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Hiking in the Austrian Alps from Munich

I am looking for a place to spend a few days hiking this August for a long weekend. I will be coming from and returning to Munich, where I'll catch a flight back to the U.S.

We want a place convenient to great day hikes. We are quite fit, so 6-15 mile day hikes are ideal. Towns and culture are less important to us. We'd prefer a place that won't be overtaken by tourists like us. We are willing to drive about 3-4 hours from Munich for the right place, though closer is of course better. (We'd do the Bavarian Alps but fear the crowds.)

There are so many options, I am finding it overwhelming! Any help would be appreciated.

Posted by
41 posts

In 2024 I hiked in Seefeld for a few days. It's about 45 minutes north of Innsbruck. It is a smaller town with great hiking all around.

Posted by
247 posts
Posted by
2553 posts

Hiker's paradise is the town Seefeld in Tirol high above Innsbruck, i.e. in a plain having an elevation of 4000 ft, providing 100+ hiking routes of different length and severity.
https://www.seefeld.com/en/hiking-trails.html

Seefeld can easily be reached by a scenic train ride from Munich (RB 6). Due to track repairs the last 25 minutes (from Mittenwald to Seefeld) is a bus service.

Posted by
35521 posts

Seefeld also an easy and scenic train from Innsbruck.

I have been there many times and love the area. I have had several very pleasant stays at the Hotel Eden https://www.eden-seefeld.at/en which has great staff, really good meals (we usually do the Half Pension) fab location for both car and train, very close to the walking routes.

One year - purely by chance - we were there when it was the fan zone for the Russians (several years ago) during the Euros or World Cup (I don't follow football, can you tell?) and the staff were just as gracious and carried on regardless as if it was a normal day.

Prices are usually quite good, it is a 4 Star Superior but they don't make a fuss.

Cakes in the lobby in the afternoon is a nice touch.

Posted by
19 posts

Thank you for all the info! Sounds like people love Seefeld.

On thinking about it more, I'm looking for a bit of a "backcountry" experience--i.e. hiking trails that feel remote from towns--without actually backpacking. I'm used to things like the Sierra Nevada in California, where it is easy to feel like you've left civilization.

I'm still working my way through the Seefeld and Innsbruck tips, but a lot of them seem like they wouldn't feel backcountry. A lot of the photos of the trails, for instance, are back towards populated valleys.

Posted by
3 posts

I’d recommend looking at Filzmoos in Salzburg. It’s about 2:30-3 hours from Munich, and in my experience, the trails there are never crowded, even in high-summer. Two great hikes to prioritize are the Hofpürgl Hut to Sulzenalm Circuit (moderately difficult) and Rötelstein Peak (difficult). If you have time for more, you can also explore nearby Ramsau am Dachstein and Schladming.