FEATURED TRIP REPORT:
Hiking the Austrian Alps
Summary of our September 2022 hiking trip in Austria
We led a group that hiked in Austrian alps in September 2022. Here is the report from that trip.
There are few places more beautiful than the mountain pastures of western Austria and this hiking trip introduced our group of hikers to some of the best that these mountains have to offer.
We met the group at the airport in Zurich where boarded a train for Austria, switching onto a smaller valley train line to bring us to Schruns in the Montafon Valley. There we checked into Hotel Auhof which was to be our headquarters for the next eight nights.
Each morning we set out directly on foot, or started with a cable car ride, to explore a new part of the valley.
For lunch we’ll picnicked or eat at mountain huts and at the end of the day we returned to the hotel for a spell in the sauna before settling into a gourmet dinner.
Your Trip Leader: Edwin de Bruijn
Edwin, a native of the Netherlands, grew up spending summers hiking and climbing in the alps. He has hiked often in this part of Austria and has personally selected each trail we’ll travel. Here is how he introduces himself:
My first experience with a hut-to-hut hike was when my father took me to the Ratikon area back in my early teens. I gave my daughters the same experience years later, and I still love to share this area with others whenever I can.
The Ratikon area is situated on the borders of Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and has a network of beautiful, well-marked hiking trails. The trails lead through green mountain pastures with cows, wildflowers, mountain animals, and alms (alpine farms) where often you can stop to enjoy a snack or get a taste of local milk or cheese.
Hikers of all ages follow the trails alongside mountain lakes, over passes, and to mountain tops with views to the higher Alps on clear days. The Ratikon area provides a wonderful introduction to being in the Alps and is accessible to nearly everyone.
The interconnecting network of trails, cable cars, chair lifts, trains and bus lines connects the villages and towns in the valleys with the surrounding mountains, and gives multiple ways and routes to explore the area and the many possibilities for adventure it offers. That flexibility of options is why I love this area so much and look forward to returning whenever I can.
About the Hiking
As the Montafon valley in Austria is a ski center in the winter, there are a number of major cable cars which we’ll use to climb out of the valley and quickly arrive above tree line. Once there, walked through mountain pastures and over an occasional pass. There was no rock climbing or crossing of glaciers. The hiking was an intermediate nature.
We left our bags at the hotel, so we only needed to carry a small pack while hiking with additional outerwear, water and a snack.
The Hotel Auhof
During our trip, we stayed at the three-star Hotel Auhof that easily exceeds Austria’s high standards for hospitality. The rooms each have private bathrooms and comfortable beds.
Spa facilities at the hotel include sauna, steam room and Kneipp pool.
Austrian hotels are known as much for their cuisine as their lodging and we were well fed with a large breakfast buffet and a four-course dinner each night. Vegetarians can be easily accommodated.
Photos from the trip
(Click to enlarge)
Read about our 2023 hiking trips in the Montafon Valley and the Ziller Valley in Austria.