Experience the authentic Austrian pastime of hüttenhüpfen in the high mountains closest to Vienna.
The Viennese Alps are a stronghold of peaks near Austria’s capital, and they’re a favorite alpine getaway for residents of the region and visitors alike. Their soaring escarpments may at first look impassable, but the mountains are in fact traversed by trails and cableways, and many of the mountains are crowned by comparatively gentle plateaus. Scattered throughout them is a host of huts, all with generous conveniences and cuisine, but not all with convenient access–some are quite remote.
Those unaccustomed to hiking in the Alps may misinterpret the word “hut.” Here it’s not a modest shack, but a small hotel with dormitory-style rooms, a restaurant, and a bar. Some are lavish and some are rather quaint, but you can always expect your needs to be provided for. These accommodations make it possible to tour for days in the alpine with little more than a daypack and a good pair of hiking shoes. Or, you can simply enjoy an all-day hike with a satisfying meal at both ends of the journey.
Thanks to the huts, you can focus more on the numbers of kilometers traveled and peaks climbed, rather than kilograms of the things you must carry. You can have action-packed days in the elements, then rest easy at night between insulated walls. The network of trails and cableways makes it easy to select as much or as little challenge as you desire, and the huts provide your comfortable home in the mountains. Consult this list of hut-hopping routes in the Viennese Alps to find your ideal adventure.