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View of Falkert and other peaks from the Rödresnock, Nockberge National Park, Alpe Adria Trail, Austria © Rudolf Abraham

Alpe Adria Trail

On foot from the Alps to the Adriatic

The Alpe Adria Trail is an epic long-distance hiking route stretching 750km through Austria, Slovenia and the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region in northern Italy – from the foot of the Grossglockner (the highest peak in the Eastern Alps), to the small town of Muggia near Trieste, on the shore of the Adriatic. I wrote the first English language hiking guidebook to the Alpe Adria Trail, which was published by Bradt in 2016.

The trail is broken down into 43 stages, and takes around a month and a half to walk. Kicking off from Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe it follows the Mölltal, crosses the Nockberge range and meanders through the Carinthian lakes region before crossing into Slovenia and following the Soča Valley for several days, then crosses into Italy and jumps backwards and forwards over the border between the Collio and Brda wine regions, through the Karst region and along the coast to Muggia, near Trieste.

Alpe Adria Trail Guidebook

Alpe-Adria-Trail-Slovenia-Austria-Italy-hiking-travel-writerAlpe Adria Trail

Published by Bradt, 2020

2nd edition of my guide to hiking this epic 750km route through mountains of Austria, Slovenia and northern Italy, from the Grossglockner to the shore of the Adriatic. Available here.

Accommodation & Maps

Accommodation along the AAT can be booked through one of the three booking centres in Carinthia, Slovenia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and there’s a useful free app which includes detailed maps and gps tracks (the maps are best downloaded before you set off, so you can use them offline).

I’ve been visiting and hiking in this region for over 20 years, having first lugged a pack over the Vrišič Pass in Slovenia back around 1999 when I was living in neighbouring Croatia. If you’re interested in commissioning me for an article on the AAT or photography from the region, please get in touch.

Alpe Adria Trail Photography

Clockwise from top left: Small chapel on the border between Italy and Austria; Tauernteich, a lake in the forest above Ossiach, Austria; Evening light on the Julian Alps above Rifugio Zacchi, Italy; Autumn colours – larches above the Stausee Margaritze, near the Grossglockner, Austria. Photos © Rudolf Abraham

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For more images of hiking the AAT in Austria, Slovenia and Italy by Rudolf Abraham, click here.