Walking in Austria

Map Key

Overview Map

Introduction

Austria’s Alps

Mountain Flowers

Wildlife

Getting There

Transport within Austria

Accommodation

The Austrian Alpine Club

The Routes

Equipment

Recommended Maps

Using this Guide

1 Rätikon Alps

Introduction

Route 1 Douglass Hut – Lünersee Circuit – Douglass Hut

Route 2 Douglass Hut – Totalp Hut – Lünersee Alm – Douglass Hut

Route 3 Douglass Hut – Schesaplana

Route 4 Douglass Hut – Cavelljoch – Douglass Hut

Route 5 Rätikon Höhenweg Nord

Route 6 Tschagguns – Lindauer Hut

Route 7 Tilisuna Hut – Sulzfluh

2 Silvretta Alps

Introduction

Route 8 Gaschurn – Tübinger Hut

Route 9 Tübinger Hut – Hochmaderer Joch – Bielerhöhe

Route 10 Bielerhöhe – Saarbrucker Hut

Route 11 Wiesbadener Hut – Litzner Sattel – Saarbrucker Hut

Route 12 Bielerhöhe – Wiesbadener Hut – Radsattel – Bielerhöhe

Route 13 Galtür – Jamtal Hut

Route 14 Hut to Hut across the Silvretta Alps

3 Ötztal Alps

Introduction

Route 15 Hut to Hut across the Ötztal Alps

Walks in the Ötztal

Route 16 Obergurgl – Schönwies Hut – Rotmoostal

Route 17 Obergurgl) – Schönwies Hut) – Langtalereck Hut

Route 18 Langtalereck Hut – Hochwilde Haus

4 Stubai Alps

Introduction

Walks in the Sulztal

Route 19 Circular Walk from Gries-im-Sulztal

Route 20 Gries-im-Sulztal – Winnebachsee Hut

Route 21 Gries-im-Sulztal – Sulztalalm – Amberger Hut

Route 22 Hut to Hut in the northwest Stubai Alps

Walks in the Stubaital

Route 23 Neder – Pinnisalm – Innsbrucker Hut

Route 24 Ranalt – Nürnberger Hut

Route 25 Nürnberger Hut – Niederl – Grünausee

Route 26 Oberiss – Franz Senn Hut

Route 27 Franz Senn Hut – Rinnensee

Route 28 The Stubaier Höhenweg

5 Zillertal Alps

Introduction

Route 29 Hainzenberg – Laberg – Mayrhofen

Route 30 Mayrhofen – Finkenberg – Mayrhofen

Route 31 Mayrhofen – Niedermoor – Penkenalm

Route 32 Zillergrund Reservoir – Plauener Hut

Route 33 Madseit – Höllenstein Hut – Lanersbach

Route 34 Breitlahner – Berliner Hut

Route 35 Schlegeis Reservoir – Pfitscher-Joch-Haus

Hut to Hut in the Zillertal Alps

Route 36 The Berliner Höhenweg

Route 37 The Zillertal Höhenweg

6 Kitzbüheler Alps

Introduction

Walks from Söll and Ellmau

Route 38 Söll – Scheffau

Route 39 Ellmau – Hochsöll

Route 40 Ellmau – Panoramaweg – Rahnhartalm – Ellmau

Walks from Westendorf and Brixen

Route 41 Westendorf – Brixen – Westendorf

Route 42 Westendorf – Nachsöllberg – Einködlscharte – Westendorf

Route 43 Westendorf – Brechhornhaus – Talkaser

Route 44 Westendorf – Gampenkogel – Talkaser

Route 45 Westendorf – Einködlscharte – Brixenbachgraben Valley – Brixen

Route 46 Brixen – Hochbrixen – Söll

Walks from Kitzbühel

Route 47 Kitzbühel – Schwarzkogel

Route 48 Hechenmoos – Bochumer Hut

Route 49 Hechenmoos – Tristkogel – Saaljoch – Bochumer Hut – Hechenmoos

Walks from Saalbach and Hinterglemm

Route 50 Saalbach – Hinterglemm – Lindlingalm

Route 51 Mitterlengau – Tristkogel – Hochtorsee

Route 52 Saalbach – Spielberghaus – Burgeralm

Route 53 Saalbach – Spielberghaus – Kleberkopf

Route 54 Saalbach – Barnkogel – Spielberghorn – Saalbach

Route 55 Saalbach – Geierkogel – Viehhofen

Route 56 Saalbach – Klinglertörl– Zell am See

Walks from Zell Am See

Route 57 Zell am See – Thumersbach– Zell am See

Route 58 Zell am See – Viehhofen

Route 59 Zell am See – Maurerkogel – Rohrertörl – Schmittenhöhe

7 Kaisergebirge

Introduction

Route 60 Kufstein – Hinterbärenbad – Hans-Berger-Haus

Route 61 Kufstein – Vorderkaiserfelden Hut

Route 62 Vorderkaiserfelden Hut – Pyramidenspitze

Route 63 Kufstein – Vorderkaiserfelden Hut – Stripsenjochhaus

Route 64 Stripsenjochhaus – Steinerne Rinne – Ellmauer Tor – Grutten Hut

Route 65 Söll – Hintersteiner See – Söll

Route 66 Scheffau – Wilder-Kaiser-Steig – Riedl Hut – Ellmau

Route 67 Ellmau – Gaudeamus Hut – Grutten Hut – Riedl Hut – Ellmau

Route 68 The Wilder-Kaiser-Steig

Route 69 Griesenau – Griesner Alm

Route 70 Griesenau – Stripsenjochhaus

Route 71 Griesner Alm – Stripsenkopf – Feldberg – Griesner Alm

Route 72 A Tour of the Wilder Kaiser

8 Dachsteingebirge

Introduction

Walks from Filzmoos

Route 73 Filzmoos – Hofpürgl Hut – Sulzenhals – Sulzenalm – Filzmoos

Route 74 Filzmoos – Sulzenalm – Filzmoos

Route 75 The Gosaukamm Circuit

Walks from the Bachlalm

Route 76 Bachlalm – Tor – Dachstein-Südwand Hut – Bachlalm

Route 77 Bachlalm – Sulzenhals – Rötelstein

Route 78 Bachlalm – Sulzenhals – Hofpürgl Hut – Filzmoos

Gosautal and Hallstätter See

Route 79 Vorderer Gosausee – Hintere Seealm

