Small country, big paths! Hiking the North-South Trail through Austria

Your adventure north-south path starts at the summit of the fog stone. It is best to hike up the day before and spend the night in the hut of the same name. So you can tackle the long-distance hiking trail with fresh energy.



The view from the summit is a wonderful prelude to the 22 stages that lie ahead… read more

Time for stage 2 of the north-south path. And one thing is certain: this almost 27-kilometer section has many sights to offer. If you are more of the kind of pleasure hiker, you can split it up into two stages. And enjoy it all the more.



The tour begins at your destination yesterday, Liebenau. It goes… read more

While you are hiking stage 3 of the north-south path, the Waldviertel shows itself again from its most beautiful side. From Schönbach you first walk into the valley of the Edelbach, which has a few wonderful hiking trails. One of them leads you past the Anschaumühle to Bad Traunstein. The Wachtstein… read more

From the high-altitude flights on the Waldviertel high plateau, we head to the wonderful Danube valley today. On a total of almost 20 kilometers, wonderful nature, wide views and one or the other beautiful monument await you.



We start in Elsenreith, your destination yesterday. From here you first march… read more

One wonderful (former) castle after the other and in between a lot of water and wonderful views - this is stage 5 of the north-south path. Always south-east of the Danube, you climb a good 20 kilometers of this section but also a few meters in altitude.



It starts with a ride on the roller ferry from Spitz… read more

The sixth stage of the North-South Trail is almost 20 kilometers and is about as long as its predecessors. Because the whole time is relatively leisurely and without any notable climbs, it is much less strenuous. This leaves you with more strength for culture - in this case a visit to the Wachau landmark… read more

Stage 7 runs in a relatively relaxed way from St. Leonhard am Forst to Plankenstein through the wonderfully dreamy Mostviertel. A few of the vertical meters that you see in the elevation profile are optional: Because it forms the "middle of the Mostviertel" and gives you a wonderful view, I have included… read more

Stage 8 is pending and takes you a total of almost 19 kilometers down to St. Anton an der Jesnitz, then up again to your destination for the day. Always there: the Ötscher, an impressive 1,893 meter high mountain range.



From Plankenstein you climb step by step uphill to the initially highest point at… read more

It's going uphill: on stage 9, which is a good 19 kilometers long, you've cracked the 1,000-meter mark for the first time in your north-south adventure since starting on the Nebelstein. By the way, this section lets you hike a few wonderful natural spectacles.



From your overnight accommodation on Hochb… read more

You can't get enough of the mountain air so quickly. That's why you are allowed to stay above the 1,000-meter mark for a while during the tenth stage of the north-south trail before you head onto Styrian soil and down to your stage destination Mariazell for the first time. By the way: Almost half of… read more

Enough of civilization again and motivated for the real giants of the north-south path? Stage 11 approaches this project slowly but surely. And once you get to its highest point, on a clear day you can see almost all the way to your final destination.



But first things first. From Mariazell you first make… read more

“You can no longer see the mountains for all the alpine pastures and huts”, this could be the motto of stage 12. It has several rustic places to stop for you. At almost 23.5 kilometers, it is also quite long, so please don't dawdle too long on the way.



And off you go right away: After you've hiked from… read more

Today it's finally getting really alpine! With the 2,277 meter high Hochschwab summit, you are climbing the "highlight" of the north-south path. You should be appropriately equipped, sure-footed and free from giddiness, of course.



From yesterday's destination, you first hike further into the valley through… read more

A few days full of highs: yesterday you climbed the highest peak of the north-south path, today's stage 14 takes you to its highest control point. This section is almost 19 kilometers long. So not an outlier compared to the previous tours. At the very end, however, you can expect a pretty steep climb… read more

Yesterday's tour is followed by a few well-deserved pats in the form of a crystal clear mountain lake, a babbling waterfall and - of course - delicious Styrian delicacies.



The day of stage 15 can start with a short detour to the summit of the Eisenerzer Reichenstein, but it doesn't have to. Either way… read more

Stage 16 awaits you and it's down to business: Overall, you have to master a good 28 kilometers and more than 1,600 meters in altitude. If you like, you can safely split this tour into two days. Either way, it's relatively leisurely to the Trabocher See and across the lowlands to Leoben. Then the proud… read more

Stage 17 also turns out to be not exactly stingy in terms of the amount of kilometers and meters in altitude. It goes over gentle alpine pastures, but the possibilities to stop off on the way or just fill the water bottle are rather meager. All these facts give the stage the sounding name of "dry spell… read more

As promised, stage 18 of the north-south path is finally a little more leisurely. In total, “only” about 21 kilometers and a little more than 600 meters in altitude need to be hiked. Can you make it with your left, right?



The first summit called Rossbachkogel is already waiting for you after a short ascent… read more

If you want to experience a real Styrian hiking classic, this stage is the right place for you. Strictly speaking, you will even find two of them here: one is the tour from Gaberl to Salzstiegl and one is the beautiful section over the Hirschegger Alm.



So the first is right at the beginning of the stage… read more

On this stage you first go through forests, then directly to the tree line, until you later cross the Glein and Koralpe. This guarantees you wonderful nature and even more wonderful views over the Styrian and Carinthian mountains.



First of all, you turn your back on Pack and walk past the “Steinernen… read more