Basic information about the Alpine region
The magic of walking spurs you on along our hiking tours in the Alpine region. With a total area of around 200,000 km2, the Alpine region offers a diverse selection of multi-faceted hikes for all levels of hiking. The Alps, which are also the highest mountains in the interior of Europe, extend over a length of around 1,200 kilometres from the Ligurian Sea to the Pannonian Basin. The Alpine regions include a total of eight countries, also known as Alpine states: Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Monaco. In six of these countries, we at Eurohike offer organized hiking tours with luggage transfer. So you can enjoy your active experience completely carefree, without any weight on your back and foregoing any comfort in the evening.
Alpine crossing by Eurohike
Crossing the Alps is only something for experienced and trained mountaineers? On our hiking tours, crossing the Alps is a pleasurable active experience for every energy level. Experience three alpine states and countless hiking experiences between Munich and Venice on one of our four individual hiking tours. You can experience these individually or all four at once, depending on your skill level, time and motivation.
Salzburg’s Peaks & Kitzbühel Alps
On our hiking holiday Salzburg’s Peaks & Kitzbühel Alps, 8 days you will be impressed anew every day by the imposing mountain backdrops and landscapes. The Austrian Alps and their highest peaks accompany you on this tour. After a successful day’s hike, you will be rewarded with the best culinary treasures of the Pinzgau regions. As a shorter variant, the mountain hiking holiday Salzburg’s Peaks & Kitzbühel Alps, 5 days, is the ideal high-altitude hike in the Alps in Austria.
Bavarian & Salzburg Alps
Experience endless outdoor fun on the mountain hiking holiday Bavarian & Salzburg Alps, 8 days. Because on this active holiday you can enjoy the two alpine landscapes in Bavaria and Salzburg. Over eight days the route takes you from Schönau am Königssee via Dienten am Hochkönig to Golling in Austria and back to the Königssee.
- More information and details about the hiking holidays in the Bavarian Alps at a glance.
Around Zugspitze
A hiking holiday around the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, should be on the wish-list of every hiking fan. Starting from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the route of our hiking holiday Around Zugspitze, 7 days takes you around the 2,962 metre-high mountain, past beautiful alpine meadows, through gorges to the Leutasch valley and back to the starting point of the journey. Experience even more enjoyment and comfort on our hiking holiday Around Zugspitze with charm, 7 days.
From Lake Königssee to Lake Wörthersee
Eight days, six hiking stages, diverse hiking and mountain trails past idyllic alpine pastures and pristine alpine lakes – you will experience this and much more on our mountain hiking holiday from Lake Königssee to Lake Wörthersee, 8 days. From Schönau am Königssee you first walk to Weißbach and Dienten am Hochkönig, then on to Bad Gastein and Mallnitz to Obervellach and to the final stage destination of Döbriach am Millstätter See in Carinthia. Our mountain hiking holiday from Lake Königssee to Lake Wörthersee, 10 days, offers even more hiking fun.
Crossing the Alps E5: Oberstdorf - Meran
If you are looking for a unique trekking tour that leads along impressive mountain trails from the Bavarian Allgäu to South Tyrol, our hiking holiday Crossing the Alps E5: Oberstdorf – Meran is the right choice. This hiking tour of the level of hiking 'trekking' takes you on the European long-distance hiking trail E5 from Oberstdorf in Bavaria to Meran in South Tyrol. You will experience the most beautiful places in the region, impressive waterfalls, mountain passes, alpine landscapes and mountain areas by foot. The first two daily stages lead in the high alpine area, the following tours can be replaced by a more comfortable valley option if desired.
Dolomite Alps – Nature park walking tour
Experience an unforgettable active adventure in Italy on our walking holiday Dolomite Alps – Nature park walking tour, 8 days. Over six stages you hike on well-marked mountain paths and hiking trails in the Italian Alps and explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites. Our tip: do not miss the unique mountain range and dreamlike nature park of the Three Peaks on a hike in the Puster valley in South Tyrol.
Dolomite High Routes
You will experience an equally unforgettable mountain experience in the Italian Alps on our mountain hiking holiday Dolomite High Routes, 7 days. With a good basic level of fitness, this hiking holiday is pure enjoyment in the middle of the Dolomites for real mountain lovers. You hike from Villabassa first to St. Vigil and Badia, on to St. Kassian and finally to the Falzarego Pass in Balluno before returning to the starting point of your trip in Villabassa on the last day.
