Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Duration:
1 month
Level:
moderate
scenery and the eternally ice-
capped peaks of Hohe Tauern
menweg.at
for detailed route descrip-
tions, maps and a virtual tour
Start:
Neustift im Stubaital
Finish:
Neustift im Stubait-
al
Distance:
120km
Duration:
8 days
Level:
moderate-demanding
Download maps and route descrip-
tions at
www.stubaier-hoehenweg.at
;
Cicerone's
Trekking in the Stubai Alps
is a reliable guide
A classic circular hut-to-hut
route passing glaciers, rocky
peaks and wild alpine lakes
Stubai
Höhenweg
Regions
In a land where even the tiniest of villages can have scores of fabulous walks, the ques-
tion is not
where
you can walk in Austria, but
how
. For purists, that means the high-
alpine trails which dominate in the mountainous west of the country, but lowland areas
such as the vine-strewn Wachau can be just as atmospheric. Tourist offices are usually
well armed with brochures, maps and information on local guides.
In summer lots of places run themed guided hikes, which are sometimes free with a
guest card; for instance in Innsbruck and Kitzbühel. Other regions such as Hohe Tauern
National Park and Naturpark Zillertaler Alpen charge a small fee (usually around €5).
The walks can range from herb trails to wildlife spotting, half-day hikes to photo excur-
sions.
MODERN-DAY SHERPAS
If you love long-distance hiking but find carrying a rucksack a drag, you might want to consider
Wandern ohne
Gepäck
(literally 'walking without luggage'). Many regions in Austria now offer this clever scheme, where ho-
tels transport your luggage to the next hotel for a small extra charge. Visit
www.austria.info
or
www.wanderhotels.com
for more details.
If you would prefer your Sherpa to be of the cute and woolly kind, llama trekking could be just the thing.
Many towns, including Lienz in the Dolomites (
Click here
), now offer this family favourite. Nothing motivates
kids to walk quite like these hikes, which reach from two-hour forest strolls to two-week treks on pilgrimage
routes. The llamas carry your luggage and leave you free to enjoy the scenery. Contact local tourist offices for
more options.
