Hello,
Please, help to find great summer hiking destinations in Austria.
Time frame - 8-9 day in Austria at the beginning of July and then Bolzano- Bergamo-Varenna-Milan for 7 days.
After first 3.5 days in Vienna – Salzburg, we would like to find home base for 5-6 days for moderate hiking (6-10 hrs), but with dramatic views. No car, we will try to use public transportation only.
Can anybody, please, recommend some town or village to stay - something similar to Wengen (loved it), Switzerland or Grand Tetons in USA. We would like to see rugged mountains with some snow caps in July. Beautiful mountain/lakes/alpine/meadow/narrow valleys views.
Do not need luxury accommodations or shopping , just medium priced town.
Somebody recommended Lech- a little bit out of our way and expensive, but may be it worth detour? Does St. Anton has about the same views, but more economical and lively at night?
May be some better or comparable choices with amazing July views in Tyrol?
Otz, Ziller , Stubaital, Kitzbühel, Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller, Obergurgl , Ischgl , Neustift im Stubaital- we have seen these places on forums, but very difficult to compare and decide., so we are lost.
It will help if any of these places will provide summer lift card for free, like Lech.
Is it better to have 2 different hiking home bases -3 days +2- 3 days?
My preliminary route so far -Vienna -Salzburg- hiking town- Innsbruck- Bolzano area- Lake Como- Milan.
Thanks a lot for your help.

Bit late to reply, but I hope this helps: I only have experience of one hiking destination in Austria, but I do recommend it - Neustift-im-Stubaital.

Further comments on previous thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ol-austria.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...untain-air.cfm

Thanks PatrickLondon, we already have booked hotel in Lech by the time of your post. We might go for 1 day to Neustift-im-Stubaital when we are in Innsbruck. I have read your previous posts when I did research. Very nice pictures! It is a lot of nice places in Austria, but we will not have a car and time is limited.

Fair enough. If you do go to Stubaital, two possible walks to fit your bill might actually avoid Neustift as such:

(a) get the bus from Innsbruck all the way to the Mutterbergalm at the head of the valley, take the cable car up to the glacier/snowfields for a look and photo options (depending on what's open), then cablecar down again and walk down the valley on the riverside path, past the Glawa Falls and on to Ranalt. Opportunities for refreshments usually up on the glacier, and at the Tschangelairalm or Falbesoner (both conveniently near bus stops).

(b) get the bus or tram from Innsbruck to Fulpmes, take the cable car up to the Schlick, and then follow the Panoramaweg down through the valley to the middle station for the cable car back down to Fulpmes. Refreshment opportunities at the top, and down in the alpine meadows (a couple of hours' walk from the top).