Panorama Hiking in the Vinschgau
On our walking holiday Panorama Hiking in the Vinschgau, 8 days you will experience the most beautiful hiking routes and unique mountain panoramas in South Tyrol. You will always be accompanied by wonderful views of the high mountains and enjoy all that the beautiful region in Vinschgau has to offer. Embark on an unforgettable hiking tour from Mals to Burgeis and back to the starting point of your active trip to Mals.
Via Alpina „Bear Trek“
For all mountain hikers our trekking-tour Via Alpina „Bear Trek“, 8 days is definitely the ideal active experience in Switzerland. You will probably not meet any more bears in the wild on your trekking tour, but this hiking trail owes its name to the wild animals that you could encounter on this route a long time ago. Today you can expect imposing glacier worlds and an alpine mountain adventure that you will remember for a long time. Experience extra special comfort on our trekking-tour Via Alpina „Bear Trek“ with Charm, 8 days.
- More about the hiking region in the Bernese Oberland at a glance.
Tour Mont Blanc West
Discover the mountain world of the two countries France and Switzerland on our trekking tour Tour Mont Blanc West, 7 days. This long-distance hiking trail has been a classic among trekking fans for many years, and rightly so. Over seven days and five stages you will experience impressive nature, soothing moments of calm and the highest peaks of the French and Swiss Alps.
- Facts and information about hiking in the Mont Blanc massif at a glance.
Tour Mont Blanc East
An equally impressive hiking experience awaits you on our mountain hiking Tour Mont Blanc East, 7 days. You can explore the internationally famous Mont Blanc massif, also known as the ‘White Mountain’ located in the Western Alps, on foot. Starting from the town of Martingy in the Rhône Valley, you hike over five stages via Chamonix to Les Houches and to the final stage destination of your hiking tour – Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Ridge walk Julian Alps
Slovenia is a country that is wonderful for hiking and a successful active holiday. Convince yourself of this on our mountain hiking holiday Ridge walk Julian Alps, 8 days. On this mountain hike you will get to know the Julian Alps and the highest mountain in Slovenia, the Triglav Massif at 2,864 metres, in the most beautiful and environmentally friendly way – on foot.
Alpe-Adria-Trail in Slovenia
With a total length of 750 kilometres, the Alpe-Adria-Trail in Slovenia promises an incomparable active adventure in the tree countries of Austria, Slovenia and Italy. On our mountain hiking holiday Alpe-Adria-Trail, 7 days you will explore the most beautiful places as well as a variety of natural, culinary and cultural highlights in Slovenia. The hiking tour takes you on foot over five daily stages from the Vrisic Pass through the Triglav National Park to the Rifugio Solarie, an old border crossing to Italy.
-helia-travel-agency.jpg/jcr:content/eurohike-julische-alpen-zelenci-wanderrast.jpg "Break at the small lake Zelenci")
slowenien-tourismus.JPG/jcr:content/eurohike-alpe-adria-trail-slowenien-soca-domen-grögl-wandererlebnis-(c)slowenien%20tourismus.JPG "Hiking break at river Soca")
Facts and details
- Location of the Alpine region: Austria, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Monaco, Liechtenstein
- Division of the Alpine region: On the basis of historical and geographical agreements, the Alps can be divided into the Eastern and Central Alps (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Liechtenstein) and the Western Alps (France, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco)
- Area: 200,000 km2
- Highest mountain: Mont Blanc with a height of 4,810 metres
- Season: The best climate for hiking tours in the Alpine region is different and depends on the country and altitude of the respective hiking tour
- Target groups: The hiking routes in the Alpine region offer a successful active adventure for all levels of hiking from leisurely panoramic hikes to demanding trekking tours.
- Special feature: Highest mountains in the interior of Europe and living and recreation area for around 13 million people.
