Trekking Austria: Best Treks and Long Distance Hiking Trails (original) (raw)

The best way to absorb the culture and beauty of the Austrian Alps is by embarking on a hut-to-hut trek, or long-distance hiking trail.

The problem is: where do you go? There are 57 mountain groups in Austria. When trying to decide where to hike, you may experience the paradox of choice. Sometimes too many options lead to choice paralysis – like the cereal aisle in a U.S. supermarket.

We’re on a mission to help hikers figure out where to hike in the Austrian Alps because Austria is a dream destination for hut-to-hut hiking and long-distance trekking, and, too many people are missing out.

Dazzling alpine scenery combined with cozy, warm Hütten (mountain huts) makes Austria the ultimate destination in Europe for accessible, comfortable, easy and challenging, cultural, and savory (the food is excellent) hiking.

In this guide, we’ve outlined our favorite treks in Austria. We’ll tell you exactly what we loved and what we disliked about each hiking trail, so you can decide which Austrian trek is best for you.

Also, read Visiting Austrian Mountain Huts and Hut to Hut Hiking in Austria: Essential Tips for guidance on how to reserve mountain huts and how to prepare for a multi-day hike in Austria.

If you’re interested in self-guided hiking tours, we recommend booking with Alpenventures Unguided. Their 6-Day Hut to Hut Light in the Austrian Alps is appropriate for families with children who already regularly hike. They also offer an 8-Day Culinary Delight Hut Hiking Tour as well as a 3-Day Culinary Delight Extended Weekend Hiking.

1. Karwendel High Trail
2. Eagle Walk
3. Montafon Hut to Hut Circuit
4. Schladminger Tauern High Trail
5. Venediger High Trail
6. Berlin High Trail
7. Rätikon High Trail Circuit
8. Emperor’s Crown Hiking Trail
Austria Trekking Gear
More Austria Hiking Guides

Karwendel High Trail, Austria

When to Trek in Austria: The best time to embark on multi-day treks in the Austrian Alps is between mid/late June and mid/late September.
When to Book Treks in Austria: This varies depending on the popularity of the trek. If you want to hike the famous Berlin High Trail, it’s best to book a few months in advance. If you want to book a lesser-known trail, it’s usually possible to book a few months in advance (or even a few weeks in advance).
Hut to Hut Hiking versus Wild Camping: Wild camping is strictly forbidden in the Austrian Alps. So, the only way to hike long distances in Austria is to embark on a hut to hut hike.
Trail Signage and Waymarking: Excellent
Vocab: German Hiking Vocabulary
Packing List: Hut to Hut Hiking Packing List

1. Karwendel High Trail

Karwendel High Trail, Tyrol, Austria

The 6-stage Karwendel High Trail (Karwendel Höhenweg) is a hut-to-hut hike in the Karwendel Mountains of Tyrol. Forming the northern-backdrop of postcard-pretty Innsbruck, the Karwendel range is easily accessible by public transit.

You can reach the Scharnitz trailhead by train from either Innsbruck, or Seefeld in Tirol, in Austria, or from Munich in Germany.

This 63-km U-shaped hiking trail in Tirol weaves through gorgeous high alpine environments, gifting hikers sweeping views of the Stubai and Zillertal Alps as well as the Inntal, Halltal, and Sammertal Valleys.

In 6 days, hikers will walk along the Isar river, summit Speckkarspitze and Kleine Stempeljochspitze peaks (optional), follow a narrow balcony trail overlooking Innsbruck, and conquer the challenging ascents and descents to the Stempeljoch and Frau Hitt mountain saddles.

Beyond the stirring views of the limestone mountains, you’ll experience some of Austria’s most welcoming and convivial mountain huts.

Each hut along this route is staffed by an attentive and hospitable team. And, the food is sensational as well.

Trek Stats

Starting Point | Scharnitz

Ending Point | Seefeld in Tirol

Duration | 6 Days

Distance | 63 km u-shaped circuit

Difficulty | Difficult

When to Hike | July, August, September

Pros | Excellent mountain huts, stunning trails, and striking mountain scenery.

Cons | Stage 4 is extremely long. However, you can break it up by staying in Innsbruck (cableway descent), and hop back on the trail the next day (cableway ascent).

Learn More: Karwendel High Trail Trekking Guide

2. Eagle Walk

Lechtal Alps hut to hut hike, Austria

The Eagle Walk (Adlerweg in German) is Austria’s most famous long-distance hiking trail. The route traverses the Austrian State of Tyrol in 33 stages, from East to West.

In North Tyrol, the hiking trail starts in St. Johann in Tirol and ends in St. Christoph am Arlberg (Stages 1 – 24). The trail continues for another nine stages in East Tyrol (Osttirol).