Route 80 Steeg-Gosau – Hallstatt – Steeg-Gosau

9 Hohe Tauern

Introduction

Walks from Badgastein

Route 81 Badgastein – Palfnersee – Badgastein

Route 82 Badgastein – Graukogel – Reedsee – Badgastein

Route 83 Badgastein – Böckstein – Badgastein

Route 84 Badgastein – Oberer Bockhartsee – Sportgastein

Walks from Kaprun

Route 85 Kaprun – Krefelder Hut

Route 86 Krefelder Hut – Salzburger Hut – Kaprun

Route 87 Kaprun – Scharfer Grat

Route 88 Kaprun – Heinrich-Schwaiger-Haus

Route 89 Kaprun – Austriaweg

Route 90 Hut to Hut across the Glockner Group

Walks from Matrei in Osttirol

Route 91 Matreier Tauernhaus – Innergschlöss

Route 92 Innergschlöss – Ochsnerwaldweg – Innergschlöss

The Virgental

Route 93 Ströden – Essener-Rostocker Hut

Route 94 The Venediger Höhenweg

The Tauerntal

Route 95 Europa Panoramaweg Goldried – Kals-Matreier-Törlhaus – Kalser Höhe – Goldried

Route 96 Matrei – Sudetendeutsche Hut – Matrei

Walks from Kals Am Grossglockner

Route 97 Kals – Stüdl Hut

Route 98 Kals – Glorer Hut – Lucknerhaus

10 Karawanken

Introduction

Route 99 Bärental – Klagenfurter Hut

Route 100 Klagenfurter Hut – Bielschitza

Route 101 Schaidasattel – Hochobir

Appendix A Useful Addresses

Appendix B Bibliography

Appendix C Menu Items

Appendix D German–English Glossary

Appendix E Index of Routes

A variety of maps cover much of Austria, the best being those published by the ÖAV/DAV under the heading Alpenvereinskarten. Accurate and beautifully drawn, they have a robust quality missing on some of the commercial maps available, and are usually published at a scale of 1:25,000. However, the amount of detail included at this scale is perhaps more than most routes in this guide require. Sheets at a scale of 1:50,000 are available from Kompass, Freytag & Berndt, and Mayr.

Graukogel from the Palfnerscharte (Hohe Tauern, Route 83)

Kompass Wanderkarte sheets have huts, hotels, and paths (with numbers) clearly marked in red for ease of identification. Be warned that some of the older maps were produced on poor-quality paper which tears easily, especially on the folds, and you may find that a single sheet will not last a full week. More recently-published sheets are slightly more weatherproof. A slim booklet (in German) accompanies these maps, with local information and brief walk suggestions.

Freytag & Berndt produce sheets of a similar quality to those of Kompass, this time with huts being ringed. The accompanying booklets are perhaps less useful than those of Kompass, although the latest ones include GPS information.

Specific sheets recommended for routes in this guide are outlined at the head of each walk description, but please note that in some instances names on maps do not match those that appear on local signposts. And the altitude measurements shown on some sheets may be at variance with those quoted on maps produced by different publishers.

May 2019

Updates

There's something in this book for everyone - a top read

There aren't many good books to give one an idea where to get started in walking in Austria. So this new book makes a welcome addition. It is a good general introduction to mountain walks in Austria.

There's something in this book for everyone. As a first introduction to the Tirol it is ideal as it includes suggestions for the main mountain groups ranging from easy day walks (and there are plenty of these) through to demanding treks. If you're new to the Austrian Alps this will get you started. There's enough information about getting to the start and background to bring the walks alive.

The old hands will find something new; there is always somewhere fresh to try and walks are not always obvious. What is particularly nice is that it includes suggested treks in 'easier' areas such as Saalbach alongside summaries of the well known higher 'rucksack' routes. For these, the author wisely refers to Allan Hartley's guides. For my part any book that recommends a day walk to Winnebachsee Hutte (route 20) is bound to be a winner.

Where the routes include hazardous passages (eg the Jubilaumsteig) in the Kaisergebirge (route 64) the warnings and advice are clear. What this book isn't is a comprehensive guide; it's not a Wainright. There is no space to look at alternative routes, but having said that the 101 suggested walks are very well laid out in the familiar Cicerone style. Some mountain groups that provide excellent walking are omitted eg the Karwendal, Verwall and Lechtal, which is a pity.

Peter Hinds, the Austrian Alpine Club