Nordalpenweg (North Alpine Way, Trail 01)

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Nordalpenweg: Austria’s High Alpine East-West Traverse

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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HikeList Score

Nordalpenweg (North Alpine Way, Trail 01) scored 73/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Very Good

See score breakdownHide breakdown

Ideal length 52
Balanced challenge 48
Scenery & wildness 98
Varied terrain 71
Accommodation 66
Food & support 88
Path quality 98
Season flexibility 76

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

The Nordalpenweg, or North Alpine Way Trail 01, is a roughly 1,000 km point-to-point traverse across Austria through the Northern Limestone Alps. Plan on about 50 days, with the official route divided into 61 stages. This is an expert hut-to-hut route: long high-alpine sections, exposed paths, rocky ground, navigation demands and optional glacier or summit variants make it suitable only for fit, sure-footed hikers with mountain experience.

Route Overview

The trail can be walked in either direction. In the east, it has two start variants: the Burgenland route 01A from Rust on Lake Neusiedl via the Rosaliengebirge and Semmering, and the Vienna route 01 from Perchtoldsdorf in the Vienna Woods via Peilstein and Schneeberg. They merge on the Rax plateau, then continue west through the Schneealpe, Hochschwab, Gesäuse, Totes Gebirge, Dachstein, Hochkönig, Steinernes Meer, Kaisergebirge, Rofan, Karwendel, Lechtal Alps, Arlberg and Bregenzerwald to Bregenz on Lake Constance. For shorter Austrian high routes, compare the Eagle Walk, Carnic High Trail or Dachstein Glacier Circuit.

History of the Nordalpenweg

The Nordalpenweg opened on 22 June 1975 at the Seebergsattel in Styria, originally under the name West-Ost-Weitwanderweg. It was Austria’s first long-distance high-level traverse of the Eastern Alps and became the founding route of the numbered Austrian Weitwanderwege network. It also forms the Austrian section of the European long-distance path E4 and overlaps in places with the Via Alpina. The route guide was fully revised for the trail’s 50th anniversary in 2025.

Notable highlights

Schneeberg and Rax: These limestone plateaus west of Vienna mark the point where the Burgenland and Vienna start variants converge. Schneeberg is the easternmost 2,000 m peak in the Alps.
Gesäuse and Admont Abbey: The Gesäuse is dramatic gorge country in Styria, with steep limestone scenery. Nearby Stift Admont is a Baroque monastery known for the largest monastic library in the world.
Dachstein massif and Hallstatt: The route enters glaciated high country above the UNESCO-listed lakeside village of Hallstatt. The original line can cross the Dachstein glacier, with Hoher Dachstein as an optional summit.
Hochkönig: At 2,941 m, Hochkönig is the highest point on the official Nordalpenweg. It rises above the Steinernes Meer, the “Sea of Stone” plateau in the Berchtesgaden Alps.
Karwendel and Achensee: This is a long, remote Tyrolean section through the Karwendel range past Achensee. Hikers use mountain huts such as Karwendelhaus and Lamsenjochhütte.
Lechtal Alps and Arlberg: Often cited as the toughest section, this stretch has high notches above 2,400 m and a chain of Alpine Club huts before the crossing towards Vorarlberg.

Challenges to expect

Expect a sustained high-alpine route, not a valley walk. The Nordalpenweg includes rocky paths, scree, exposed and wire-secured sections, and some variants requiring glacier equipment or climbing ability. Weather windows are short: many huts open only from late June or July to September, and snow can linger on high passes. Hut bookings, navigation and fitness matter throughout; no camping is required or expected.

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