We heard the bells before we saw the Alpine cows. Tin tun. Tin tin tun.
We continued hiking uphill through green pastures with sharp grey mountains surrounding us, and then we saw them: three massive cows alongside the trail. Two with a brown and white pattern, one a lighter tan color, all with yellow tags in their oval-shaped ears.
We continued walking, and saw several more, who, like us, were following the leader through a magically beautiful Alpine trail. This was their home, this incredible green mountainside, with a little village down below and enormous mountains all around.
It was an unforgettable start to a 8-day hiking trip through the Alps with some of my favorite people in the whole world—my uncles and cousins—to celebrate my Uncle Matt’s 50th birthday.
That specific hike was stunning, but—shockingly—it wasn’t even the most impressive one we did that trip.
These are the 7 hikes I enjoyed during 8 days in Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland. I’ve ranked them in order of my personal favorites, starting with my all-time favorite hike that you must do:
#1 Oeshinensee Lake in Switzerland
I loved this route because during almost the entire hike, you can see stunning views of the lake and the snow-topped mountains in the background. It’s not too challenging, yet has some steeper (optional) places where you can climb up a grassy peak and get incredible (and less crowded) views of it all.
You’ll need to take a gondola up to the start of the hike—and get your tickets early, because they sell out weeks in advance! This hike takes you on an enjoyable loop in the mountains around the lake and then down to the lake. There are many great photo spots as well!
With distant waterfalls that cascade into the bright blue lake, and mountains surrounding it, this is a 11/10 swimming spot! It’s chilly but I recommend you bring a swimsuit—you’ll definitely want to take a relaxing dip in this beautiful lake!
Experience Level Required: Beginner
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 3.5-4 hours
Pro tip: Bring allergy medicine just in case. I discovered that I’m allergic to Swiss grass (or flowers, or something!)—I was sniffling and crying (it was just so beautiful!) almost the entire route.
Stops along the way? There are two huts along the way that sell food and water. There are also bathrooms near the gondola and at the lake.
#2 Gosausee Lake in Austria
This was the first hike I did in the Alps (mentioned above) and it’s everything you’d hope a hike in the Alps would be. With a truly stunning 360° view at the top, huge tan and white cows grazing along the way, and sharp grey mountains that shoot into the sky above, this one has it all.
We followed this route, but in reverse: starting off walking down the street from the parking lot, up through a wider trail that was part of the ski resort, up to the cross at the highest point, then down through the trees on a narrower, rockier trail to the lake. We also just did a portion of the walk around the lake as well.
Experience level required: Intermediate
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 3-4 hours
Pro Tip: Do this route reversed. The uphill climb through the ski resort area is much more manageable than the other way around. Plus, finishing off at the lake makes the end of this hike much more rewarding.
Stops along the way? Yes, there are 3 huts/refuges along this route, all with options for food and bathrooms. One around halfway up to the highest point, one at the top near the ski lift, and one at Gosausee in front of the lake.
#3 Salet Landing to St. Bartholomew Landing (Around Königssee Lake) in Germany
You’ll start with a leisurely boat ride through Königssee lake, a beautiful, narrow, and deep lake that winds between towering mountains. Exit at the second (and last) stop. Then you’ll follow a super easy, flat, and short trail to Obersee, a hidden lake in the mountains—and a great picture spot!
After, you’ll head back out to the main trail and start hiking uphill on this route through a pasture with cows, goats, and lambs, through a little hut/refuge, and up the hill.
Then, a truly grueling uphill begins. We spent about 2.5 hours climbing up through a rocky forest terrain with wooden stairs, rocks cut into stair shapes, and iron steps that took you straight up. Realizing we had only gone one mile after all that was disheartening, but we kept trudging along. The incredible views of the two lakes on the way up were some consolation, but it was one of the most challenging hikes I’ve ever done. The uphill is finally (mostly over) when you arrive at a smaller lake hidden in the mountains.
After a brief respite, you’ll descend through gravel-covered switchbacks in between a stunning mountain gorge. You’ll see the Schrainbach Wasserfall, a small waterfall on your right and then, you’ll arrive at the lake—where you MUST swim (this was one of the most incredible swims of my life)!
After a quick walk you’ll end up at the St. Bartholomew dock where you can take the boat back to where you started.
Experience level required: Very advanced.
Distance: 11 miles
Time: 6-7 hours
Pro tip: Make sure you bring lots of water, there are NOT places to fill up your water bottle along the way.
Stops along the way? This route takes you up to a hut around the halfway mark where there is a place to refill water. But, you can skip that part (like we did) to shorten the distance.
