The Alps in a Loop: 9 Days Through Germany, Austria & Italy

A driving loop across three countries, starting and ending at Baden-Baden / Karlsruhe airport (FKB). The route below is the actual itinerary; the longer write-up will follow when I have time to do it justice.

The route, day by day

Aug 15 — Castles and a lake. FKB → Neuschwanstein Castle → Eibsee → Innsbruck. Driving-heavy. Night in Innsbruck.

Aug 16 — Olperer Hütte. Innsbruck → Mayrhofen → Schlegeis reservoir → hike up to Olperer Hütte (the famous suspension-bridge view) → back to Mayrhofen. Night in Mayrhofen.

Aug 17 — Across the Brenner into Italy. Mayrhofen → Swarovski Kristallwelten → Urtijëi (Val Gardena) → Pieve di Cadore. Night in Pieve di Cadore (Dolomites).

Aug 18 — Tre Cime. Pieve di Cadore → Lago di Misurina & Lago d'Antorno → Rifugio Auronzo → Tre Cime loop → drive north into Austria. Night in Höggen (near Schladming).

Aug 19 — Glacier + gorge + lake. Kitzsteinhorn cable car → Sigmund Thun Klamm → Zell am See. Night in Höggen.

Aug 20 — Waterfalls + Hallstatt. Goling Waterfall → Lichtensteinklamm → Lammeröfen → Hallstatt. Night in Höggen.

Aug 21 — Lakes day. Wolfgangsee → Gosausee → Traunsee. Slow day by water. Night in Höggen.

Aug 22 — Rest day. Schladming area, easy hiking, no driving. Night in Höggen.

Aug 23 — Königssee + home. Höggen → Königssee → Munich → Neckarsulm.

Practical notes

• Pre-book Rifugio Auronzo parking for Tre Cime. The walk-up lot fills early in season.
• The Cadini di Misurina viewpoint is a short walk from the Rifugio Auronzo parking, opposite the main Tre Cime trail. Easy to skip; worth not skipping.
• Höggen as a four-night base for the eastern half cut a lot of packing/unpacking. Schladming and the Dachstein are easy day-trips from there.
• The Brenner Pass from Innsbruck into South Tyrol is one of the prettier drives in Europe in summer. Easy traffic on weekdays.
• Königssee boat to St. Bartholomä is worth pre-booking in season; the walk-up queue can take an hour.

What I'd write more about

A few stops deserve their own longer post:

• Olperer Hütte: the hike up, the bridge, what people don't tell you about the descent.
• Tre Cime versus the rest of the Dolomites: why one day isn't enough.
• The lakes day: three lakes in one day was less rushed than it sounds.

If you're planning your own Alps loop and want detail on any segment, send me a note.