Hiking Without Borders on the Southern Side of Alps

Course: the trail begins near the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps, the Pasterze, at Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe and leads through the Mölltal Valley to the artists’ village of Gmünd. It leads over the impressive Millstätter Alpe Mountains and through the Nockberge Biosphere Park with its spa town of Bad Kleinkirchheim to Arriach, the geographical centre of Carinthia. Hikers reach Lake Ossiacher See via Gerlitzen Alpe Mountain and then arrive at the Baumgartner Höhe near Lake Faaker See via Velden am Wörthersee. 

The next stages of the Alpe-Adria Trail go through the Alpine Ski World Cup site of Kranjska Gora, along the turquoise Soča River and across Triglav National Park in the heart of the mysterious Julian Alps. Hikers first cross the border into Italy via the Kolovrat mountain range and then proceed westward to the tradition-steeped city of Cividale del Friuli. 

They reach the sometimes rough Karst region landscape via the charming wine-growing districts of Colli Orientali del Friuli and Goriška Brda before first reaching the sea in Duino. The idyllic harbour town of Muggia, the end point of the Alpe-Adria Trail, lies just a few kilometres further on; a side trip from there will take hikers to the famous Lipica stud farm.

Detailed info: www.alpe-adria-trail.com

In the ‘Sonnenwinkel’ region of Carinthia, the Southern Alps Panoramic Trail stretches over the Rosental Valley, Lake Klopeiner See / Southern Carinthia and Lavanttal Valley regions. Nature lovers can discover the Karavankas and the fantastic panoramic view of the bordering regions of Carinthia and Slovenia on over 200 kilometres and 17 day-long stages. www.sonnenwinkel-kaernten.at

The 55-kilometre Circular Trail around Lake Wörthersee also offers a lovely view of the Karavankas. Hikers can immerse themselves in the tranquil summit world of the Kreuzeck Group on the Kreuzeck High Road in the Oberdrautal Valley Outdoor Park. The summit of Ederplan Mountain offers a view of 30 three-thousanders and 66 churches. The tri-border area also offers diverse hiking options. Starting from the Dreiländer-Jet summit station, you can reach the intersection of Austria, Italy and Slovenia in about 35 minutes. The ‘Three Country Hike’, a tour of about three hours, offers the best experience. www.woerthersee.com

The Dobratsch represents not only the largest landslide area of the Eastern Alps and thus the living space of rare plants and animals, but it is also the gravitational centre of a region that is steeped in history and stands at the intersection of three cultures. It is surrounded by a lively valley landscape whose unconventional character and unusual atmosphere are best revealed on foot. The Dobratsch Circular Route links so many different natural areas and cultural landscapes within around 70 kilometres that it could hardly be any more diverse. www.region-villach.at

The Carnic High Route in the Nassfeld / Lake Pressegger See / Lesachtal Valley / Lake Weissensee region stretches over 155 kilometres along the border between Carinthia and Italy. Hikers can discover 500 million years of the Earth’s history here and with a little luck, they can even find well-preserved fossils. Info: www.karnischer-hoehenweg.at , www.nlw.at 

Garnets and other treasures, such as the seven-trunked spruce – the ‘Tree Sanctuary’ – or the ‘Lochvisierstein Menhir’ can be found at Lake Millstätter See. The 200-kilometre Lake Millstätter See High Route leads to mystical places here. The road offers access to the mountain world around the lake with tours that are easy in places and challenging in others and provide a great opportunity for day trips. In eight stages with numerous secondary routes, it leads from the world of the three-thousanders to the west of Lake Millstätter See over the Millstätter Alpe Mountains and Goldeck to the Weltenberg Mirnock in the east. 

Lake Millstätter See has continued to expand its hiking trail options under the slogan ‘Time for Two’ (‘Zeit zu Zweit’) with the new ‘Love Trail / Sentiero dell‘ Amore’. Since summer 2015, seven places between Alexanderhütte and Granattor have invited visitors to contemplate love and all of its many facets. At each station along the three-hour hiking trail, there is a bench built in the workshop of Paul Warum and a book with a question that invites visitors to record their personal thoughts on the topics of love and partnership. The topic is specified, and the hiker contributes a piece of the story of the trail. The guests enter into a sensual and emotional dialogue with nature. Info: www.millstaettersee.com