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Hiking the Alpe Adria Trail in Carinthia

Long distance pleasure hike from the majestic Großglockner mountain through Carinthia and Italy to the azure sea of Slovenia.

Distance

750 km (466 mi)
Stages

43
Stages in Austria

21
Average distance per stage

17 km (10,5 mi)
Starting point

Großglockner
Difficulty

Easy to moderate
Walking time

approx. 6 h per stage

From Austria's majestic, ice-capped Großglockner mountain through sunny Carinthia and Friaul-Julisch Venetia (Italy) all the way to the azure sea of Slovenia: the Alpe Adria Trail has been designed as a “pleasure trail”, which means it's easy to moderate in difficulty and passes by some particularly beautiful lakes, mountains, and natural wonders.

Simply pick one or more of the 43 well-signposted stages across three countries and start planning your hike. Or challenge yourself by doing the entire 750 km (466 mi) from glacier to ocean...

Why Hike the Alpe Adria Trail?

3 countries: Austria's Carinthia province, Slovenia, and Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia province
From Austria's highest peak to the Adriatic sea
Pick your favourite of 43 stage(s) to hike
Mediterranean climate & beautiful landscapes
Season: April to October
Travel packages and luggage transport available

Must-Sees

Nockberge mountains (Austria): soft, rounded mountains with a maximum altitude of 2,441 m (8,000 ft) and a very unique flora and fauna
The Groppenstein gorge (Austria): a breathtaking natural gem with 30-metre (100 ft) waterfalls, located in the heart of the Hohe Tauern national park in Carinthia
Cividale del Fruili (Italy): a beautifully preserved medieval city
Trenta valley (Slovenia): a horseshoe-shaped valley in Slovenia, birthplace of the emerald Soca river

Must-Dos

“Carinthian Summer” festival
Carinthian Summer is one of the most famous music festivals in Austria. Sounds good, right?

“Magic of the Night” Hike
Night hike through the Groppenstein gorge, every Tuesday from July to September.

Breakfast at a Mountain Hut
Book an overnight with breakfast in one of the many Alpine huts along the trail and enjoy regional specialities whilst watching the sunrise.

St. Kathrein's Church
This Gothic church, with an entrance to the "Augenquelle", sits above a warm thermal spring.

Granatium Radenthein
Ruby-red precious stones from Millstatt's pastures: here you can mine your own personal talisman.

Did You Know?

The Alpe Adria Trail is sometimes also called the “Garden of Eden”.

How to Get There

The Alpe Adria Trail has its start at Kaiser-Franz-Josefshöhe on Großglockner mountain. The closest airports are Salzburg (145 km or 90 mi, 2.5 h) and Innsbruck (222 km or 138 mi, 3.5 h).

You can reach the starting point via the Großglockner High Alpine road – get directions for your trip by car here. If you don’t drive, take the “Glocknerbus” from Salzburg, Hinterglemm, or Zell am See. It runs from the end of May until the end of September.