Alpine Trails
Explore the Alps · 4 regions
Dolomites · Austria · Switzerland · Germany
The hikes everyone shares, grouped by region. Open one to see it on the trail-finder map, with every trailhead checked against OpenStreetMap.
The postcard of the Dolomites: the knife-edge Seceda ridge tilting up to the jagged Odle spires. A short, easy stroll from the top of the cable car to the famous viewpoint, with the Sella and Sassolungo on the horizon.
The wide, hugely popular circuit that rounds the north faces of the Tre Cime, climbing gently over the Forcella Lavaredo saddle to Rifugio Locatelli, where the three sheer towers line up in their iconic profile. Only ~400 m of ascent, but a proper mountain day at 2,300–2,450 m.
From Passo Tre Croci, trail 215 starts gently through larch forest, then narrows into rocky balcony ledges secured with cables and iron steps before dropping to the milky-turquoise Lago di Sorapis beneath the Dito di Dio spire. Hugely popular — the exposed sections want sure feet.
An easy, near-flat loop around the emerald Pragser Wildsee — the "pearl of the Dolomite lakes" — beneath the Croda del Becco. Wide gravel and boardwalk on the west shore, a few rocky steps on the far side, and the famous wooden boathouse at the start.
An easy walk above the village to the classic view of Santa Maddalena church with the Geisler spires behind, and the meadow chapel of St. Johann in Ranui just down the valley.
A near-level forest-and-meadow circuit along the northern base of the Geisler/Odle group, named after the Dresden alpinist who founded it in 1905. The sawtooth peaks rise straight overhead from the Geisler Alm "cinema" — manageable for most and even doable with kids.
Europe’s largest high-altitude alpine meadow, rolling green under the Sassolungo and Sciliar. Wide, almost flat paths make this the easiest big-view day from Ortisei — perfect for a slow afternoon or a picnic.
A grand loop right around the base of the Sassolungo/Langkofel massif, weaving between rock towers, scree and high pasture with the Friedrich-August hut along the way. A proper full day of moderate alpine walking.
A gentle lift-assisted circuit around the five Dolomite towers — Torre Grande tops out at 2,361 m, climbers only — threading the restored WWI trenches and gun posts of the open-air Great War museum, with the Tofane and Croda da Lago all around.
Ride up to Rifugio Lagazuoi, then descend inside the mountain through restored WWI tunnels by headlamp, with an optional exit along the exposed Cengia Martini ledge.
Past Rifugio Vajolet and up a short cabled gully to the hut at the foot of the three Vajolet towers, deep inside the Rosengarten.
The classic hut-to-hut traverse from Lago di Braies to Belluno over Fanes, Lagazuoi and Nuvolau, past the Pelmo and Civetta.
From Passo Giau round the Ra Gusela to the summit hut of Nuvolau, the oldest in the Dolomites, with a 360° view from the Civetta to the Tofane.
A short path round a small, vivid green-blue lake that mirrors the Latemar spires: a 30-minute stop on the Great Dolomites Road.
A plateau loop through restored WWI trenches and tunnels on the old Austro-Italian front line, with the Tre Cime and Cadini right in front of you.
Airy ledges and ladders through the heart of the Brenta, from Rifugio Alimonta past the Campanile Basso to the Bocca di Brenta.
A steep zigzag path, or the funicular, to the Skywalk platform 360 m above Hallstatt, with the whole lake and the Dachstein below.
From the Krippenstein cable car a short walk leads to five platform “fingers” jutting out over a sheer drop, with Lake Hallstatt far below.
An easy loop round a crystal-clear lake under the Hochschwab that swells with snowmelt each spring, flooding the park paths beneath it.
An easy loop round the Vorderer Gosausee, with the Dachstein glacier reflected in the water at its head.
Down to the shrinking Pasterze glacier and back along the tunnelled Gamsgrubenweg, with the Grossglockner (3,798 m) towering above.
A long balcony walk along the grassy Kitzbühel Alps with the glaciated Hohe Tauern, Grossglockner included, in view all day.
A well-built path climbs beside all three tiers of the 380 m falls, with spray-soaked viewpoints at every bend.
From the top of the Nordkette cable cars along the airy Goetheweg into the wild Karwendel to the Pfeishütte, with Innsbruck 1,700 m below.