Some may want to hike the Eagle Walk from beginning to end.

Others may want to hike the Eagle Walk across a specific range: Wilder Kaiser, Brandenberger Alps, Karwendel, Tux Alps, Wetterstein Mountains, and Lechtal Alps.

Eagle Walk Lechtal Alps Stages 19 – 24

We decided to hike the last six stages of the North Tirol Eagle Walk across the Lechtal Alps.

The Lechtal Alps (Lechtaler Alpen) are the longest range in the Northern Limestone Alps, and they are utterly magnificent. No mountain looks like another.

This was a technically demanding trek, replete with ridge line climbs, grueling ascents, secured passages, and lots of rock-hugging (that’s what I’m calling it).

Visually, it was sensational – worthy of tears. I’ll be dreaming about these mountains until the day I die!

Throughout our trek, we rarely saw anyone, even though we hiked in high season (mid-July).

The only “busy” place is Memminger Hütte, where the Eagle Walk intersects with the E4 and E5 European long-distance trails.

Stages 19-24 Trek Stats

Starting Point | Boden

Ending Point | St. Christoph am Arlberg

Duration | 6 Days

Distance | 57 km point-to-point

Difficulty | Very Challenging

When to Hike | July, August, September

Pros | Captivating scenery, remote trails, alpine lakes, wildlife sightings, challenging terrain

Cons | Some of the hut managers are unfriendly.

Learn More: Eagle Walk Lechtal Alps Trekking Guide

3. Montafon Hut to Hut Circuit

Montafon hut to hut hike, Silvretta Alps, Austria

The Montafon Hut to Hut Circuit (Montafoner Hüttenrunde) is a 13-stage hiking trail that traverses the mountain ranges enveloping the Montafon Valley in Vorarlberg.

The U-shaped trail starts in the crystalline Verwall range, continues into the Silvretta range, and then ends in the limestone Rätikon Alps.

This classic Austrian hiking route offers mountain lovers a chance to marvel at glaciers, 3000 m+ peaks, and verdant river valleys.

A highlight of our trek was staying in Saarbrücker Hütte. This is one of the loveliest mountain huts in Austria. The food is excellent, the staff is kind, and the interior is heart-warming.

And, of course, this hike is in Vorarlberg. Let me admit my bias right now. I truly believe that Vorarlberg is home to the kindest, most open-hearted Austrians.

Trek Stats

Starting Point | Silbertal, Montafon

Ending Point | Tschagguns-Latschau, Montafon

Duration | 13 stages which can be hiked in 11 days

Distance | 133 km u-shaped circuit

Difficulty | Moderate

When to Hike | July – late September

Pros | You get to hike across three different mountain ranges; laid-back mountain huts; traditional Alpe(n).

Cons | Short stages (especially stages 9-12), but you can easily combine them.

Learn More: Montafon Hut to Hut Circuit Trekking Guide

4. Schladminger Tauern High Trail

Schladminger Tauern High Trail - Trekking Austria

The Schladminger Tauern mountains are a subrange of the Austrian Central Alps and are located in the Austrian federal states of Salzburg and Styria (Steiermark).

The Schladminger Tauern range is bounded by the Dachstein in the north, the Radstadt Tauern to the west, the Nock Mountains to the south, and the Rottenmann and Wölz Tauern to the east.

The five-day Schladminger Tauern High Trail is one of the least-known, but most impressive hiking trails in the Austrian Alps.

If you love pristine alpine lakes, this is for you. On day 1, you’ll hike by Klammsee, Brettersee, and Giglachseen.

On day 3, you’ll hike to Oberen Landawirsee and Unteren Landawirsee. And on day 4, you’ll cross the Klafferkessel cirque, which contains more than 30 lakes.

When we think about which treks in Austria we want to re-do, this is always our #1 choice. It’s not crowded.

The huts are small and intimate. And, of course, the food is excellent. We’re hoping that the hut management along this route never changes.

Trek Stats

Starting Point/Ending Point | Schladming

Duration | 5 Days

Distance | 45 km circuit

Difficulty | Difficult

When to Hike | July, August, September

Pros | Alpine lakes and authentic mountain huts

Cons | None

Learn More: Schladminger Tauern High Trail Trekking Guide

5. Venediger High Trail

Venediger High Trail trek in East Tyrol, Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria

The Venediger High Trail (Venediger Höhenweg) is a multi-day trek through the Venediger Group in Austria’s Hohe Tauern National Park.

This East Tyrolean hut to hut hike partially wraps around Grossvenediger, Austria’s second-largest mountain, delivering views of mammoth mountains, melting glaciers, and countless waterfalls.

