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This book describes the 570 km (354 mile) Traumpfad or 'Dream Way', an Alpine trek from Munich's Mariënplatz to the Piazza San Marco in Venice. The route is broken into 30 stages of between 5 hrs 30 mins and 9 hrs, graded according to difficulty, with 5 alternative stages and the option to spend a day traversing a section of Italy's famous via ferrata in the Dolomites. Previous experience of Alpine trekking is not necessary as the route is suitable for most able walkers: however, a head for heights is essential.
Known as 'Europe's playground', the Alps boast an unrivalled walking infrastructure and breath-taking views of angular peaks, flower-strewn valleys and verdant slopes. Hugely popular with German trekkers but little-known in the English-speaking world, Der Traumpfad revels in this stunning scenery. The route passes through German Bavaria then Austria before entering the Italian Tyrol, taking advantage of the region's extensive network of mountain huts for accommodation en route.
With custom-designed mapping and stunning colour photography, Trekking Munich to Venice has all you need to get the best from your trek. Alongside detailed route descriptions, there is useful practical advice on when to go, what to take and refreshment stops, background information on the region's fascinating history, plants and wildlife and full contact details for over 80 places to stay. The result is an ideal companion to discovering this amazing route, regarded by many German trekkers as 'the hiking experience of a lifetime'.
Introduction
History of the region
The invention of a mountain pilgrimage
The route
The Alpine seasons
Alpine flowers, animals and birds
What’s the walking like?
How hard is it?
How long will it take?
When to go
Accommodation
Hut life
Planning your walk
What to take
Finding your way
Using this guide
1 Munich to the Inn Valley
Stage 1 Munich to Wolfratshausen
Stage 2 Wolfratshausen to Bad Tölz
Stage 3 Bad Tölz to the Tutzinger Hütte
Stage 4 Tutzinger Hütte to Vorderriß
Stage 5 Vorderriß to the Karwendelhaus
Stage 6 Karwendelhaus to the Hallerangerhaus
Stage 7A Hallerangerhaus to Hall
Stage 7B Hallerangerhaus to Wattens
2 Inn Valley to Pfunders
Stage 8A Hall to the Glungezer Hütte
Stage 8B Wattens to the Lizumer Hütte
Stage 9 Glungezer Hütte to the Lizumer Hütte
Stage 10 Lizumer Hütte to the Tuxer Joch Haus
Stage 11A Tuxer Joch Haus to the Olpererhütte
Stage 11B Tuxer Joch Haus to the Geraerhütte
Stage 12A Olpererhütte to Stein
Stage 12B Geraerhütte to Stein
Stage 13 Stein to Pfunders
3 Pfunders to Alleghe
Stage 14 Pfunders to Kreuzwiesen Alm
Stage 15 Kreuzwiesen Alm to the Schlüterhütte (Rifugio Genova)
Stage 16 Schlüterhütte to the Puezhütte
Stage 17 Puezhütte (Rifugio Puez) to Rifugio Boè
Stage 18 Rifugio Boè to Rifugio Viel dal Pan
Stage 19 Rifugio Viel dal Pan to Alleghe
4 Alleghe to Belluno
Stage 20 Alleghe to Rifugio Tissi
Stage 21 Rifugio Tissi to Rifugio Bruto Carestiato
Stage 22 Rifugio Bruto Carestiato to Rifugio Pian de Fontana
Stage 23A Rifugio Pian de Fontana to Rifugio 7th Alpini
Stage 23B Rifugio Pian de Fontana to Belluno
Stage 24 Rifugio 7th Alpini to Belluno
5 Belluno to Venice
Stage 25 Belluno to Rifugio Col Visentin
Stage 26 Rifugio Col Visentin to Tarzo
Stage 27 Tarzo to Ponte della Priulä
Stage 28 Ponte della Priulä to Bocca Callalta
Stage 29 Bocca Callalta to Jesolo
Stage 30 Jesolo to Venice
Appendix A Route planner
Appendix B Accommodation along the route
Appendix C Useful contacts
John Hayes is a retired management consultant with degrees from Liverpool University and University College London. Immediately after finishing work in 2011 he embarked on an epic 5000 km trek across Europe, walking from Tarifa in Spain to Budapest. John has written for numerous walking and trekking magazines. Having walked various parts of the Munich to Venice route on different visits to the Alps John, with his wife Christine, embarked on his first through walk in 2014 returning again in 2015 to complete additional research.
