An ideal hiking destination, Austria has fascinating landscapes and trails at varying altitudes. Be it mountain peaks or well-marked bike trails across national parks and waterfalls, summer opens up a world of possibilities in Austria.
A stunningly beautiful alpine pasture above the Silvretta reservoirs, alongside the Silvretta High Alpine Road, sprawling over 10,000 hectares Alpe Vermunt is a must if you love scenic tours. The 1.5 hour trek, which is about six km around the Silvretta Reservoir, brings you up close with nature and grazing cattle. With an uphill elevation of 250 m, this is a relatively easy hike too.
At 2,424 m this is the highest mountain in Austria’s Kufstein District and is a tough trek as you need to negotiate many steep and challenging paths enroute. The hike takes about nine hours and you may need to take at least one or two rest stops as you come up.
If you love flora, the plants and flowers in St. Anton am Arlberg is ideal for you. You will need to take the Kapall high-altitude path up to Leutkircher Hut for a stop and go down to St Anton. The 10-hour trek is not for the faint-hearted, but the alpine roses, daffodils, orchids, anemones and more are worth the effort.
The 17 km stretch from Saalbach to the peak of Schmittenhöhe, takes five-six hours to complete. The trek will get you up close to mountain plateaus, hill ridgeways and stunning natural vistas. While there are a few steep points, the rest of the trek is relatively simple to negotiate.
Walking around the Wild Animal Park Preserve in Kitzbühel 1,100 m above sea level is a must with family. With the Tyrolean Alps in the background, this place is home to over 200 animals, including red deer, stags, mountain goats, Tibetan yaks, wild boar, kangaroos, barbery apes, uhus, and also a kids petting zoo. The highlight of the day is the feeding time at 14.30.
This hike can be started from the town of Alpbach and takes you alongside a winding path through the mountains. At the peak of 1,900 m above sea level, the 4.5 hour trek will give you breathtaking views of hilltops and plunging valleys.
If you want to know about Alpine huts, hiking in the Kaiser Mountains in Austria’s Kitzbüheler Alpen is a must. It will take you three days to make it through the hilly terrain at an altitude of 2,650 m above sea level. The lush green fields are beautiful. The huts are wonderful pit stops after a day of hard work too. Multi-day tours are very demanding on your body and you have to remember that your body cannot perform at maximum capacity every day.