Austria/Italy
Alpine Hiking in Austria and Italy
Program No. 3331RJ
Traverse scenic paths through the magnificent Alps, discovering rich history, traditional villages and stunning alpine flora and fauna in some of Europe’s most pristine natural beauty.
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14 days
13 nights
33 meals
12B 11L 10D
1
In Transit
In Flight
5
Circular Hike Gaistal Valley
Seefeld
6
Zirbenweg
Seefeld
8
Col Raiser, Dolomites, Italy
St. Ulrich
9
Hamlet of Monte Pana
St. Ulrich
10
Bolzano, Italy
St. Ulrich
12
Nature Park Puez, Flitzer Scharte
St. Ulrich
13
Innsbruck, Austria
Munich
14
Departures
In Flight
At a Glance
Explore the unparalleled beauty of two regions on opposite sides of the Alps: the Tyrol in Austria and the South Tyrol in Italy. Unearth similarities and contrasts in their culture, history, environment and architecture as you immerse yourself in the splendid beauty of the Dolomite mountain valley and gain appreciation for these two varied and unique cultures.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Hiking 3-8 miles over mixed terrain including high alpine trails with uneven surfaces, tree roots, rocky areas, gravel and dirt, fields & meadows, and steep ascents and descents. Elevations between 3,000-7,500 feet. Please refer to the activity notes in the day-by-day itinerary for further details.
Participants attending this program are required to have hiking experience (this is not suitable for novice hikers), be steady on their feet, have good vision, are comfortable with heights, and have the ability to navigate the types of terrain listed with little to no assistance.
Sturdy walking/hiking shoes with ankle high tops are required. Collapsible hiking poles are recommended.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore the magnificent Tyrol regions of Austria and Italy to discover their cultural similarities and differences.
- Discover the Europa's oldest-known natural human mummy, Ötzi the Iceman.
- Go on walking lectures that highlight the botany of the Dolomites — including herbs and their healing powers.
Suggested Reading List
(15 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Alpine Hiking in Austria and Italy
Program Number: 3331
Walking in the Dolomites
A comprehensive walker's guide to the Dolomites geared to a wide variety of difficulty levels. Illustrated with photographs and maps.
The Habsburg Empire, A New History
With a fresh approach to the Habsburgs' legacy, this panoramic history revises commonly held perspectives on the empire's effectiveness and its echoes in Europe today.
The Alps, A Cultural History
Beattie explores the turbulent past and vibrant present of the Alps, where early pioneers of tourism, mountaineering and scientific research have each left their mark.
Killing Dragons, The Conquest of the Alps
Fleming spins lively tales of man against nature in this entertaining history of the eccentrics, adventurers and publicity-hounds who sought to conquer the Alps, including Whymper and his first ascent of the Matterhorn 150 years ago.
Cuisines of the Alps
Subtitled "Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia," this colorful tour of the region's rustic cuisine offers more than 140 recipes, a section on regional wines and historical information.
Schlepping Through the Alps, My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd
A hilarious and touching exploration of history, tradition and sheep. This account of travels in Austria with Hans Breuer, a shepherd who sings Yiddish folk songs to his sheep, is admittedly a comic quest, but it also delves into some of the darker corners of Austria's history in World War II.
Eiger Dreams, Ventures Among Men and Mountains
A collection of some of Krakauer's (Into Thin Air) best journalism, these stories and essays focus on the mindset and determination of world-class mountaineers, including Alpine and Himalayan climbers.
Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier
The complete story of the discovery of and controversy surrounding the frozen corpse of a prehistoric man found in the Tyrolian Alps.
La Nouvelle Heloise
Rousseau may be best known for his political philosophy, but in this novel we see his softer side. This is the passionate story told through the letters of two lovers in a small town at the foot of the Alps.
Medusa, An Aurelio Zen Mystery
In this ninth book in the thoroughly enjoyable Aurelio Zen series, our worldly detective investigates a mysterious corpse in a long-abandoned military tunnel in the Dolomites.
Homestead
Set firmly in a small village in the Austrian Alps, these 12 interlinking stories are almost ethnographic in their rich detail of small town life. The stories range from the turn-of-the-century to the present, accurately charting change in the remote village.
Alps Map
This regional map (1:500,000), centered on the Alps, includes portions of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.
The Austrians, A Thousand-Year Odyssey
Detailed, impressively researched and readable, this book is a wide-ranging narrative history of the last 1,000 years of Austria and the Austrian character.
Scrambles Amongst the Alps: In the Years 1860-69
Edward Whymper's classic account of Victorian-era mountaineering captures the geography, beauty and allure of the Alps.
The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front
Thompson's history captures the drama, nationalist frenzy and pathos of WWI. The historian also traces the nearly forgotten, brutal three-year struggle to capture the Isonzo River sector in the rugged Alps and Dolomites from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in this epic history.