The scenery is impressive in a vast and bleak type of way. On some stages, it feels like you’re hiking into the heart of Mordor. On other days, you feel like you’re hiking on the spine of a dragon.

For us, a compelling reason to hike in Austria is the food and hospitality of the mountain huts.

Unfortunately, the food in Badener Hütte, Bonn-Matreier Hütte, and Neue Prager Hütte, was ghastly. Hopefully, they’ve made some drastic changes in the last few years.

Trek Stats

Starting Point | Virgental Valley

Ending Point | Gschlöß Valley

Duration | 6 Days

Distance | 56 km point-to-point

Difficulty | Moderately-Difficult

When to Hike | July – mid-September

Pros | Glaciers and Solitude

Cons | Subpar food and unfriendly and patronizing hut managers.

Learn More: Venediger High Trail Trekking Guide

6. Berlin High Trail

Zillertal Alps, Austrian Alps, Austria

The Berlin High Trail showcases the best of the Zillertal Alps in Tyrol, Austria.

It’s an unforgettable adventure packed with challenging ascents and descents, rustic and grand mountain huts, and memorable glacier and lake views.

This high-alpine route takes 8 days, though you can easily customize the route for shorter periods of time.

Our favorite Berlin High Trail experiences were hiking from Friesenberghaus to Olpererhütte, the descent from Schönbichler Horn peak (3134 m), the stately Berliner Hütte, and warming up and eating EVERYTHING in Greizer Hütte after hours in the rain.

Trek Stats

Starting Point | Finkenberg, Mayrhofen

Ending Point | Mayrhofen

Duration | 8 Days

Distance | 86 km u-shaped circuit

Difficulty | Difficult

When to Hike | July – mid-September

Pros | Scenery

Cons | If the weather is unstable, this is a difficult hike to do safely.

Learn More: Berlin High Trail Trekking Route

7. Rätikon High Trail Circuit

Rätikon Alps trek, Switzerland

The Rätikon Alps extends across the borders of Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. With its limestone peaks and rolling pastureland, Rätikon delivers one storybook scene after another. It doesn’t get more fairy-tale-like than this.

Our 4-day Rätikon Alp trekking itinerary follows the Rätikon Höhenweg Nord (North Rätikon High Trail) in Vorarlberg, Austria and the Prättigauer Höhenweg (Prättigau High Trail) in Graubünden, Switzerland.

You’ll overnight one night in an Austrian mountain hut and two nights in Swiss mountain huts.

The first three stages are moderate, whereas the fourth stage is considerably more difficult. On the final day (stage 4), the trail steeply ascends from Schesaplanahütte to Schesaplana (2964 m), the highest peak in the Rätikon. The descent to Totalphütte, above Lünersee, is equally challenging, due to the rugged and unstable terrain.

Trek Stats

Starting Point/Ending Point | Lünersee

Duration | 3 – 4 Days

Distance | 45 km circuit

Difficulty | Easy – Moderate

When to Hike | July, August, September

Pros | Gorgeous limestone mountains, cross-border experience, alpine pastures

Cons | Stage 4 is very difficult and potentially dangerous, if there’s lingering snow.

Learn More: Rätikon High Trail Trekking Guide

8. Emperor’s Crown Hiking Trail

Emperor's Crown Trek (Kaiserkrone Trail) in Wilder Kaiser, Tirol, Austria

The Emperor’s Crown (Kaiserkrone) is a 5 stage hiking trail which circuits the Wilder Kaiser massif in Tyrol.

Unlike most of the routes described in this post, the Emperor’s Crown isn’t high-alpine. The trail leads hikers largely through forests and across alpine pastures.

The 65-km trail traditionally starts at Aschingerkapelle, Going (Hüttling). However, if you’re traveling by transit, it’s far easier to start the route in Kufstein, which has direct train connections to Vienna, Innsbruck, and Salzburg.

This is a really enjoyable hike with lots of variation in terms of scenery and terrain.

You’ll overnight in two exceptional mountain huts (Gruttenhütte and Stripsenjochhaus) and two guesthouses (in Gasteig and Hintersteiner See lake) along the way.

This is a perfect route for fit hikers who are new to multi-day hiking in Austria.

Compared to the other Austrian hiking routes summarized in this guide, the Kaiserkrone is moderate. However, if you don’t have any hiking experience in the Alps, consider this trail moderately difficult. This is a mountain trail with narrow uneven paths, secured sections, some technical sections, and significant elevation gain (certain stages). This is not a well-groomed track like the Tour du Mont Blanc.

If you’re concerned about the difficulty, please reach out to the Wilder Kaiser tourist office.