Alps, Europe

The Alps

The first-time visitor to the Alps usually arrives with one image in mind: the Matterhorn or Mont Blanc or the Jungfrau, depending on which postcard they have seen. What most don’t anticipate is the scale of the choices. The Alps run through eight countries and roughly 1,200 kilometres from end to end; the ski resort in Chamonix and the hiking village in Slovenia are technically both “the Alps” and about as similar as a London street and an Orkney croft. Making this more specific is the only way to plan a trip that actually delivers what you came for.

Switzerland: The Jungfrau and the Bernese Oberland

Interlaken is the gateway town, functional and tourist-oriented. The Jungfrau Railway climbs from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres, billing itself as the Top of Europe. It is an extraordinary piece of engineering and the views from the platform are genuine. Round-trip train fares run around CHF 150-200; book in advance and go early to avoid afternoon clouds. The Aletsch Glacier visible from the top is the longest in the Alps at 23 kilometres.

Grindelwald below the Eiger is the better base for actual hiking: trails from town give you the Eiger north face at eye level. The Eiger was not successfully climbed until 1938, and its north face claimed 13 lives before the first ascent. The mountain has a presence.

The Swiss Travel Pass (from around CHF 250 for 3 days) covers trains, buses, boats, and many mountain railways across the country. Good value if you are moving between areas.

France: Chamonix and Mont Blanc

Mont Blanc at 4,808 metres is the highest peak in the Alps and the highest in Europe (depending on how you count the Caucasus). Chamonix at its base is a genuine mountain town with an actual local population alongside the ski resort infrastructure. The Aiguille du Midi cable car (CHF 65 round trip approximately) climbs to 3,842 metres in two stages and gives the most accessible high-altitude alpine experience in western Europe: you step off the cable car at high altitude onto a viewing platform with Mont Blanc above and the Chamonix valley below.

The Tour du Mont Blanc, a 170-kilometre hiking circuit around the massif passing through France, Italy, and Switzerland, takes 7-10 days and requires mountain hut booking in advance for the July-August peak. It is one of the better long-distance walks in the Alps.

Austria: Innsbruck and the Tirol

Innsbruck is a city of 130,000 people with the Nordkette range rising directly behind the old town; you can take a funicular from the city centre to 2,256 metres. The old town has a Habsburg imperial character (Maria Theresa Street) and the Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl), a 15th-century oriel window covered in gilded copper tiles.

The Tirol ski resorts include St. Anton and Sölden (used in Bond film Spectre, which has helped and hurt it depending on who you ask). Summer hiking in the Tirol is excellent and cheaper than the ski season by a considerable margin.

Italy: The Dolomites

The Dolomites in South Tyrol are their own architectural phenomenon: vertical pale limestone towers that look different from any other Alpine range. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks of Lavaredo) are the most-photographed formation and accessible as a loop hike of about 9 kilometres from the rifugio parking area. The region is historically contested between Italy and Austria (it was part of Austria-Hungary until 1919), which is why you can eat Wiener schnitzel in a village where everyone speaks Italian.

Via ferrata routes on the Dolomite cliffs use fixed iron rungs and cables to make vertical sections achievable by non-technical climbers. Several companies in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Bolzano rent the required harness and helmet and guide beginners onto entry-level routes.

Practical Notes

The mountains in summer (June to September) are excellent for hiking and significantly less crowded than ski season. Book mountain huts (refugios/huts) in advance for July and August. Weather changes rapidly; carry waterproof layers regardless of the morning forecast. For high-altitude routes above 2,500 metres, acclimatise by spending a day at moderate altitude before ascending higher. Cotton clothing is dangerous in cold wet mountain conditions; synthetic or wool base layers are the correct choice.

Pack everything you need for the day before heading up any cable car; mountain food and equipment rental are expensive at altitude.