What to expect when hiking in Austria

There are so many reasons that you should join us for a walking holiday in Austria; the breathtaking views, the wide alpine pastures, rolling grass hills, fresh mountain air, impressive waterfalls and crystal clear lakes. Let’s explore this beautiful country on foot, discover some of the best hiking trails in Austria and its incredible natural scenery on one of our walking holidays.

Incredible Austrian Lakes

On our Austrian Lake District Walking Holiday, we’ll be based in the spa town of Bad Ischl and explore some of the best lakes in Austria, such as Lakes Wolfgangsee, Fuschlsee, Aussee and Gosausee. On each day, there is a choice of either a leisurely or moderate hiking trail, so this holiday is a great option for novice hikers as well as the more experienced.  

Hiking in Kitzbuhel

On our Kitzbuhel Walking holiday, we’ll be based in the small Alpine town of Kitzbuhel and experience some of the top hiking trails in the Tyrolean Alps. Although it’s more known as a popular winter resort, which holds the famous annual ski race down Hahnenkamm, you can experience hiking in Kitzbuhel during the summer months. On each day for the Kitzbuhel walking holiday, there is a choice of two routes, where you’ll cover approximately the same distance, but on the challenging option you’ll climb more hills and on the moderate route, it’s more of a flat terrain. Whilst we cannot guarantee the weather to be perfect, even on a misty day you can expect to see stunning scenery. If anything, the unpredictable weather can make the landscape more mystical and give you the unique feeling of walking up into the clouds!

The Streif

One of the top hiking routes in Austria we’ll experience will be a walk along the Streif, which is considered to be one of the most challenging downhill ski slopes in the world, where skiers can reach up to 145kmph! Then continuing our walk towards Schwarzsee Lake, we’ll tackle the rolling green hills of the Bichlachs, venture through some forest terrain and along wooden paths before reaching an elevation of 2,875 feet and our picnic lunch stop for the day. After lunch, we’ll make our way down through the hills, enjoying a quick coffee stop at a quaint guesthouse en route and finish our walk by paying a visit to a small miner’s chapel that was built in the 1700s, which has handmade pine pews and beautiful ceiling decorations.

Kitzbüheler Horn

Located in the Tyrolean Alps, the Kitzbüheler Horn is a mountain standing at 1,996 meters above sea level. Although it's mainly known for snowboarding and skiing, it's a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts as there are several hiking trails to the peak, where you'll find a summit cross and small chapel. Standing at the top, you'll be rewarded with magnificent views of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range and Kitzbühel valley.   

Best Guided Hikes in Austria

On the first day, for both of our walking holidays to Austria, you’ll meet your local guide and fellow hikers in the arrivals hall in Munich airport and take a scenic drive from Germany to your hotel in Austria. There will be an orientation meeting with your expert walking guide, where they will outline the types of walks you will be undertaking, the level of fitness required, giving everyone in the group the opportunity to decide which walking level would be best suited to their abilities. Some might think that embarking on a walking holiday seems a little too strenuous for a “holiday”, but we cannot emphasise the tremendous sense of accomplishment and adventure you will feel at the end of a hike is something you cannot get simply laying by the pool on a typical sun holiday! There is no better way to get to know a destination than exploring it by foot

We also offer a variety of walking holidays in Europe to suit all different skill levels and many of our walking holidays offer a choice of walking routes with varying pace and distance. Can’t decide where in Europe you would like to trek? Then our Best walking holidays in Europe blog post might provide some inspiration!