The rocky summit structure of the freestanding Tournette (2,351 m) towers visibly over Lake Annecy. For experienced hikers with a head for heights, the ascent to the summit is considered one of the most beautiful tours in the region, rewarding you at the top with a panoramic view down to the lake and such evocative mountain regions as Bauges, Aravis, Belledonne, Beaufort, and across to Mont Blanc.
The strong March sun is already wonderfully warm, but on the slopes of the scenic Simetsberg in the Estergebirge, there is still a thick blanket of snow in many places, enough for a snowshoe or ski tour. Read more
While thick, sluggish fog still exudes a damp chill in the lowlands until well after midday, the path from Linderhof Palace soon climbs up into the warming autumn sun. The destination, the Brunnenkopfhütte (1,602 m), offers magnificent views of the Graswang Valley with the Linder Forest and Linderhof Palace Park, as well as the surrounding peaks of the Ammergau Alps. Read more
The ridge walk from Herzogstand (1731 m) to Heimgarten (1790 m), high above Lake Kochelsee and Lake Walchensee, is a popular circular tour thanks to the magnificent views of the Karwendel, Ester Mountains, Wetterstein and the Ammergau Alps. Depending on your preference, the Herzogstandbahn cable car can shorten the descent to save your knees or save you the vertical metres of the ascent. Read more
At the Meilerhütte in the Wetterstein Mountains, I meet Lina from Sweden, who is hiking the entire arc of the Via Alpina with her two dogs. She has already been on the road for 43 days and can share many interesting experiences (on her tour blog in Swedish) caused by her two unusual companions – both positive and negative (for example, dogs aren’t always welcome in mountain huts or on public transport). Read more
The second stage of the hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo leads across a newly created path shortly before the last tunnel on the western mountain flank of Pico das Torres, as the old section of the path was impassable due to a rockfall. Since such interruptions and diversions can occur frequently, you should always check the condition of the path beforehand. Read more
The hike across the roof of Madeira is one of the island’s classic tours – from Pico do Arieiro (1,818 m) on a wonderfully laid out high-altitude path on exposed rock ledges, like here at Pico das Torres, through tunnels and over secured ridges to the highest point of Madeira – Pico Ruivo (1,862 m). Read more
Last Comments