Three countries, six valleys and countless summits. This classic alpine crossing along the E5 hiking trail comprises 8 stages taking walkers from Oberstdorf through Tirol to Meran/Merano in Italy. As hikers make their way south, the landscape changes from high alpine terrain with peaks over 3,000m to warmer climes where palm treees grow. From start to finish the hike has 10,000 vertical metres of ascent spread over 180 kilometres through the Allgäu Alps, the Lechtal Alps and the Ötztal Alps. Stages two to six are either partially or completely in Tirol.This hike from the southernmost corner of Germany across Austria to Italy is a serious undertaking and requires hiking experience and good fitness levels. Each stage involves between five and nine hours of hiking on sometimes challenging mountain paths. However, the views and experiences along the way more than make up for all that hard work!- European Ramblers Association: era-ewv-ferp.org/e-paths- Link: tyrol.com/map#/winter/46.9971,10.7268,10/1/info/addressbase_51491/TwHikingtourAddressbase/E5%20Long-Distance%20Hiking%20Trail