The best trekking routes in Austria: hikes, multi-day hikes and classic hut-to-hut tours

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Austria is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts in both summer and winter, with great places like St. Anton, Mayrhofen, Sölden, Zell-am-See, Kitzbühel, and of course, Innsbruck. The Austrian landscape is enchanting in its beauty, with craggy limestone spires, towering snow-capped peaks, majestic lakes and tranquil valleys.

Its 40,000 km of well-maintained and signposted trails pass through more than a thousand Austrian mountain huts and countless attractive villages, cosy hotels, inns and restaurants. It also has an extensive and integrated public transport system that is particularly useful for mountaineers.

Practical guide

Routes, day hikes, multi-day hikes and classic hut-to-hut hikes in the Ratikon, Silvretta, Stubai and Zillertal Alps, the Hohe Tauern and the Karawanken.

When to go?

Valley walks from April; higher altitude mountain walks from June (snow-free peaks over 1500m from end of May to end of October).

Austrian mountain huts are staffed from July to the end of September, but are often open longer. Campsites are open from May to September.

Cities & Services

Brand, Schruns, Tschagguns, Gargelle, St Gallenkirch, Gaschurn, Bielerhöhe, Galtür, Ischgl, Feichten, Plangeross, Mandarfen, Längenfeld, Sölden, Obergurgl, Längenfeld, Kühtai, Gries im Sellrain, Neustift, Zell am Ziller, Mayrhofen, Finkenberg, Westendorf, Brixen, Kitzbühel, Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau, Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Zell am See, Kufstein, Scheffau, Ellmau, Going, St Johann in Tirol, Filzmoos, Ramsau, Hallstatt, Badgastein, Kaprun, Matrei in Osttirol, Kals am Grossglockner, Ferlach, Bad Eisenkappel.

Not to be missed

Grossglockner, Schesaplana, Piz Buin, Dreiländerspitze, Wildspitze, Kalkkogel, Wilder Kaiser, Zell am See, Gosaukamm, Bischofsmütze, Hochstuhl

The routes

The routes reflect the diversity of this popular region and cover Austria's magnificent Alps - including the Rätikon, Silvretta, Stubai and Zillertal - as well as the Dachsteingebirge, Hohe Tauern and Karawanken.

Rätikon Massif

• Douglass Hut - Lünersee Circuit - Douglass Hut
• Douglass Hut - Totalp Hut - Lünersee Alm - Douglass Hut
• Douglass Hut - Schesaplana
• Douglass Hut - Cavelljoch - Douglass Hut
• Rätikon Höhenweg Nord
• Tschagguns - Lindauer Hut
• Tilisuna Hut - Sulzfluh

The Silvretta Alps

• Gaschurn - Tübinger Hut
• Tübinger Hut - Hochmaderer Joch - Bielerhöhe
• Bielerhöhe - Saarbrucker Hut
• Wiesbadener Hut - Litzner Sattel - Saarbrucker Hut
• Bielerhöhe - Wiesbadener Hut - Radsattel - Bielerhöhe
• Galtür - Jamtal Hut
• From hut to hut through the Silvretta Alps

Ötztal Alps

• From hut to hut through Ötztal Alps

• Routes in Ötztal // Obergurgl - Schönwies Hut - Rotmoostal / Obergurgl) - Schönwies Hut) - Langtalereck Hut / Langtalereck Hut - Hochwilde Haus /

Stubai Alps

• Routes in Sulztal // Circular Walk from Gries-im-Sulztal / Gries-im-Sulztal - Winnebachsee Hut / Gries-im-Sulztal - Sulztalalm - Amberger Hut / From hut to hut in the northwest of the Stubai Alps /

• Route in Stubaital // Neder - Pinnisalm - Innsbrucker Hut / Ranalt - Nürnberger Hut / Nürnberger Hut - Niederl - Grünausee / Oberiss - Franz Senn Hut / Franz Senn Hut - Rinnensee / Stubaier Höhenweg /

Around Innsbruck".

Innsbruck has long been a popular destination for winter and summer activities.

• Circular Schaflegerkogel (15.7km 992m 5.5-7h, difficulty: moderate)
• Sellraintaler Höhenweg (16.9km 920m 6.5-9h, difficulty: high)
• Zirbenweg (7.9km 85m 2-3h, difficulty: easy)
• Reither Spitze (8.8km 450m 3-4h, difficulty: medium)
• Circular Kellerjoch (9.0km 650m 3.5-4.5h, difficulty: medium)
• Goetheweg (15.6km 310m 4.5-6h, difficulty: moderate)
• Wolfsklamm (6.7km 340m 2-3h, difficulty: easy)
• Kemater Alm (3.4km 285m 1-2h, difficulty: easy)
• Halltal (25.4km 1,389m 7-10h, difficulty: high)
• Lake Natterer See (6.9km 300m 2-3h, difficulty: easy)

