| If you're keen on walking, then Austria is a | | | | Getting ready for a walk in Austria is the same as |
| wonderful place to visit. Austrians have always | | | | anywhere - be prepared. Always take water with |
| been keen on walking through the mountains, and | | | | you, and enough food for the day. Also carry |
| now visitors are discovering the beauties of | | | | extra clothing in case the weather changes during |
| Austria's mountains in the warmer months as well. | | | | the day and becomes cold or wet. It's also a |
| So why not join them? | | | | good idea to check local weather forecasts |
| One of the good things about walking in Austria is | | | | before you go, and look for any avalanche |
| that most trails are clearly labeled and there are | | | | warnings. Carry a mobile phone if you have one, |
| good maps to help you find your way around. | | | | in case you need emergency assistance. And |
| Many trails have direction signs along the way, or | | | | check your insurance policy - a mountain rescue |
| else a red-white-red striped sign placed on a | | | | can be very expensive, so it's worth checking to |
| convenient tree trunk is used to indicate the path. | | | | make sure you're covered, just in case. |
| Nowadays, many areas have followed the lead of | | | | If you're going on a multi-day hike, then you need |
| the Tirol region and now mark their trails | | | | to find out about the location and availability of |
| according to difficulty. This system is the same as | | | | the various Alpine huts that are dotted around |
| the one used for cross-country skiing trails, where | | | | the slopes. All the usual hiking courtesies apply, |
| blue indicates an easy trail, red for moderate | | | | and it's particularly important that you carry your |
| difficulty, and black for difficult. Moderate trails are | | | | rubbish with you. Don't try and bury it, because |
| often narrow and quite steep, and you need to | | | | this disturbs the ground, promotes erosion, and it's |
| be physically fit for black trails, which are very | | | | likely it will be dug up again by an animal who may |
| demanding and may require some climbing. | | | | suffer ill effects as a consequence. |
| A good place to start is the local tourist office in | | | | Finally, you might want to spend some time |
| Austria. They generally have walking maps for | | | | before you arrive in Austria reading up about the |
| free, or more detailed guides for a small charge. | | | | various areas where walking is popular, so that |
| Most of the best trails are further into the | | | | you can decide exactly where you want to go. |
| mountains, away from towns and villages. If you | | | | The Tirol is probably the most popular destination |
| can, it's probably worth paying for a cable car ride | | | | for walkers, but it's certainly not the only choice. |
| up the mountain, if that's where your chosen trail | | | | And most important of all - enjoy yourself! |
| begins. | | | | |