Berliner Höhenweg hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Berliner Höhenweg (Berlin High Trail), also called the Zillertaler Runde, is the classic hut-to-hut trek of the Zillertal Alps in Tyrol, Austria. It links eight Alpenverein huts in a wide arc around the side valleys above Ginzling, from Finkenberg to the Karl-von-Edel-Hütte above Mayrhofen. The Alpenverein gives more than 70 km and about 6,700 m of climbing for the hut-to-hut route, usually walked in 8 days. After the first climb the path stays high, mostly between 1,900 and 3,134 m, and crosses one rocky pass after another, facing the glaciers of the main Zillertal ridge on the Italian border. All of it lies in the Hochgebirgs-Naturpark Zillertaler Alpen, and it is waymarked red and white.

The route

The trail starts in Finkenberg, at the Teufelsbrücke, and climbs through forest on the Hermann-Hecht-Weg to the Gamshütte. The second day is long and lonely: about 15 km of narrow path across steep grass slopes, the Graue Platte, the Pitzenalm and the Rifflerrinne to the Friesenberghaus and its lake. A short balcony path then leads to the Olpererhütte, with its small suspension bridge and the view over the Schlegeis reservoir. From there the route drops to the reservoir, follows its shore road and climbs to the Furtschaglhaus. The highest day crosses the Schönbichler Horn (3,134 m) on a cable-protected ridge and goes down past the Waxegg glacier moraine to the historic Berliner Hütte. Next come the Mörchenscharte (2,872 m) and a steep descent into the Floitengrund to the Greizer Hütte, then the Lapenscharte (2,701 m) and the Elsenklamm ledge to the Kasseler Hütte. The last day follows the Aschaffenburger Höhenweg, the "Siebenschneidensteig", over seven ridges and through boulder fields to the Karl-von-Edel-Hütte.

This guide follows the route as mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 8 hut-to-hut stages, about 9.9 km each. The line ends at the Karl-von-Edel-Hütte. From there it is one more hour down to the Ahornbahn top station and the cable car to Mayrhofen (the last car down is at 17:00), or about 4 hours on foot via path 42 and the Wirtshaus Alpenrose. Those last kilometres are not part of the stage table.

Highlights

• The Schönbichler Horn (3,134 m): the highest point, a few steps off the path, with a wide view over the glaciers of the main ridge
• The Olpererhütte: the little suspension bridge above the Schlegeis reservoir, a favourite photo spot
• The Berliner Hütte (1879): the first hut in the Zillertal, with wood-panelled dining rooms, and a listed building since 1997
• The Friesenbergsee and the Schwarzsee: high mountain lakes by the Friesenberghaus and on the way to the Mörchenscharte
• The Siebenschneidensteig: a wild, empty day over seven ridges between the Kasseler Hütte and the Karl-von-Edel-Hütte

When to walk the Berliner Höhenweg

The huts are open from mid-June to mid- or late September. In 2026 the Olpererhütte opened first (29 May) and most others opened between 11 and 15 June. The Friesenberghaus closed first (17 September); most others closed on 19 or 20 September. The best time is July to mid-September. In June and early July snow can lie on the Schönbichler Horn, the Mörchenscharte and the north-facing slopes of stage 2, and the huts advise against those crossings in snow. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, so start early. In September the trail is quieter, but check each hut's closing date.

How many days do you need?

Most hikers take 8 days from Finkenberg, or 7 if they join stages 3 and 4 (Friesenberghaus to Furtschaglhaus via the Olpererhütte, about 6.5 hours). Every hut has a path down to a valley with buses, so it is easy to walk only part of the trail. Two good half-routes are Finkenberg to the Berliner Hütte (down to Breitlahner and Ginzling), and the Ahornbahn to the Berliner Hütte. Many people walk the loop the other way, starting with the Ahornbahn and the Karl-von-Edel-Hütte. The times in this guide are for the Finkenberg-to-Edelhütte direction.

Getting there and logistics

Mayrhofen is the end of the Zillertalbahn railway from Jenbach, on the main line between Innsbruck, Kufstein and Munich. Bus 4104 runs from Mayrhofen to Finkenberg (Teufelsbrücke). Bus 4102 goes to Ginzling and the Schlegeis reservoir. You can use it to start or leave the trail at the Olpererhütte or Furtschaglhaus stages. At the end, the Ahornbahn runs from Mayrhofen in summer (in 2026, 13 June to 31 October, 08:30 to 17:00). Innsbruck and Munich are the nearest airports. Hikers' taxis run up the Stilluptal and the Floitengrund, which shortens the walk to the Kasseler and Greizer huts if you need to leave or join the trail there.

Huts and booking

All eight huts are run by the German Alpine Club (DAV) sections. Most beds are booked online in the Alpenverein system (hut-reservation.org, also called alpsonline), which asks for card details and charges cancellation fees. For the Gamshütte, phone or email the hut. Book early for July and August, and book every night before you start. Half board (dinner and breakfast) costs about 40 to 50 euros on top of the bed. Alpine club members (ÖAV, DAV and partner clubs) pay much less for a bed. A hut sleeping bag is compulsory. Camping is not allowed, except an emergency bivouac above the tree line.

Money and phone signal

Bring enough cash. Some huts take cards (the Greizer Hütte adds a 1 euro fee), but not all. There are no shops and no cash machines on the trail; Finkenberg and Mayrhofen have both. Mobile signal is patchy. The Greizer Hütte has none, the Furtschaglhaus has an unreliable signal, and there is often none on the long crossings, so tell the next hut if your plans change.

What to pack

Walking boots with a stiff sole, waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, a hat and gloves, sun protection, a map (AV maps 35/1 and 35/2, 1:25,000), a head torch, a first-aid kit and a survival blanket. Carry 1.5 to 2 litres of water: there is none on stage 8. In early summer or after fresh snow you may need microspikes or crampons, and a via ferrata set is useful on the Schönbichler Horn. Keep the pack light, 8 to 12 kg at most.

Difficulty and safety

This is a demanding alpine trek for fit, experienced mountain walkers who are sure-footed and do not suffer from vertigo. There are no glaciers to cross and no climbing, but many exposed passages with fixed cables, ladders and steep grass. The Gamshütte to Friesenberghaus and Kasseler Hütte to Karl-von-Edel-Hütte stages are dangerous when wet, and the last one has no escape route to the valley. In August 2026 a hiker died after a fall on the cabled descent from the Mörchenscharte. No closures of the main route were reported for 2023 to 2026, but ask the hut wardens about snow and rockfall before each pass. In an emergency call 140 (mountain rescue) or 112. Rescue is expensive in Austria, so carry insurance that covers it.