Walking Tours in northern-europe

A Taste of the Tyrol

From the southern fringes of Germany into the heart of the Austrian Tyrol, this route passes through some pristine mountain scenery to reach the sheer rock faces that rear up from the Inn valley just a stones throw from Innsbruck. Distances are not great but the nature of the mountains make this a true Alpine experience.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is in a beautiful location at the foot of the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany (2962m/9724ft). This lively resort in the Bavarian Alps makes a wonderful place to start a walk across the mountains to Innsbruck. The start of a warm-up walk is reached by cable car from where the balcony path leads to Höllentalklamm (hell valley gorge). There are great views of Zugspitze before the descent through the gorge. From Garmisch you have to carry an overnight bag up into the Wetterstein Massif, following the ‘Kings Path’ to Castle Schachen and on to the mountain cabin where we stay overnight; a real mountain experience. This is a great place to watch an alpine sunrise before heading down the Leutasch valley, a mix of rocky terrain and green valley, into Austria for a night at the picturesque village of Scharnitz.

With the aid of a vehicle transfer, walking in Austria begins deep in the Karwendel valley with a couple of hours hike up to a mountain lodge. From here there are many options for walks to the neighbouring peaks and cols, or take a rest for half a day. The next day again offers many options with numerous peaks and sub-peaks to choose from in order to match a route to your experience and skills. The finale is a walk on a high level trail across passes culminating in a steep ascent, requiring surefootedness and a head for heights, to the top of Nordkette. Not far away is the summit station of the cable car that will take you down to Innsbruck.

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