Zillertal Alps

• Ramsau - Laberg - Mayrhofen
• Mayrhofen - Finkenberg - Mayrhofen
• Mayrhofen - Niedermoor - Penkenalm
• Zillergrund Reservoir - Plauener Hut
• Madseit - Höllenstein Hut - Lanersbach
• Breitlahner - Berliner Hut
• Schlegeis Reservoir - Pfitscher-Joch-Haus

• From hut to hut in the Zillertal Alps // Berliner Höhenweg / Zillertal Höhenweg /

Kitzbüheler

• Routes from Söll and Ellmau // Söll - Scheffau / Ellmau - Hochsöll / Ellmau - Panoramaweg - Rahnhartalm - Ellmau /

• Routes from Westendorf and Brixen // Westendorf - Brixen - Westendorf / Westendorf - Nachsöllberg - Einködlscharte - Westendorf / Westendorf - Brechhornhaus - Talkaser / Westendorf - Gampenkogel - Talkaser / Westendorf - Einködlscharte - Brixenbachgraben Valley - Brixen / Brixen - Hochbrixen - Söll /

• Routes from Kitzbühel // Kitzbühel - Schwarzkogel / Hechenmoos - Bochumer Hut / Hechenmoos - Tristkogel - Saaljoch - Bochumer Hut - Hechenmoos /

• Routes from Saalbach and Hinterglemm // Saalbach - Hinterglemm - Lindlingalm / Mitterlengau - Tristkogel - Hochtorsee / Saalbach - Spielberghaus - Burgeralm / Saalbach - Spielberghaus - Kleberkopf / Saalbach - Barnkogel - Spielberghorn - Saalbach / Saalbach - Geierkogel - Viehhofen / Saalbach - Klinglertörl- Zell am See /

• Routes from Zell Am See // Zell am See - Thumersbach- Zell am See / Zell am See - Viehhofen / Zell am See - Maurerkogel - Rohrertörl - Schmittenhöhe /

Kaisergebirge

• Kufstein - Hinterbärenbad - Hans-Berger-Haus
• Kufstein - Vorderkaiserfelden Hut
• Vorderkaiserfelden Hut - Pyramidenspitze
• Kufstein - Vorderkaiserfelden Hut - Stripsenjochhaus
• Stripsenjochhaus - Steinerne Rinne - Ellmauer Tor - Grutten Hut
• Söll - Hintersteiner See - Söll
• Scheffau - Wilder-Kaiser-Steig - Riedl Hut - Ellmau
• Ellmau - Gaudeamus Hut - Grutten Hut - Riedl Hut - Ellmau
• Wilder-Kaiser-Steig
• Griesenau - Griesner Alm
• Griesenau - Stripsenjochhaus
• Griesner Alm - Stripsenkopf - Feldberg - Griesner Alm
• Wilder Kaiser Tour

Dachsteingebirge

• Routes from Filzmoos // Filzmoos - Hofpürgl Hut - Sulzenhals - Sulzenalm - Filzmoos / Filzmoos - Sulzenalm - Filzmoos / Gosaukamm Circuit /

• Route from Bachlalm // Bachlalm - Tor - Dachstein-Südwand Hut - Bachlalm / Bachlalm - Sulzenhals - Rötelstein / Bachlalm - Sulzenhals - Hofpürgl Hut - Filzmoos /

• Gosautal and Hallstätter See // Vorderer Gosausee - Hintere Seealm / Steeg-Gosau - Hallstatt - Steeg-Gosau /

Hohe Tauern "

The Hohe Tauern National Park encompasses Tyrol, Salzburg and Karnten. It is ideal for hiking, with some of the best mountain huts in the Alps.

• Routes from Badgastein // Badgastein - Palfnersee - Badgastein / Badgastein - Graukogel - Reedsee - Badgastein / Badgastein - Böckstein - Badgastein / Badgastein - Oberer Bockhartsee - Sportgastein /

• Routes from Kaprun // Kaprun - Krefelder Hut / Krefelder Hut - Salzburger Hut - Kaprun / Kaprun - Scharfer Grat / Kaprun - Heinrich-Schwaiger-Haus / Kaprun - Austriaweg / From hut to hut via the Glockner-Group /

• Routes from Matrei in Osttirol // Matreier Tauernhaus - Innergschlöss / Innergschlöss - Ochsnerwaldweg - Innergschlöss /

• Virgental // Ströden - Essener-Rostocker Hut / Venediger Höhenweg /

• Tauerntal // Europa Panoramaweg Goldried - Kals-Matreier-Törlhaus - Kalser Höhe - Goldried / Matrei - Sudetendeutsche Hut - Matrei /

• Routes from Kals Am Grossglockner // Kals - Stüdl Hut / Kals - Glorer Hut - Lucknerhaus /

Karawanken

• Bärental - Klagenfurter Hut
• Klagenfurter Hut - Bielschitza
• Schaidasattel - Hochobir