Crossing the Alps

Crossing the Alps by foot is a once in a lifetime experience. On the way from Germany to South Tirol via Austria, there are majestic mountaintops, lonely valleys, rustic inns and medieval castles all waiting for you. The route leads you past Lake Achensee, the Tirolean fjord between Rofan and Karwendel.

There are several options to hike across the Alps. Most routes lead over challenging mountain trails and demand high levels of fitness. There is a new and uniformly signposted route which, owing to its easy to medium difficulty levels, should be no problem for any experienced walker to tackle.

The Route

The seven-day alpine passage leads from Lake Tegernsee along the edge of the Bavarian Alps to Lake Achensee, Tirol’s largest lake. From there the route continues to the Zillertal valley and goes as far as Sterzing, Italy’s northernmost town. The itinerary promises a week of hiking delight – from traditional Bavarian culture and Tirolean hospitality to the renowned South Tirolean wine.

The magnificence and rich diversity of the scenery combined with the culture, culinary indulgence and cosy lodging available are paramount. Inns, guest houses or hotels of every kind will guarantee you a restful sleep so that the stages over the coming days will get off to a good, well rested start. At some stages the journey can be combined with a bus, train, ship or cable car ride – on Lake Achensee so to speak with the public regional bus (timetable), the Lake Achensee shipping company and Lake Achensee steam cog railway (timetable).

Self-guided or organised hiking

Crossing the Alps can be mapped out exactly down to the duration of the entire hike, times to stop for breaks and break for the night, choice of accommodation, right down to the spots to stop by en route. For the stage along Lake Achensee, here you can find all accommodation, Alpine pastures and inns and transport links.
The crossing of the Alps can also be booked organised – with or without luggage transport, guided or not guided. More details on organised Alpine passages are available here.

The Stages on Lake Achensee

• Stage 2: Wildbad Kreuth – Achenkirch at Lake Achensee

  Across the Blauberge from the historical Wildbad Kreuth in Bavaria to Lake Achensee in Tirol. First sight of the main alpine divide from the national border. The most demanding stage of the alpine passage in terms of fitness levels.
  Click here for Stage 2.

• Stage 3: Achenkirch – Maurach at Lake Achensee

  The tour leads from the western shore of Lake Achensee to the Gaisalm mountain hut. The trail continues alongside the shore of Tirol’s largest lake to Pertisau and then to Maurach.
  Click here for Stage 3.

More info at
www.die-alpenueberquerung.com