Long-Distance Hiking Trail
Euregio Maria Pilgrimage Trail 2

Stage 1: Kufstein – Ebbs – Walchsee – Kössen

Uphill/downhill: 590/491 vertical metres, walking time: 8 hours, distance: 29.2 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Stage one of this adventure begins at the Marienbrunnen fountain in the centre of Kufstein. Hikers head along a section of the "Kaiseraufstieg" trail via Ebbs with its baroque parish church – also known as the "Cathedral of Ebbs" – and then north around the Zahmer Kaiser Mountains to the village of Walchsee. After a rest on the shores of the Walchsee lake it is time to complete the final push to Kössen.

Stage 2: Kössen – Unterwössen – Marquartstein

Uphill/downhill: 700/749 vertical metres, walking time: 6 hours, distance: 19.1 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Take the "Schmugglerpfad" ("Smugglers' Trail") from Kössen along the banks of the Großache river to Maria Klobenstein. There, above the Entenlochklamm gorge, hikers cross the river via a hanging footbridge. It is then time to pass from Austria into Germany where the route continues via Unterwössen to Marquartstein.

Stage 3: Marquartstein – Maria Eck – Siegsdorf

Uphill/downhill: 574/509 vertical metres, walking time: 6.5 hours, distance: 22 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Marquartstein marks the start of the third stage. Hikers head north around the Hochfelln mountain – and the northern slopes of the Chiemgau Alps – via Bergen and the Monastery of Maria Eck to Siegsdorf with its baroque parish church and pilgrimage museum.

Stage 4: Siegsdorf – Inzell – Schneizlreuth

Uphill/downhill: 792/858 vertical metres, walking time: 7.5 hours, distance: 24.8 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Leaving from Siegsdorf, hikers take the "Salinenweg" trail heading south-east as far as Inzell. From there the route continues on the "Schwarzbachklammweg" trail to Weißbach and then on to Scheizlreuth on the border between Bavaria (Germany) and Salzburg (Austria).

Stage 5: Schneizlreuth  – Lofer – Maria Kirchental

Uphill/downhill: 702/373 vertical metres, walking time: 6 hours, distance: 21.8 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Stage five initially heads south-west through the Saalachtal Valley. Hikers then cross from Germany back into Austria at the Steinpass and continue via Unken along the banks of the Saalach river to Kniepass Castle and Lofer before heading south to the Maria Kirchental place of pilgrimage.

Stage 6: Maria Kirchental – Waidring – St.Ulrich – St. Jakob in Haus

Uphill/downhill: 392/427 vertical metres, walking time: 7 hours, distance: 27 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

From Maria Kirchental hikers head back to Lofer. There the route swings left into the Strubtal Valley, where they cross from Salzburg into Tirol and follow the valley in a westerly direction to Waidring with its parish church. From there it is time to head south into the Pillerseetal Valley, through the village of St. Ulrich and on to St. Jakob in Haus. This marks the end of stage six and is a good base for exploring the Buchensteinwand mountain with its 30-metre-high cross on the summit where visitors can walk inside and climb to the top to enjoy the fabulous views.

Stage 7: St. Jakob in Haus – Fieberbrunn – St. Johann i. T. – Going

Uphill/downhill: 382/464 vertical metres, walking time: 8 hours, distance: 28.7 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Stage seven is relatively long and begins in St. Jakob. The first section leads to the village of Fieberbrunn and then, following the Fieberbrunner Ache river, to St. Johann in Tirol with its parish church well worth a visit. From there, follow the route west along the slopes of the Wilder Kaiser Mountains to the village of Going.

Stage 8: Going – Ellmau – Söll – Bad Häring

Uphill/downhill: 592/763 vertical metres, walking time: 7 hours, distance: 22.7 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Stage eight takes hikers from Going along the Wilder Kaiser Mountains via Ellmau, Scheffau and Söll to Bad Häring, a former mining village perched on a plateau above the Inn Valley.

Stage 9: Bad Häring  – Mariastein –  Breitenbach

Uphill/downhill: 319/394 vertical metres, walking time: 5.5 hours, distance: 20.2 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Leaving from Bad Häring the route heads into the valley, via the village of Langkampfen along the wide Inn Valley up to the popular Mariastein place of pilgrimage with its iconic tower. Hikers then continue all the way to Breitenbach am Inn, home to one of the oldest parish churches in the Unterland (eastern) region of Tirol.

Stage 10: Breitenbach – Mariathal/Kramsach – Kaiserhaus

Uphill/downhill: 441/235 vertical metres, walking time: 6.5 hours, distance: 24.3 kilometres, difficulty rating: intermediate

From Breitenbach the route leads further west, above the Inn river. Shortly before reaching Kramsach with its Mariathal parish church hikers pass two lakes: the Reintalersee and the Krummsee. The route then swings north into the Tiefenbachklamm gorge and heads along the banks of the Brandenberger Ache river, crossing it several times, via Pinegg to Kaiserhaus at the start of the Kaiserklamm gorge.

Stage 11: Kaiserhaus – Riedenberg – Bayrischzell

Uphill/downhill: 761/678 vertical metres, walking time: 8.5 hours, distance: 25.4 kilometres, difficulty rating: intermediate

Stage eleven leads from Kaiserhaus in an easterly direction through the Ellbachgraben and via Riedenberg and the Fürschlachtklause to Wacht. Follow the trail over the Ursprungpass and cross over into Bavaria before continuing to Bayrischzell.

Stage 12: Bayrischzell  – Fischbachau – Osterhofen – Sudelfeld

Uphill/downhill: 716/413 vertical metres, walking time: 6.5 hours, distance: 19.8 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

Stage eleven heads out of the valley via Osterhofen to the Maria Himmelfahrt place of pilgrimage in Birkenstein. Take the trail into the centre of the village of Fischbachau, home to the oldest Romance basilica in Bavaria. Then head back along the same route to Oberberg, turn left and continue via Hochkreuth to Sudelfeld.

Stage 13: Sudelfeld – Oberaudorf – Kiefersfelden – Kufstein

Uphill/downhill: 600/1,200 vertical metres, walking time: 8 hours, distance: 24.2 kilometres, difficulty rating: easy

The final stage is one of the longest. Time to draw on those final energy reserves! The route leads via Sudelfeld in an easterly direction into the Auerbachtal Valley and then on to Oberaudorf before heading down into the Inn Valley. From there hikers head south via Kiefersfelden and the "Hechtseeweg" trail back to Kufstein, the starting and finishing point of this long-distance adventure.