accommodation, and usually only half a day.
Mountain refuges
Austrian mountains are well provided with a huge network of serviced mountain walkers’ refuges, called in German hutte (pl hutten). Refuges are either operated by the Austrian (OeAV) or German (DAV) Alpenverein (alpine clubs), or are privately run. On or near to the Adlerweg and its variants there are 23 Alpenverein refuges and 14 private ones.
Alpine club refuges are owned and managed by individual sections of Alpenverein and this is often reflected in their names, such as Bayreutherhutte and Stuttgarterhutte. The UK section has no refuges of its own, but members are encouraged to contribute to a fund that helps maintain some of the less well funded refuges. On the Adlerweg, Steinseehutte in the Lechtaler Alpen has been a beneficiary of this fund, contributing to the installation of solar heating and warm showers.
Refuges are graded according to their facilities, and this is reflected in the overnight price. Accommodation can be in individual rooms sleeping from two to eight, or in the slightly cheaper lager, a mixed-sex dormitory often in the roof space. Most refuges have hot water and many have hot showers for which there is a small charge. Blankets and pillows are provided, but guests are expected to provide their own sheets. Advance booking can be made, and this is required for large groups. At weekends in high season, some refuges, particularly those in the Karwendel, can be very full. However, AV members are guaranteed somewhere to sleep and a proportion of places are kept back for this purpose. At very busy times, spare mattresses and put-me-up beds can fill the dining rooms and corridors. Discounts of 30% to 50% on accommodation (not food) are made for AV members and for members of other national alpine clubs. Self-catering is not usually possible, except for Loreahutte (Stage A17), which is unserviced. Overall, AV refuges offer a warm, welcoming and good value place to eat and sleep.
Most private refuges offer similar facilities and services to AV refuges. Rooms may be a little less spartan, prices slightly higher with no discounts available to AV members and there are no guaranteed places. In some locations (at the top of Rofan cablecar or at Hallerangeralm, for instance) private and AV refuges stand in close proximity to each other, giving walkers a choice. It is recommended that AV members use the AV refuge while non-members should take the private option.
Wilde Bande Steig contours high above Isstal towards Stempeljoch col with Pfeiserspitze on the left (Stage 12)
Hotels, inns, guesthouses, bed & breakfast and youth hostels
Off the mountains, in the towns and villages and in the valleys, you will need to stay in commercial accommodation. Virtually all accommodation is vetted and graded by local tourist organisations and booking can be made through local tourist offices. Only two ‘valley end’ stages have only one accommodation option, Stage 5 at the Kaiserhaus inn and Stage 17 at the Fernstein Castle Hotel.
Hotels tend to be full service establishments with all facilities (restaurant, bar, sauna, gym and perhaps a pool). Inns, often called haus (although this term can also refer to some mountain refuges) are simpler, often in remote locations, and usually have a restaurant. Guesthouses (gasthof) sometimes have a restaurant, but not always. B&Bs are private houses that take overnight guests. They have no restaurant, but do provide breakfast. They can usually be identified by a sign showing zimmer frei (room available). Inns, guesthouses and B&Bs can all offer very good value, sometimes no more expensive than mountain refuges. Prices usually include breakfast. There are only two youth hostels (Jugendherberge) on the Adlerweg, in Maurach and Innsbruck.
Camping
Much of the route is through protected areas where wild camping is prohibited. Wild camping is possible in a few places, but in general the availability of affordable mountain accommodation means very few Adlerweg walkers choose to camp. There are only six official campsites en route plus six others a short distance away.
Campsites en route are at Langkampfen, Maurach, Lermoos, Fernstein, Haselgehr and Elbigenalp. Campsites off-route can be found at St Johann, Kufstein, Innsbruck, Scharnitz, Leutasch and Ehrwald.
Food and drink
Places to eat
The Adlerweg is well provided with places where walkers can find food and beverages. With one exception, all the refuges on the trail provide lunch and those with accommodation serve breakfast and dinner. (The exception is Loreahutte at the end of Stage A17, which is self-catering). In addition, there are a number of almhutten (pasture huts) providing lunchtime fare. Every town and village passed through has somewhere to eat, even tiny hamlets like Engalm (Stage 9) and Bschlabs (Stage 19) have gaststatte.
Evening in a busy refuge – Karwendelhaus (Stages 10 and 11)
Refuges generally offer a choice of hot and cold meals for lunch and dinner, the variety, range and prices depending upon the size, popularity and accessibility of the refuge. Most have vehicular or goods lift access, although some (most notably Anhalterhutte at end of Stage 18) need supplies to be carried at least part way. Food is normally of the hearty/filling variety rather than gourmet cuisine. An inclusive three course set dinner with accommodation and breakfast is available (often only to prebooked AV members) in some refuges. Many establishments offer their own specialities, but as these depend upon particular wardens, who may change from year to year, they are not listed in this guide. Up to date information can usually be obtained from each refuge’s web site or from the OeAV hutten guide. In the past specialities have included such things as free-range turkey (Hohlensteinhaus), game, Italian food, homemade cakes and even Nepalese cooking (Anhalterhutte).
Pasture huts (almhutten) provide a more limited lunchtime fare. Usually operated by the local farmer as a side venture, they typically serve jausen (cold meats, ham, cheese with bread and pickles) accompanied by fresh milk, fresh apple juice and other beverages. Produce is often home grown or reared. Opening hours are more limited than in refuges, with some opening weekends only, except in high season.
A restaurant usually indicates a slightly more formal environment with uniformed servers and starched table linen, whereas a gaststatte is generally a more relaxed local eatery. A speisesaal is a dining room usually within a hotel or guesthouse, while a stube is a dining room decorated in traditional style. An imbisstube is a snackbar.
With the exception of a few upmarket establishments in Innsbruck, meal prices in local restaurants are comparable with prices in refuges (they do not have the added costs of transportation and live-in labour). A wide range of Tyrolean, Austrian and international food is available. Many restaurants, but not all, have menus available in English. When you want to settle up, you can ask either ‘zahlen bitte’ (‘can I pay please?’) or for die rechnung (the bill). Tipping is not expected in Austrian restaurants, but it is customary to leave your small change.
Austrian/German food
Although the Adlerweg is entirely in Austria, many refuges are operated by German AV sections and some can only be supplied from the north (Bavarian) side of the mountains. The food and beverages you will encounter will thus be a mix of Tyrolean and Bavarian cuisine.
Refuges usually offer two choices of breakfast (fruhstuck): simple continental (bread, butter, jam and tea/coffee) or a larger version that includes these dishes plus cold meats and cheese. Boiled eggs may be available and sometimes fruit juice and breakfast cereals. In refuges, breakfast usually starts from 0700.
Lunch (mittagessen) from 1200 is the main meal of an Austrian day, although walkers often choose a lighter lunch, with the main meal in the evening. A typical Austrian