Tyrol’s long-distance trail from the Wilder Kaiser across the Karwendel and Lechtal Alps to the Arlberg: 24 North Tyrol stages plus a 9-stage East Tyrol branch.
A circuit of eight huts high above the Stubai valley: alpine T3–T4 terrain with old snow in early summer, but no glacier travel.
Eight days hut to hut under the glaciers of the Zillertal main ridge, topping out on the Schönbichler Horn at 3,134 m.
Ride the cable car to the Douglasshütte and circle the turquoise Lünersee at 1,970 m beneath the Schesaplana.
A big climb from the lakeshore at St. Wolfgang to the summit hotel above Wolfgangsee, Mondsee and Attersee, or ride the historic cog railway one way.
Follow the Lech from its source lake to the Lechfall at Füssen: gravel banks, suspension bridges and valley villages, mostly downhill.
A 350 km circuit through the Pongau linking summer pastures and alm huts round the Hochkönig and Tennengebirge.
An easy path from First to the Bachalpsee, where the Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn reflect in the still water.
From Blauherd past the Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee and Leisee, with the Matterhorn mirrored in the water on a calm morning.
Step off the Gornergrat railway at Rotenboden and walk down past the Riffelsee, where the Matterhorn mirrors in the water, to Riffelberg.
From the gondola to the lake and up the panorama trail on the north slope, for the famous view down onto the turquoise water and the Blüemlisalp.
From Wasserauen up to the Seealpsee, then steeply to the Aescher guesthouse wedged under its cliff, the Wildkirchli caves and the Ebenalp.
A flat valley-floor walk past the Staubbach Falls to the glacier-fed Trümmelbach Falls inside the cliff, and on to Stechelberg.
An 11-stage loop round the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, with a glacier view from nearly every pass.
A high traverse past the Bachalpsee to the summit hotel on the Faulhorn and along the ridge to Schynige Platte, facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau all day.
A mostly downhill path right along the foot of the Eiger north face, from the Eigergletscher station to Alpiglen.
A steep, rocky climb with fixed ropes up the Hörnli ridge to the Matterhorn base camp at 3,260 m, as close as hikers get.
From the Moosfluh viewpoint above the Great Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps, along the ridge to Riederfurka and down to Riederalp.
A riverside path up the Verzasca from the double-arched Ponte dei Salti, past emerald pools and smooth granite slabs.
From Chamonix to Zermatt over a string of high passes between Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn: glacier-free, but long and high.
A steep forest climb from Interlaken to the Harder Kulm restaurant and Two Lakes Bridge, above Lake Thun and Lake Brienz with the Jungfrau opposite.
Climb from Engelberg to the Brunnihütte and the little heart-shaped Härzlisee, with a barefoot path round it and the Titlis across the valley.
An easy walk to the summit of the Rigi, with Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and the Alps from the Säntis to the Jungfrau around you.
A railed path and tunnels through a 700 m long, 80 m deep limestone gorge, roaring with meltwater in spring and hung with icicles in winter.
An easy loop round a clear, island-studded lake, with the 2,000 m north face of the Zugspitze rising straight above it.
Up from Hohenschwangau to the iron Marienbrücke over the Pöllat gorge, for the classic view of Neuschwanstein Castle.
Boat across the fjord-like Königssee to St. Bartholomä, then walk up into the cirque under the huge Watzmann east face to the remains of the Eiskapelle snowfield.
Through the dripping tunnels of the Höllentalklamm to the Höllentalangerhütte under the Zugspitze, returning over the airy Stangensteig.
Germany’s highest summit the hard way: the Höllental gorge, a night at the Höllentalangerhütte, then the Höllentalferner glacier and a long via ferrata to the top.
Over all three Watzmann summits on an exposed, cabled ridge, with a night at the Watzmannhaus and a long descent through the Wimbachgries.
From the Herzogstandbahn to the Herzogstand pavilion and along the cabled ridge to the Heimgarten, with Walchensee on one side and Kochelsee on the other.
One of the deepest gorges in Central Europe: a walkway cut into the rock above the roaring Breitach, with frozen waterfalls on the winter walks.
Steel cables and ladders up the north face of the pyramid-shaped Alpspitze from the Alpspitzbahn, and down the Nordwandsteig.
Up the Almbachklamm on steps and bridges past green pools to the Theresienklause, then to the Ettenberg pilgrimage church and back down.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their stated licences. Route figures from official tourism sites and route portals; buzz levels are editorial.