Via Alpina Red Trail

Information

Distance

2614.0 km

Duration

120–165 days

Max elevation

2,823 m

Country

Italy (IT)

Difficulty

Very strenuous — ultra-long trans-Alpine route with 161 stages and a cumulative elevation of more than 100,000 m; only for experienced trekkers capable of self-navigation in the open wilderness

Best Season

June–September (high-altitude stages are snow-free; valley stages are passable year-round)

Permits & Fees

No special permit required; some national park areas such as Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio (Italy) and Nationalpark Hohe Tauern (Austria) charge a small entry fee. Camping rules vary by country.

Description

The Via Alpina Red Trail (Sentier Rouge) is an ultra-long-distance walking route of approximately 2,614 km crossing eight Alpine nations from Trieste on Italy's Adriatic coast to Monaco on the Mediterranean. Launched in 2002 for the International Year of Mountains, it is divided into 161 daily stages traversing Slovenia, Italy (Alto Adige and the Dolomites), Austria (Tyrol and Vorarlberg), Germany (Bavaria), Liechtenstein, Switzerland (Graubünden and Valais), France (Alpes Maritimes), and Monaco. With cumulative elevation gain exceeding 100,000 m and terrain ranging from wooded valley floors to rocky cols above 2,800 m, a non-stop traverse takes four to six months; most walkers complete it in stages over several seasons.

Trail Highlights

The world's longest trans-Alpine walking trail: from the Adriatic coast at Trieste (Italy) to the Mediterranean Sea at Monaco, passing through the Dolomites, the Tyrol valleys, the Bavarian Alps, Swiss Graubünden, Valais, and the French Alpes Maritimes across eight countries.