Crossing the Alps: From Southern Germany Through Austria to Italy

Crossing the Alps: Last summer, I finally had to make it happen. Conquering the Alps in 8 days, from southern Germany to northern Italy—a wonderful experience because I’d never seen the Alps without snow before. I was struck by the stunning diversity of nature. A different landscape every day. Walking for hours without encountering a single person is wonderful.

Of course, you can also do the stages of the Alpenüberquerung as day trips or separately. The routes are well marked throughout with a yellow sign featuring the “Ü” from “Überquerung.”

We took the organized 8-day tour. That includes luggage transport from hotel to hotel, comfortable accommodations with half-board, and the occasional transfer. It’s wonderful not having to look for a restaurant after a day of hiking. Read more below about the organized tour, including a shorter 5-day version.

Our tips and best hiking routes through Austria, southern Germany, and South Tyrol in Italy.

Day 1: Hiking around Lake Tegernsee in southern Germany

Our tour started at Lake Tegernsee, south of Munich. The weather was terrible, so on the first day we only covered half the route. This was possible because the route was mostly a loop around the lake. The lake is beautiful, and the walk along the eastern shore, in particular, takes you through a gorgeous forest with views of the lake.

• Route from Gmund to Wildbad Kreuth around Lake Tegernsee; can be shortened in several places by taking a bus or crossing by boat
• We stayed two nights at the Alpensonne Hotel on Lake Tegernsee
• Distance: approx. 22 km, 250 meters of ascent, 180 meters of descent, approx. 5 hours, highest point: 820 meters
• Difficulty category *****

Day 2 Hiking in Austria: From Wildbad Kreuth to Achenkirch: Crossing the border on foot

The real adventure was about to begin. A bus took us to the starting point of the route in Kreuth. In the pouring rain, we stood—along with many others—in our ponchos, ready to set off. Aside from us, there were no other Dutch people, though there was a group of elderly ladies who were doing remarkably well this week. The beautiful route took us through the woods and across streams, followed by some scrambling toward Austria. At the top of the mountain, we enjoyed some delicious homemade yogurt, and the rest of the route was a magnificent descent past streams, waterfalls, and enormous anthills. The sun even came out.

• Hiking from Kreuth to Achenkirch
• Overnight stay at Resort Achensee in Achenkirch
• Distance: approx. 17 km, 850 meters of ascent, 800 meters of descent, approx. 5 hours and 45 minutes, highest point: 1,560 meters
• Difficulty category *****

Day 3 in Austria: Hiking along Lake Achensee to Fügen

The route runs along the western shore of Lake Achensee to Fügen and is truly magnificent. You do have to hold onto the railing along the cables here and there, but overall it’s manageable. Halfway through, there’s a lovely spot to rest and enjoy some Apfelstrudel, and we reached the finish line feeling satisfied.

• Hiking from Achenkirch along Lake Achensee to Fügen
• Overnight stay at the KOSIS Sports Lifestyle Hotel
• Distance: approx. 14 km, 200 meters of ascent, 200 meters of descent, approx. 4 hours, highest point: 1,000 meters
• Difficulty category *****

Day 4: A beautiful route from Fügen to Hochfügen

Taking the cable car up in Fügen. It’s a beautiful sight—these ski slopes as summer hillsides. The impact of the storm that recently swept through here is clearly visible. Once we reached the top, we were treated to a truly magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Here, for the first time, there was a brief disagreement about which route to take, but we eventually found the right path. The route was beautiful, ending with a crisscross trail through a forest right in the middle of the ski slopes. The final stop was in the ski village, with a hotel overlooking the slopes. We enjoyed a lovely dip in the pool and a visit to the sauna.

• Cable car in Fügen, the Spieljochbahn
• Overnight stay at Berghotel Hochfügen
• Distance: approx. 15 km, 500 meters of ascent, 800 meters of descent, approx. 4 hours and 30 minutes, highest point: 2,040 meters
• Difficulty category *****

Day 5: A Steep Climb from Hochfügen to Mayrhofen

A challenging day with lots of climbing, scrambling, and precipices. In hindsight, we could have just followed the trail, but we accidentally took an extra thrilling detour that turned out to be more than worth it for the views. We were walking on trails high up on the mountain, and I often found myself wondering if this was really the right route. Fortunately, a group of experienced mountaineers confirmed that we were on the right track, so we obediently followed them.

• Hiking from Hochfügen to Mayrhofen
• Overnight stay at Gasthof Perauer
• Distance: approx. 11 km, 900 meters of ascent, 400 meters of descent, approx. 4 hours and 45 minutes, highest point: 2,280 meters
• Difficulty category *****

Day 6: From the breathtaking Schlegeissee to Pfitsch in Italy

A truly stunning, crystal-clear blue lake with a dam. Beautiful scenery surrounds the lake, which we soon had to leave behind as we headed toward Italy. A rocky path leads the way to South Tyrol in Italy. On this route—which is impassable for cyclists—we nevertheless ran into a group of tough Italians who dared to tackle it. They had to cover most of this trail with their bikes in hand.

At the national border, we enjoyed a delicious bowl of hot soup and pasta at the rifugio. Near the end of our route, a couple of fellow hikers sent us in the wrong direction, which led us down a steep but beautiful trail that took us an extra hour to reach the hotel.

• Hiking from Schlegeissee to the Pfitschtal in Italy
• Overnight stay at the Kranebitt Hotel
• Distance: approx. 13–17 km, 550 meters of ascent, 850 meters of descent, approx. 5 hours and 45 minutes, highest point: 2,275 meters
• Difficulty category *****

Day 7: The Final Stage: Through South Tyrol to Sterzing (Vipiteno)

A leisurely hike today through charming mountain villages with farms, forests, and peaceful valleys—no strenuous climbing, just a relaxed stroll—and I proudly arrived at my final destination, Vipiteno—known as Sterzing in German—a very charming little town, by the way.

• Hiking from Pfitschtal to Sterzing in Italy
• Overnight stay at Hotel Lamm
• Distance: approx. 16–20 km, 150 meters of ascent, 650 meters of descent, approx. 4.5 to 5 hours and 45 minutes, highest point: 1,460 meters
• Difficulty category *****

We crossed three countries in 7 days, covering more than 7,000 meters of elevation gain. We did it!

Hiking in Austria: Routes on a Map