Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Accommodation
Hiking Hotels
Gone are the days when hiking meant a clammy tent and week-old socks. Austria has
seriously upped the ante in comfort with its so-called
Wanderhotels
(hiking hotels).
These hotels are run by walking specialists who offer guided walks from leisurely strolls
to high-alpine hikes, help you map out your route and have equipment (eg poles, flasks
and rucksacks) available for hire. Most establishments are family-run, serve up regional
cuisine and have a sauna or whirlpool where you can rest your weary feet. See
www.wanderhotels.com
for something to suit every taste and pocket, from farmstays to
plush spa hotels.
work of 43 hiker-friendly villages and regions. Here, you can expect well-marked short
and long-distance walks, beautiful scenery and alpine huts, good infrastructure (eg trains
and/or hiking buses) and hosts geared up for walkers. You can order a free brochure on-
line.
Hut-to-Hut Hiking
One of the joys of hiking in Austria is spending the night in a mountain hut. These
trailside refuges give you the freedom to tackle multiday treks in the Alps with no more
than a daypack. The highly evolved system means you're hardly ever further than a five-
to six-hour walk from the next hut, so there's no need to lug a tent, camping stove and
other gear that weighs hikers down. Huts generally open from mid-June to mid-Septem-
ber, when the trails are free of snow; the busiest months are July and August, when ad-
tact details and opening times.
Accommodation is in multibed dorms called
Matratzenlager
, or in the
Notlager
(emer-
gency shelter - wherever there's space) if all beds have been taken. Blankets and pillows
are provided but you might need to bring your own sleeping sheet. In popular areas, huts
are more like mountain inns, with drying rooms and even hot showers (normally at an ex-
tra charge).
