Trekking in Austria's Zillertal Alps: a complete planning guide

What is the Zillertal Rucksack Route?

The Zillertal Rucksack Route, also called the Berliner Höhenweg or Zillertaler Runde, is the flagship trek in this guide: a 9-day, roughly 80km traverse that starts at the Karl von Edel Hut above Mayrhofen and links the Kasseler, Greizer, Berliner, Furtschaglhaus, Olperer and Friesenberghaus huts before finishing at the Gams Hut above Ginzling and Finkenberg. Along the way it crosses high passes below more than 40 peaks over 3000m, many carrying permanent snow or glacier ice, with the Hochfeiler, Grosser Möseler and Schwarzenstein forming a near-constant backdrop along the Austria-Italy frontier ridge.

The route can be walked entirely without crossing glaciers or needing technical climbing skills, though it still demands steep ground, late-summer snow crossings and the use of fixed wire ropes on some sections. What sets it apart from many Alpine hut tours is the sheer density of huts along the way: with overnight stops every day, walkers carry far less food and gear than on routes where resupply is scarce, while excursions to summits such as the Grosser Löffler, Olperer and Hoher Riffler let stronger parties turn any stage into a mountaineering day out.

This planning guide answers the most common questions walkers have before setting out. For complete stage-by-stage route descriptions and mapping for all four treks, see the Trekking in Austria's Zillertal Alps guidebook.

How long is the Zillertal Rucksack Route?

The Zillertal Rucksack Route covers 79.5km over 9 stages (with two optional variants), gaining 6445m of ascent and losing 8500m in descent over its 9 days.

The toughest single day is Stage 8, Friesenberghaus to Gams Hut, a long 10–12 hour stage with 600m of ascent, and Stage 2, Karl von Edel Hut to Kasseler Hut, which combines 750m of ascent with an 8–10 hour day early in the trip before legs and lungs have adjusted to altitude.

The other three treks at a glance

• Peter Habeler Runde (7 days, 53.5km, 3570m ascent): starts and finishes at Touristenrast Gasthof, running via the Landshuter Europa, Pfitscherjochhaus, Olperer, Friesenberghaus, Tuxerjochhaus and Geraer huts. It shares several huts with the Rucksack Route and can be combined with it.
• Olperer Runde (6 days, 45km, 3120m ascent): a shorter circuit from Touristenrast Gasthof via the Geraer, Olperer, Friesenberghaus and Tuxerjochhaus huts, ideal for walkers with less time who still want a taste of the Olperer massif.
• Zillertal South Tirol Tour (7 days, 61km, 5010m ascent): crosses into Italy's South Tirol via Pfitscherjochhaus, taking in the Hochfeiler, Edelraut, Nevesjoch and Schwarzenstein huts before rejoining the Berliner or Greizer Hut. This is the most demanding of the four, with an optional ascent of the Hochfeiler itself (3510m) from the Hochfeiler Hut.

Who is this guidebook suitable for?

These treks suit walkers who already have some regular mountain activity behind them and are comfortable carrying a touring rucksack of 12–15kg for six to seven hours a day. None of the core routes require crossing glaciers or roped climbing, but all involve sustained steep ground, boulder fields, late-summer snow patches and sections protected by fixed wire ropes, so a good head for heights and surefootedness matter more than raw fitness alone.

Families with older, capable children are well catered for: the author notes children as young as nine or ten have completed much of the Rucksack Route, and huts are generally welcoming to younger walkers. The optional peak ascents, particularly the Hochfeiler and Grosser Möseler, are a different proposition and are aimed squarely at those with glacier travel experience and the right equipment.

How difficult is it?

The Alpenverein grades hut-to-hut paths blue, red or black. Most of the trekking in this guide follows red mountain trails (narrow, with steep sections, fixed wires and short scrambles, requiring alpine experience and mountaineering equipment) with some black mountain trail sections on the harder stages, such as parts of the Zillertal South Tirol Tour. Blue trails are generally limited to valley approach walks.

The optional peak ascents carry standard alpine grades from Facile (F), such as the Hoher Riffler and Peterskoepfl, up to Peu Difficile (PD) for summits like the Grosser Möseler, Olperer and Hochfeiler, which involve short technical sections and glacier travel rather than sustained difficulty.

When is the best time to walk the Zillertal treks?

• Mid-June to early July: huts start to open, but old winter snow can still linger on north-facing slopes such as the Lapenscharte, making early-season crossings harder work.
• July: milder and drier, though huts and trails get busier as the school holidays begin.
• August: peak season, with the most settled weather but the busiest huts; afternoon thunderstorms are common after clear mornings, and villages hold their traditional Kirchentage church festivals.
• September: quieter huts and cooler, often crisper weather as the season winds down; huts close in mid to late September.

The author's own preference is either mid-July or the first two weeks of September, avoiding both the lingering early-season snow and the height of the August crowds.

What accommodation is available?

Accommodation on all four treks is almost entirely in mountain huts (more than a dozen feature across the guide), run by the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV), German Alpine Club (DAV), or, in the South Tirol, the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and Alpenverein Südtirol (AVS). Huts provide dormitory-style Matratzenlager bedding or a limited number of private Bettzimmer, plus half-board restaurant service; a sheet sleeping bag is compulsory at every hut. Half-board typically costs €55–65 a night, and OeAV Alpenverein Britannia membership brings reduced hut rates as well as mountain rescue insurance.

Booking ahead is strongly recommended, ideally up to six months in advance for group trips, and reconfirming with each hut by phone the day before arrival is standard practice. The guidebook's hut directory gives full contact and facility details for every hut used on the four treks.

Getting there and back

Mayrhofen, the starting point for the Zillertal Rucksack Route, sits at the head of the valley and is reached via the road and rail junction at Jenbach in the Inn valley, roughly an hour and 50km further on by train, bus or car. Jenbach itself is accessible from Munich, Salzburg or Innsbruck airports, with regional trains connecting onward; travellers flying in should generally plan to overnight in Mayrhofen before starting the trek rather than heading straight for a hut.

The Peter Habeler Runde, Olperer Runde and Zillertal South Tirol Tour all start from Touristenrast Gasthof, reached via Innsbruck rather than Mayrhofen, so onward transport planning differs depending on which trek you're doing. For linear routes finishing away from the start point, local Postbus and taxi services around Mayrhofen and Ginzling cover the final leg back to base.