the Frutzkopf (723m). We rather do not recommend it. Firstly, the path is often no longer to be found and secondly, the summit offers no good view due to the trees. Better to go downhill until you reach the Keckeis company's stone bridge. Here again a few meters along the road, then it goes left again onto the hiking trail. You can also safely skip the "summit" of Hochastra (632m) and better go around it on the east.
You just continue on the path and get closer to Rankweil. Once again you have to turn right and go above Rankweil along the forest (north-east). Soon keep left and then you reach a path going in the other direction (south-west). Soon you come to the first houses of Rankweil, go along the foot of the beautiful basilica situated on a hill, and follow the signposts to the station.

Walked on 2021-05-13