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The Meran High Route Trek | Four elements

The Meran High Route Trek

The Meran High Route Trek: Vineyards, palm trees, alpine meadows and high mountain passes

An eight day trek along one of the most beautiful circuits in the Alps. We meander through picturesque and traditional mountain farms, traverse through lush alpine meadows and the glacially carved landscape of the Texel group, crossing high mountain passes- possibly with some snow under our feet in places. This heavenly route spoils us further with the rich South Tyrol culture and cuisine.

We stay well nourished along our journey with local produce along the route. An extra day in the heart of the Texel mountains gives us a day to explore this impressive high alpine scenery and relax between the trekking days.

The traditional and comfortable accommodation along the route allow us to rest, regenerate and restore the energy levels, as well as experiencing the best South Tyrolean hospitality.

Tour Highlights
  • Itinerary designed for maximum variety and exclusive experience
  • Eight days along one of the most beautiful trekking circuits in the Alps
  • A traverse through picture-book villages, glorious alpine meadows, high alpine passes and panoramas
  • An extra day in the Texel group to admire the high peaks and landscape
  • Experiencing the delights of South Tyrolean culture, cuisine and hospitality
  • Small group size (max 8)
  • Low carbon footprint tour from start to finish

This is a medium difficulty tour- perfect for hikers with some previous experience and good fitness. Most of the routes are along BLUE and RED (Austrian Classification) paths. You should be prepared to walk between 4-7 hrs per day – with the longest days’ ascent being a 1200m climb. The walking pace will be around 300m/hr (ascent).

A real mix of trails – from easy, wider trails to narrower, uneven paths with some exposed sections. Sure-footedness and head for heights needed.

Day 1: Hochmuth Meran (680m) – Gfeis (1310m)
Distance: 8 km, Ascent: 550, Descent: 630m, Walking time: Approx 4 Hrs

We meet at midday at the station of the Hochmuth lift. The lift swiftly lifts us up above the vineyards and apple orchards from 680m to a height of 1361m, the starting point of our circuit. The first steps of our journey take us on a gentle walk in an easterly direction. We pass mountain farms and stop for refreshment along the way. As we reach our first stop for the night, we are gifted a wonderful panorama.

Accommodation: Shared room with showers, WC, hairdryer (Evening meal, board & breakfast

Lunch: Mid-afternoon refreshment stop en-route. Bring water & snacks

Day 2: Gfeis (1310m)- Matratz (1200m)
Distance: 14km, Ascent: 660, Descent: 830m, Walking time: Approx 6 Hrs

We start the day with a delicious breakfast spread on the sunny terrace. Then of we go along the historic trail which continues along the mountainside through the mountain settlements of Gandhof (1.009 m) und Magdfeld (1.147 m) to Matratz (1100m) and our delightful accommodation.

Accommodation: Shared room with shower, WC (Evening meal, board & breakfast) (Evening meal, board & breakfast, full use of sauna area)

Lunch: Stop along the route in local farm/ guest house.

Day 3: Matratz (1200m) – Innerhütt (1450m)/ Pfelders (1630m)
Distance: 16km, Ascent: 800, Descent: 450m, Walking time: Approx 6 Hrs

After another delicious breakfast we start our day on a gentle wide-tracked path. After a while we take a detour along the route today and turn into a narrower and steeper trail climbing up to the delightful Waaler Hütte. The word “Waal” being the regional term for the water channels which since the 13th century have channelled water between the mountain streams and mountain farms, orchards and vineyards around Meran. Our next leg takes along one such historic channel to the Ulfaser Alm, where we rejoin the Meraner Höhenweg. The trail then continues winding in and out of forest into the Pfelder Valley. For the final stretch along the valley floor we hop on the local bus to take us into the mountain village of Pfelders.

Accommodation: Twin rooms with en-suite bath/shower & WC, Half-board (3-course evening meal, board & breakfast, wellness area)

Lunch: Stop at traditional mountain hut for lunch.

