Der Traumpfad, or "the dream way", is the brain child of a German hiker. Not surprising, considering the physical effort required to complete it. Taking you from Munich to Venice, it is a classic long distance Alpine crossing, allowing the hiker to experience the full range of Alpine geology, scenery, flora and fauna.
Do this trail if:
This is not your first hike in the Alps.
You are experienced in Alpine trekking and enjoy the experience and the challenges it brings.
Looking to experience the Dolomites in all of their spiky glory.
Enjoy a bit of culture in your hiking. This trail allows you to experience the subtle changes in language and food and culture.
Added bonus: you are a world war one nerd. Marvel at the stupidity of humanity in conducting a war at 3,000m.
Trail Fact Sheet:
Start point: Marienplatz, Munich.
End point: Piazza San Marco, Venice
Distance: 569km
Elevation gain: 27,000m
Number of days required to complete : 29 (according to the German guide) or 30 (according to the English guide). This does not include rest days.
Season: last June to September.
Where do I sleep?: Mostly mountain huts, with the occasional hotel in the valley.
Possible with a tent: pitching a tent is prohibited in the national parks in Italy. However, some people do carry a tent when hiking this trail. Make sure you know the local rules and leave no trace behind.
Is it difficult: moderate to challenging.
The first 2 days - from Munich to Bad Tölz - are relatively flat. Once you reach Tarzo in Italy you are out of the mountains and the last 4 days are in the valley north of Venice. Everything in between comes with an Alpine-style amount of ascents and descents, including days of +1500 meters.
You need to be able to: (1) deal with major elevation gains on a daily basis (2) do it while carrying a backpack with all of your gear, (3) handle rocky terrain and (4) do all of this at hight of up to 3000m.
How busy does it get? While not a lot of people do this specific trail, it does overlap with some of the most popular trails in the Dolomites. From Rifugio Genova to Alleghe it overlapps with the northern sections of the Alta Via 2. It then turns east to overlap with the southern sections of the Alta Via 1, from Rifugio Tissi to Belluno.
Do I need to book in advance? Depends. Let me explain:
The sections overlapping with the AV2 and even more so, the AV1 tend to get very busy, and the huts get fully booked almost every night in July and August.
If you plan on walking this is August, like I did - I would strongly recommend booking the whole thing in advance.
Walking in June and September - consider allowing yourself more flexibility. Remember to make sure the huts are open in your intended date. There's no specific, unified date in which huts in the Alps open and close.
Of course, if you carry a tent and are in good shape, and are willing to take the risk - you have full flexibility.
As a rule of thumb, if you do choose to book in advance, start with 1. the huts where there's no other alternatives on that day and/or 2. the very popular huts. Use them as an anchor for your dates, and take it from there.
My thoughts on the trail:
The trail was harder than other Alpine treks I did. South Tirol and the Dolomites are rockier than the more western Alps. There's a good amount of rocky areas to cross, plus some sections with metal cables and ladders. While none of these requires special equipment, they can add to complexity.
Most people I met who did the thru-hike were Germans. They all skipped the first two days and went directly to the mountains.
Walking on my own, and not carrying a tent, I booked everything in advance, and good thing I did: many of the huts were full every night. It did require creativity when I was faced with having to make changes (see my hiking diary for all of my exciting adventures), but I am unable and unwilling to start a day's hiking without knowing that I will have somewhere to sleep at the end of the day.
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