Trans-Alpine Crossing: Guided tour across the alps

From Gmund, situated on the northern shore of Tegernsee Lake, the route follows Tegernsee High Altitude Trail to the resort of Tegernsee. Meandering some 100 metres above the lake, this walk offers stunning views of awesome Tegernsee Lake. Don’t miss out on visiting the Brewery Pub in Tegernsee. Then, take the unique rowing ferry to Rottach-Egern. The walk continues along a natural trail that follows Weißach River to Wildbad Kreuth.

From historic Wildbad Kreuth, a footpath will take you through beech and mixed forest up to the wide open Alpine pastures of Gaisalm. From there, the trail meanders along a gentle mountain ridge in its beginning and across fields of dwarf pine later until you reach the mountain crest at the border between Germany’s Bavaria and Austria’s Tirol. This is where you will enjoy stunning and uninterrupted panoramic views from Tegernsee Lake in the north to the lofty Zillertal Alps in the south. Pause for a rest on quaint Blauberg Alpine Pasture Hut. The walk continues on easy trails that wind through the former hunting areas of the Habsburg Emperors and take you down to Achenwald and Achenkirch.

Departing from Achenkirch, this day walk sidles along the western shore of Achensee Lake. The well-maintained track undulates over a number of steps and with handrails at some sections to Gaisalm Alpine Pasture Hut. Up there, magical scenery of awesome natural beauty awaits, with pretty waterfalls, densely wooded areas and alluvial cones that reach into Achensee Lake, lovingly dubbed “Tirol’s Fiord”. You will pass by beaches which are popular for swimming. The route follows the lakeside road to Pertisau and eventually sidles along the tracks of historic Achensee Cog Railway to Maurach, the destination end of this walk.

Ride a bus or take historic Achensee Cog Railway and Zillertal Train to Fügen. Stroll through this lovely and picturesque village until you reach the base of Spieljoch Gondola. The gondola will speed you to Spieljoch Mountain, to an elevation of 1,865 metres. At the top, above timberline, capture panoramic views of the surrounding mountains of Zillertal Valley and of Karwendel, Rofan and Wilder Kaiser Ranges. The route follows an awesome trail past Gartlalm Alpine Pasture Hut to Loas Saddle. Loas Alpine Inn is a true insider‘s tip, serving finest mountain-inspired specialties. An easy trail meanders from the inn to the village resort of Hochfügen.

This day walk will take you to historic Alpine villages which are only found here in scenic Zillertal Valley. Beginning in Hochfügen, the track makes its way up to Sidanjoch Col past glacier-carved rocks. Having passed Rastkogel Hut, a short climb takes you atop Mitterwandskopf Peak. The gorgeous path meanders along a ridge to Melchboden, passing picture-postcard tarns which were glacially carved out during the last ice age. Eventually, the path emerges onto the Zillertal High Elevation Road. From there, you can either take the long walk down what will possibly strain your knees; or you can ride a public bus to the village of Mayrhofen. Doing so, you will cut miles from the route and spare hiking time.

Today’s stage offers a lot of information and sights on the topic salt, a diverse landscape and beautiful views on the Alps. Visit the beautiful Old Salt Works in Bad Reichenhall and learn about the salt production. You can find brine pipelines and other “salty” sights along the hiking path. Following the paths and pass Hallthurm. After passing Hallthurm, the path continuous slightly uphill through the forest. Traverse the Schwarzgraben and Frechenbach and reach the Bischofswiesener Ache, which you follow until you reach Bischofswiesen.

The last day of The Trans-Alpine Crossing is generally flat, with a few easy climbs and a lot of scenic beauty: The track follows the beautiful and wide open valley, passing quaint farmsteads and historic stone churches that are typical for this region of South Tyrol. A short ascent takes you atop a foothill at Flains from where the trail descends into the Gothic town center of Sterzing. Most trails are rated easy; some short sections are a moderately challenging hike. Those with less time or energy available can ride a bus to Sterzing as well.