Day 4: Pfelders (1630m) – day hike
Distance: 8 km, Ascent: 850, Descent: 850m, Walking time: Approx 4 Hrs

After a good rest and relaxed start to the day, we head out with our lighter loaded day packs. We explore the stunning scenery in this valley off the beaten track- deserted old farms, high alpine meadows and lakes and breath-taking panoramas. We are back early in the afternoon to allow some time for rest, relaxation and ice cream on the hotel sun terrace.

Accommodation: Twin rooms with en-suite bath/shower & WC, Half-board (3-course evening meal, board & breakfast, wellness area)

Lunch: Packed lunch

Day 5: Pfelders (1630m) – Eishof (2076m)
Distance: 15.5 km, Ascent: 1200m, Descent: 800m, Walking time: Approx 7 Hrs

Well rested from our previous day, we are now ready to take on the biggest day of our trek. Our trail climbs through high alpine terrain shaped by glaciers. We make a lunch stop at the Stettiner Hütte (2874m) before passing over the Eisjöchl pass – at 2900m the highest point of our trek. We then descend the other side into the Pfossen valley. Our trail takes us over icy mountain streams down towards our stay for the night at the head of this valley.

Accommodation: Shared room with shower, WC (Evening meal, board & breakfast

Lunch: Stop at mountain hut.

Day 6: Eishof (2076m)– Sonnenberg (1506m)
Distance: 16.5 km, Ascent: 530m, Descent: 1100m, Walking time: Approx 6 Hrs

After a tasty breakfast of fresh farm produce we are back on the trail. A track takes us gently downhill passing further long-standing mountain farms. We then head South, towards the spectacular village of St. Katharinaberg, perched on a rock above the Schnals valley floor. We pass through sun-kissed slopes as we walk from farm to farm to reach our evening destination on the “Sun Mountain”, the most southernly part of our trek.

Accommodation: Shared room with shower, WC (Evening meal, board & breakfast)

Lunch: Stop at local farm/ guesthouse.

Day 7: Sonnenberg (1506m) – Nasereithütte (1523m)
Distance: 11 km, Ascent: 600m, Descent: 550m, Walking time: Approx 5 Hrs

The penultimate day of our trek continues through alpine meadows, forests and historic high mountain farms. We then pass through the “valley of a thousand steps” down through the Lahnbach valley and Brunnen valley, passing many beautiful waterfalls along the way. This trail traverses east through more alpine pastures and via the Hohe Wiege (High Cradle) viewpoint to take in beautiful panormas of the Passeier valley with Monte Cervina, Monte Ivigna, the Adige and Venosta valleys, as well as the snow-capped peaks of the Tessa mountains. Our last night of the trek we soak in this last dose of mountain goodness with all the elements of our trek – outside impressive peaks above us, babbling brooks, alpine pastures and animals – inside South Tyrol atmosphere and cuisine

Accommodation: Shared room with shower, WC (Evening meal, board & breakfast)

Lunch: Lunch stop in mountain guesthouse.

Day 8: Nasereit Hütte (1523m)– Hochmuth Meran (680m)
Distance: 11 km, Ascent: 440m, Descent: 600m, Walking time: Approx 5 Hrs

Our last day starts with one last climb through magical forest trails, high alpine pastures and further views down to Meran. We then start the descent to the charming Leiteralm where we stop for a final lunch, soaking up the views South. The last part of the trail winds around the side of the mountain with further stunning panormas, taking us back to our starting point at Hochmuth. From here we take the lift back down to Dorf Tirol where we end our trek.

Lunch: Lunch stop in mountain guesthouse.

