Hike the Via Alpina along the Limestone Cliffs of Rätikon

Beginning in Lichtenstein's beautiful Feldkirch Valley, follow the Via Alpina Red trail into Switzerland, through the lesser-known Prättigau Valley and on to the wild Austrian Montafon Valley. As well as multiple valleys, the trail takes you through a variety of terrain and different areas of natural beauty. You will climb up through alpine forests, plunge down to wildflower meadows on valley floors, scramble along craggy ridgelines, and feel like you're on top of the world at multiple points along this epic journey. The pièce de résistance of this particular section of the Via Alpina is, of course, the striking limestone cliffs of Rätikon. After seven tough days of hiking, you'll finish with a gentle descent through the high Gargellen Alpine meadows to the Austrian mountain town of Gargellen.

A Note on the Via Alpina:

The Via Alpina is a hiking network of epic proportions. Five interwoven trails totaling more than 5000km in length criss-cross all eight countries of the Alps: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The routes take you through everything from the ancient Walser villages of Piedmont, to the glistening Altaussee salt mines in Austria, connecting lush meadows on valley floors to craggy peaks in the sky. The trail has been designed to take hikers through all the major massifs, regions, geologies, and historical sights, and also to lesser-known attractions that deserve a place on the map.

Since 2014, the Via Alpina has been under the responsibility of the International Commission of the Protection of the Alps. An NGO committed to preserving Europe's most magnificent mountain range, the Alps are under immense ecological pressure, in part from the 120 million visitors they see each year. The director of the project, Claire Simon, would like to "diversify the unlimited ski-tourism industry with respectful, low-impact alternatives." And so the Via Alpina was created in 2002.

To find out more about the Via Alpina, check out our other guidebooks on this magnificent alpine hiking network:

https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/10521/3-epic-long-distance-hikes-along-the-via-alpina
https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/10239/lace-'em-up-for-a-3-day-hike-along-the-via-alpina
https://fatmap.com/guidebooks/8882/via-alpina:-ancient-paths-leading-to-a-greener-future

Source:
http://www.via-alpina.org/en/hike/5