Munich to Venice fully deserves to be one of the iconic hikes in the Alps. In Germany, they call it the Traumpfad, or Dream trail, and you will see quickly why this is true. Our path does not follow the Dream trail at every stage, but we have tried to capture the spirit of this corner of the Alps, starting in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria and finishing with Lago Misurina or Cortina in the Dolomites.

New for 2025, we are offering a self-guided Munich to Venice itinerary throughout the summer, and one guided Munich to Venice departure July 10-29 with our lead guide, Hayden Buck.

Exploring Munich to Venice

Ever since joining Alpinehikers, I’ve wanted to bring our guests to my adopted home of Bavaria. I lived in Germany for 7 years and the Wetterstein Mountains are where I did most of my training to become an IML guide. I am very excited to bring guests on a traverse from the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest peak), through Austria’s Tyrol all the way to the Dolomites!

Our journey starts in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a town that hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics and was the birthplace of Eddie the Eagle’s skiing career. I like to start with Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s own local mountain, the Wank. This relatively straightforward hike offers a casual start, lift options for those seeking a leisurely first day, and breathtaking views northward to the Bavarian Pre-Alps and southward into Austria.

These mountains are filled with numerous gorges, my favorites being the Partnachklamm and the Hohentalklamm. The Partnachklamm can easily be visited en-route to Mittenwald. while the tougher hike through the Hollentalklamm leads to a very lofty trail that takes us to wards the Alpspitz.

Our second stop, Mittenwald, is ringed by the Wetterstein and Dachstein mountains, filled with exquisite fresco paintings, and renowned violin craftsmanship. Local artisan Aegidius Klotz is believed to have crafted the violin of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. If you designed a postcard to look like a Bavarian mountain town, this would be it.

From Mittenwald, we venture into Austria, taking on a scenic hike through a hanging valley to the charming old farming town of Seefeld in Tyrol. Käsespätzle and Kaiserschmarrn are local foods not to be missed here.

Beyond the Wetterstein mountains, we find ourselves in Innsbruck, a town whose name translates to “Bridge over the Inn River.” My preferred hiking destination in Innsbruck is the Zirbenweg, a trail lined with towering Swiss Stone pine trees (Zirben) that exude a captivating pine aroma. As we traverse the valley, we are rewarded with breathtaking views of the Inn River and the surrounding landscape.

Onward from here we hike past the Krimml Waterfalls, the highest in Austria. A steep hike past the falls leads us to a flat approach to the High Tauern National Park. After a beautiful night in the Krimml Tauernhaus we hike our way into Italy and we are on our way to the majestic world heritage Dolomites.

We’ll hike past the enchanting Lago di Braies, a turquoise lake ringed by white dolomitic rock. Eventually we cross a high plateau to Lago di Misurina at the base of the famed Tre Cime di Lavaredo, The most famous twin peaks in the Dolomites.

Three countries, four states, and arguably the best alpine food in the world!