  • 8 days personalised guided hike with German and English speaking mountain and travel guide.
  • 8 nights lodging (6 nights shared multi-bed rooms, 2 nights twin rooms with private shower/WC)
  • Bedding and towels provided throughout
  • 7 x breakfast, 7 x dinner (mostly 3-course meals)
  • Complete transportation package (return journey from/ to Munich (Friday 6th August & Friday 13th August), all group transfers along the route –see details below)
  • Transfers within tour - return lift pass on the Meran Hochmuth Bahn & bus journey in Pfelder valley
  • Pre-tour information package (including local information, packing & travel guide)
  • Special 4elements’ trek souvenir
  • Tour photo album
  • Lunches (We will mainly stop along the route for refreshments/ lunch)
  • Drinks
  • Personal insurance (travel insurance and personal accident insurance)
  • Tips

Accommodation along this route has been selected for its character, traditional atmosphere and scenic location- giving you a mix of accommodation style with comfort.

Most days we are in traditional private guesthouses, many still working farms- in shared rooms especially for hikers on the Meran High Route. During the middle of our tour we break up the tour with two nights in twin rooms with private showers/bath & toilet, plus wellness area for some rest and relaxation.

Breakfast and dinners are included every day.

The Meran High Route – The Alta Via di Meran – Meraner Höhenweg

One of the most beautiful circuit routes in the Alps, the Meraner Höhenweg is a loop around the Texel Group of mountains. It winds its way through traditional alpine farming landscapes and climbs up into high alpine terrain and rugged landscapes- a stark contrast between the vineyards and apple orchards and palm trees of Meran in the south. Usually the tour can be completed in 5-8 days- we have chosen to stretch out the tour – to include some extra experiences along the route. In particular a day of exploration in the higher alpine section.

Texel mountains

Sandwiched between the Passeier, Schnals and Vinschgau valleys, the Texel group is an impressive range of mountains belonging to the central Alps. With several peaks above 3000m in height- the highest of which being the Roteck (3337m) there is plenty to impress hikers in this area. Thanks to glacial melt and the capacity to store water within its rocks, farming has flourished in this region and to this day old and traditional mountain pastures and farms continue to thrive. We pass many of these historic farms, which are the source of a lot of our nourishment along the trek.

When booking a tour with 4elements it is vital that you have adequate valid travel insurance covering the activities included. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate insurances and ensure you have read and understood the full terms and conditions of your insurance policy to ensure that you are covered for all activities you intend to undertake whilst on the trip, including all optional activities. We also recommend Travel Cancellation Insurance (Reiserücktrittversicherung) in the case that you have to cancel a trip for any reason.

Your Insurance Policy must fully cover you for medical expenses and emergency repatriation to your country of residence. Please ensure your policy includes medical emergency helicopter repatriation in the event of illness or injury –and covers the entire duration of your holiday. For this tour it is vital that you are covered for mountain search and rescue. One of the best offers for this is included in annual membership of the German Alpine Club Deutscher Alpenverein

If you are looking for insurance to cover a single hiking/ mountain tours (Wander- und Bergsportversicherung) or further insurances such as Travel Cancellation Insurance (Reiserücktrittversicherung), then we recommend the following provider for residents in Germany: Travel Secure

Dates, price & booking

Tailormade option

Looking for a tour for a private group?
We also offer this as a private 3-8 day tour option and can fully customise it to your group.

Send Request
Tour length

8 Days

Participants

Min. 4, max. 8 participants

Country/Countries

Austria, Italy

Activity level:
  • Fitness:


  • Technical ability:


Info: Tour / Fitness Grading

Tour experience level:
  • Culture:

  • Cuisine:

  • Landscape:

  • Flora & fauna:

Info: Experience Grading

Further information:
Download tour Info PDF
Tailormade option

Looking for a tour for a private group?
We also offer this as a private 3-8 day tour option and can fully customise it to your group.

Send Request
We are:

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Your travel payments are insured:

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Calculated & reduced carbon footprint & residual emissions off-set with myclimate:

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Off-set your carbon emissions for travel www.myclimate.org

Learn more about our Environmental Sustainabilty policy

The Meran High Route Trek (Meraner Höhenweg)

The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek
The Meran High Route Trek

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