The Alps is Europe’s most prominent mountain range, home to stunning natural beauty. To experience the Alps’ beauty at its best, you’ve got to get your backpack on and set off on a hike. However, the Alps have many hiking trails, and choosing the top hiking trails in the Alps that are perfect for you can get confusing.
Hopefully, this article will help you, as it lists some of the best. So, read on.
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1. Lac Blanc, France
Day hikes in the French Alps aren’t much better than the Lac Blanc trail offers. It isn’t incredibly challenging, making it an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate hikers. The 6 km (3.7 miles) trail starts from Chamonix and ends at a glacial lake that offers mesmerizing views of the Verte, Les Drus, and Chamonix Aiguilles. The lake’s calm waters will reflect the magnificent Mont Blanc on a clear summer’s day.
2. Tour Du Mont Blanc, France, Italy, Switzerland
If you’re an experienced hiker who has completed several multi-day hikes before, the Tour Du Mont Blanc trail is on your bucket list. The 170 km-long hike will challenge you, but the rewards in terms of the spectacles are immense as you make your way through the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps. The highlight of this trail is the Northern Italian village of Courmayeur. You can explore some route variations if you don’t want to take on the challenge of the conventional route, which takes around 11 days to complete.
3. Breuil-Cervinia, Italy
The Breuil-Cervinia trail is perfect for a day hike in the Italian Alps. This 9.6 km trail is one of the popular hiking trails in the Alps for its lakes, with the highlight being the Lac de Goillet. It also offers a spectacular change in scenery as you start from the lush woodlands of Breuil-Cervinia and end up at a much higher altitude. The view of the Cervinia region from the top is the icing on the cake.
4. Sella-Herbetet Traverse, Italy
Another day hike, this trail is slightly more challenging than the Breuil-Cervinia trail, as it requires hikers to cover a little over 20 km. Hikers have to make their way through the Parco Nacionale del Gran Paradiso, which offers some challenging terrain and splendid views of the snow-capped peaks. The trail is also a treat for wildlife enthusiasts due to its marmot, chamois, and ibex populations.
5. Pinzgauer Spaziergang, Austria
Austria has some amazing hiking trails, and the Pinzgauer Spaziergang trail is among the best of them. This 17 km day hike takes hikers through the eastern Alps, with the peaks of Grossglockner and High Tauern being the highlights. The views of Salzach Valley are spectacular as well. The best thing is that despite the distance hikers need to cover, a moderately fit hiker can complete the trail in only 7 hours.
6. Eagles Walk, Austria
The Eagles Walk offers a one-of-a-kind hiking experience, as it allows hikers to be flexible about how much they want to hike, depending on their abilities. The trail features 33 stages, and if you’re going to test yourself to the limits, you can do all 33 of them, which would take around 22 days. However, you can keep things simple and cover only 1 or 2 stages if your time is limited.
7. Tour Monte Rosa, Switzerland
The Tour Monte Rosa trail is among the most challenging routes in the Swiss Alps. Hikers typically take nine days to cover the 163 km long trail. Leonardo Da Vinci named this trail because of the presence of glaciers – perfect for hikers who want to take in the surreal beauty of the Alps’ icy heights. However, the trail doesn’t remain accessible throughout the year. Therefore, it’s best to do this hike in July.
8. Lac de Louvie, Switzerland
If you want to do a shorter hike in the Swiss Alps, why not consider the Lac de Louvie? The trail offers mesmerizing views of the Mont Blanc massif, but its highlight is the Lac de Louvie – a gem-colored lake sure to soothe your senses. In addition, this 15 km trail isn’t too challenging, making it an option for beginner hikers visiting the Swiss Alps.
No matter where you plan on traveling to in the Alps, do your research to stay safe and book a trip you’ll remember forever.