Alps Walking Tours, best places:
There
are thousands of walking tours possible in the Alps and many national
parks to be found there, but the following destinations are considered
to be the pick of the bunch.
The Alps, France, Italy, Switzerland:
Mont Blanc - the highest mountain peak
in the whole range is Mont Blanc in Italy at 15,771 ft, also known
to the French as La Dame Blanche 'The White Lady'. The mountain
massif also runs into both France and Switzerland making the tallest
mountain the most communal too.
Mont Blanc Circuit: The permanent snow
cap means that any attempt at the summit is for mountaineers or
guided hiking folk with a good level of fitness, but the surrounding
lakes and valleys offer splendid views from a variety of angles
and are the basis of a classic walk covering around 100 miles which
circles the base - known as the Mont Blanc Circuit.
Start at mountain mecca Chamonix, then walk on to Champex d'en Bas,
Lavachey, La Fouly, Les Contamines and back to Chamonix in under
14 days if you are fit. This is a strenuous route.
Haute Route: Chamonix
in France is the best known town associated with the mountain and
is the mountaineering mecca of the Alps. It is also the start for
the Haute Route to the beautiful car free resort of Zermatt at the
base of the Matterhorn in Switzerland.
Walking this will take around a week over high alpine passes and
glaciers, not for those who get light headed easily, it's very strenuous.
Matterhorn - this is perhaps the most
impressive looking mountain in the range rising to a sharp peak
at 14,691 ft in a most intimidating way.
Get
there via Geneva, Switzerland.
Bernese
Alps [picture
top left], Switzerland:
Jungfrau/Eiger - one of the best
regions for scenic walking tours in Switzerland is around the Jungfrau
[Maiden], Eiger [Ogre], Monch [Monk] and mountains.
Starting from the Jungfrau and running for 15 miles is the Aletsch
Glacier which has a forest below it and is the largest glacier on
the continent. There is an impermanent glacial lake here which can
have mini icebergs and when it appears/disappears quickly it can
leave them bizarrely stranded.
Dropping into the Lauterbrunnen Valley are the 700ft Trummelbach
falls, the main water run off from the mountains.
Oberberghorn offers excellent views of the surrounding mountains
and has steps at the top to take you up to the rocky prominences
for maximum panoramic splendour.
Interlaken is considered the gateway for tours of the region but
move from here into the Alps proper to one of the resorts around
the sides of the Jungfrau.
Grinwalden is the most popular town but a little hectic these days.
For few tourists, no cars and the best views stay at Murren or Wegen,
or if on a budget try Gimmelwald.
There are many classic walking tours from these resorts.
Get
there via Geneva, Switzerland.
Dolomites [picture top right], Italy:
Tre Cime de Lavaredo 'Three Peaks of Lavaredin' - the Dolomites
are well known for their tall jutting limestone features and these
are their most famous with Cima Grande standing in at 9,845 ft on
the Tofane Massif. It's the highest mountain in Dolomites and its
north face is one of the most famous extreme climbs in the world.
The peaks tower above the alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo and the
nearby Lago di Misurina is one of the most beautiful lakes in the
region.
Sunset often brings a pink alpine glow to the white limestone rocks
around here.
The Passo di Gardena and the Val di Badia with the Ladin village
of Corvara are nearby offer tours through flowery meadows with excellent
views such as the colourful red rock vistas in the Puez Odle Natural
Park.
Get
there via Venice, Italy.
Stubai
Alps, Austria:
Zuckerhutl - the highest peak in
this range which is in the most spectacular part of the Austrian
Tirol region stands at 11,500 ft.
Innsbruck is the gateway to the range and what's more it's the only
true Alpine city, with stunning architecture well worth a visit
for the bricks alone.
Get
there via Innsbruck air port, Austria or Munich air port, Germany.
Salzburg
Alps, Austria:
Tennengebirge - for fans of the 'Sound
of Music' the world over and anyone interested in great scenery,
this part of the Austrian Tirol south of Salzburg is also very beautiful.
Get
there via Salzburg, Austria.
Julian
Alps, Slovenia:
Triglav - the highest mountain
in Slovenia at 9.393 ft is also the basis for the Triglav National
Park. On its north side Triglav drops into the Soca valley, considered
one of the most beautiful in Europe, with the impressive Savica
Waterfall.
On its south side is the great glacial lake Bohij and in the far
east of the park is the Bled Lake and island castle.
Get
there via Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Consider
also:
The Swiss National Park - much, if not all of Switzerland would
be considered a national park in many countries, but Switzerland
does actually have a national park - the first in Europe.
It lies in the far east of the country in the Munstertal and Engadine
valleys near Zernez. Untouched by intense ski tourism it is very
good for walking tours enlivened by alpine flowers and fauna including
marmots, chamoix and the rare bearded vulture.
Its also a good area for walking with miles of marked trails though
overnight stays are not possible except at Chamanna Cluozza.
Get
there via Zurich, Switzerland.
Alps 1 - Introduction | Alps
2 - Where to go
More
European Walking Tours:
Iceland | Spain | France | Italy | Greece | Germany | France
Travel Hiking | European Walking | Pyrenees
For
more information try Walking Tours - Links
Also,
see New
Zealand, Canada,
and UK walking pages. |