Climate in the Alpine region
The Alpine arc extends over a total of 1,200 kilometres. So it isn’t surprising that climatic conditions can vary depending on the Alpine state and region. The Alps are considered to be one of the most important climatic divisions in Europe and subdivide the following climatic provinces: the Atlantic, the Pannonian climatic province and the Mediterranean climatic area. In the northern Alps, the climate is very similar to that in the neighbouring flatlands, whereas in the southern Alpine areas there are Mediterranean climatic conditions with mild winter months and hot summer periods. The eastern areas in the Alps are characterized by a continental-Panonnian wine-growing climate and the inner-Alpine valleys such as the Vinschgau, Carinthia or Valais are dry. The most important influences are the mild westerly winds with humid air masses from the Atlantic, the cool polar air from the north, the dry continental air masses from the eastern areas, as well as the warmer, southern currents.
Culture and tradition in the Alps
It took a while until the Alpine region was officially designated as a mountain range. Only in autumn of 218 BC when Hannibal accomplished the feat of marching across the Alps in 16 days did they gain attention. The cultural and religious traditions rooted in the Alps to this day go far back in history. Back then it was important for people to protect themselves from possible dangers of nature and from demons. This is how numerous legends and traditional stories emerged. In the early Middle Ages, the Alpine region established itself as the border between the language and culture of the Germanic language to the north and the Romance language to the south and west, and numerous dialects emerged. Although only a few have survived to this day, these small alpine languages are still used: Graubünden Romance in Graubünden in Switzerland, Dolomite Ladin in the Dolomites and Friulian in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The rural customs played a particularly important role in the Alpine region and so numerous traditions such as the cattle drive, yodeling and alpine folk music are still lived today.
Alpine cuisine
In culinary terms, the Alpine cuisine can also boast a variety of traditional recipes and numerous regional influences. As a real cultural asset, alpine cuisine is shaped by everyday rural life in the remote mountain villages and alpine pastures. Even then, it was important to pay attention to foods that could be produced directly on the farm and have a long shelf life, such as milk and grain products, as well as dried or smoked meat. Due to the wide expanse of the Alpine region, the dishes are also strongly influenced by the cuisine of the respective region.
On a culinary journey through the Alps, you can find Emmental cow’s milk cheese in Switzerland, bacon from Tyrol or South Tyrol, dried meat from the Swiss canton of Valais, Bavarian sauerkraut in Germany, the best types of wine from South Tyrol or pine schnapps from Austria. It was particularly important for mountain farmers and shepherds to eat a diet rich in carbohydrates in order to have enough strength for the physically demanding work on the alpine pastures. Bread, pasta and pastries such as Buchteln or Schlutzkrapfen were an important part of Alpine cuisine and are still popular today.
A total of eight countries belong to the Alpine region: Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Liechtenstein, Slovenia and Monaco.
We offer Eurohike hiking tours in six of the Alpine countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France and Slovenia. Our hiking tours in the Alpine region offer the ideal active travel experience for every energy and experience level. Our Eurohike team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
The Alpine region can be structured as follows:
- Central and Eastern Alps: Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria
- Western Alps: France, Italy, Switzerland and Monaco
The formation of the Alps was a multi-stage process. The geological development began around 135 million years ago, around the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
The Alps are around 1,200 kilometres long and around 150-250 kilometres wide and extend as an arc from the Ligurian Sea to the Pannonian Basin.
Important cultural customs that have been preserved to this day include the cattle drive, yodeling, alpine folk music and the alpine blessing.
Typical dishes that have their origins in Alpine cuisine are types of cheese such as Emmentaler from Switzerland, mountain cheese from the Allgäu in Bavaria, Tomme de Savoie from France, bacon from Tyrol and South Tyrol, sauerkraut from Bavaria, pastries like Buchteln or yeasted dumplings or the wine from South Tyrol. Back then it was important to have basic but filling foods that could be kept for a long time.
Hiking in the Alpine region – an active experience for every energy level
When you think about a hiking holiday in the Alpine region, you might wonder whether you can do it in terms of your physical fitness and individual energy level? On our Eurohike hiking holidays in the Alpine region, we guarantee that the active holiday will be enjoyable for every group. In addition, you are well taken care of with the Eurohike HikingPlus. This includes our detailed travel documents, the personal on-site support by our team, luggage transfer in the holiday destination, as well as cozy hotels and well-selected accommodation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on our Eurohike service-hotline.
- Why is a hiking holiday with Eurohike the perfect active experience for all levels of experience? Read more about the advantages and details about our hiking tours here.
