Hiking, May 2026 — five trip ideas

Option A · Slovenia · stationary

Base in Bovec

Four nights in the same village. Drive to a different valley each day.

Sleeping

1 hotel × 4

Effort

Easy

Max altitude

2,072 m

Drive from Wien

~5 h, 470 km

Bovec — forecast loading…

Mon 18

🌤️

14°C

clear AM

mtn —

Tue 19

⛅

17°C

partly cloudy

mtn —

Wed 20

☁️

20°C

cloudy

mtn —

Thu 21

⛅

20°C

mixed

mtn —

Fri 22

☀️

22°C

sunny PM

mtn —

Day-trips radiate from Bovec.

Mon 18

Drive in. Vienna → Bovec in 5h. Evening walk along the Soča.

Tue 19

Gorge day. Velika Korita + Boka waterfall (144m drop), 4h loop.

Wed 20

High road. Mangart Saddle, Slovenia's highest road, ridge walk at 2,072m.

Thu 21

Flex day. Lepena, Krn flanks, or Kobarid + Hiša Franko gardens.

Fri 22

Home. Morning Soča source walk in Trenta. Drive back.

Sun 24

Drive in. Vienna → Bovec in 5h. Evening walk along the Soča.

Mon 25

Gorge day. Velika Korita + Boka waterfall, 4h loop.

Tue 26

High road. Mangart Saddle (2,072m). Or Kobarid + Hiša Franko if the high road still has snow.

Wed 27

Home. Morning Soča source walk in Trenta. Drive back.

Flexibility One hotel booking, no schedules. If a day's weather sours, swap days around.

Option B · Slovenia · alpine traverse

The Krn Lakes Refuge

Two nights up at a 1,385m mountain lodge, descending across the massif to a village inn.

Sleeping

Hotel + 2× hut + village

Effort

Hut-to-hut, 5–7h

Max altitude

2,182 m

Drive from Wien

~5 h, 470 km

Krn area — forecast loading…

Mon 18

🌤️

14°C

clear AM

mtn —

Tue 19

⛅

17°C

partly cloudy

mtn —

Wed 20

☁️

20°C

cloudy

mtn —

Thu 21

⛅

20°C

mixed

mtn —

Fri 22

☀️

22°C

sunny PM

mtn —

Dashed line = the hiking route. Car shuttles only on Day 2.

Mon 18

Drive in. Vienna → Bovec, hotel night.

Tue 19

Drop the car, walk up. Drive Bovec → Kobarid (40 min), park for the week. Pre-booked shuttle Kobarid → Lepena (~€35). Hike up to Krn Lakes Lodge (4h, +750m).

Wed 20

Plateau day. Lake Krn, traverse to Gomišček Shelter (2,182m). Back to the lodge.

Thu 21

Down to Kobarid. South via Kuhinja → Drežnica → Kobarid. Hotel + car waiting.

Fri 22

Home. Drive Kobarid → Vienna.

Sun 24

Drive in. Vienna → Kobarid (5h), hotel night, park for the week.

Mon 25

Walk up. Shuttle Kobarid → Lepena (~€35). Hike to Krn Lakes Lodge (4h, +750m).

Tue 26

Plateau day. Lake Krn, traverse to Gomišček Shelter (2,182m). Back to the lodge.

Wed 27

Long day home. Down via Kuhinja → Drežnica → Kobarid, then 5h drive back.

Big caveat — call before counting on this The PZS listing currently shows the Krn Lakes Lodge as "shut down" with only the 18-bed winter room available. That may just be off-season status, but it needs a phone call to confirm staffed summer opening. Contact PD Nova Gorica: +386 5 8280 300 / krn@sps.eco. Also: snow may linger on the south traverse to Gomišček.

Option C · Austria · hut base

Gesäuse — Heßhütte base

Styrian limestone walls, Austria's youngest national park, two nights at a mountain hut at 1,699m. Easy drive, low crowds.

Admont with the Hochtor mountain range behind

Sleeping

Inn + 2× hut + inn

Effort

Moderate hiking

Max altitude

2,369 m

Drive from Wien

~3 h, 215 km

Gstatterboden + Heßhütte — forecast loading…

Mon 18

🌤️

12°C

clear AM

mtn —

Tue 19

☁️

14°C

overcast

mtn —

Wed 20

☁️

15°C

cloudy, dry

mtn —

Thu 21

🌧️

16°C

wet

mtn —

Fri 22

⛅

18°C

mixed

mtn —

Heßhütte sits on the Ennsecksattel between Hochtor and Hochzinödl.

Mon 18

Drive in. Vienna → Gstatterboden 3h via A2 + Selzthal. Afternoon Enns gorge walk.

Tue 19

Up to the hut. Drive 20 min to Johnsbach (Gasthof Kölbl), hike trail 601 to Heßhütte. 3h, +848m.

Wed 20

Summit day. Hochtor (2,369m) or Hochzinödl (2,191m). Back to hut.

Thu 21

Rain day, descend. Heßhütte → Wasserfallweg → Gstatterboden (3h, exposed in places). Pick up car.

Fri 22

Home via Wachau. Drive home, optional Heuriger lunch.

Sun 24

Drive in. Vienna → Gstatterboden 3h. Afternoon Enns gorge walk.

Mon 25

Up to the hut. Drive 20 min to Johnsbach, hike trail 601 to Heßhütte (3h, +848m).

Tue 26

Summit day. Hochtor (2,369m) or Hochzinödl (2,191m). Back to hut.

Wed 27

Descend & home. Wasserfallweg → Gstatterboden (3h), then 3h home.

Hochtor + Ödstein group — Hochtor + Ödstein

Caveats Heßhütte opens "in May" — phone +43 664 430 80 60 to confirm 2026 start. Hochtor at 2,369m may hold snow on north faces; Johnsbach approach (trail 601) is safer than the Peternpfad. Wasserfallweg descent is T3.

Option D · Austria · road-trip + hut

Hohe Tauern — Krimml & Großglockner

Austria's biggest national park. One mountain-hut night, one Großglockner Hochalpenstraße drive, glacier views, the country's highest peaks.

Sleeping

3× hotel + 1× hut

Effort

Moderate, day-walks

Max altitude

2,571 m (drive)

Drive from Wien

~5 h, 460 km

Mittersill + Tauernhaus — forecast loading…

Mon 18

🌤️

10°C

clear AM

mtn —

Tue 19

🌧️

12°C

wet

mtn —

Wed 20

☁️

14°C

cloudy dry

mtn —

Thu 21

🌧️

11°C

wet

mtn —

Fri 22

⛅

17°C

clearing

mtn —

West-to-east arc: Krimml → Felbertauern tunnel south → Großglockner road north-to-south → Heiligenblut.

Mon 18

Long drive in. Vienna → Krimml/Mittersill, ~5h. Afternoon Krimml Falls (380m drop).

Tue 19

Wet-day exploring. WasserWunderWelt indoor, Zell am See lake walk, or thermal bath.

Wed 20

Up the Achental. Krimmler Tauernhaus opens today. Hike up (2.5h, +500m). Sleep at 1,631m.

Thu 21

Drive over to Heiligenblut. Felbertauern south, then Großglockner road. Pasterze viewpoint.

Fri 22

Home. Drive Heiligenblut → Vienna via Tauernautobahn, ~5h.

Sun 24

Long drive in. Vienna → Krimml, ~5h. Afternoon Krimml Falls (380m drop).

Mon 25

Up the Achental. Hike to Krimmler Tauernhaus (2.5h, +500m). Sleep at 1,631m.

Tue 26

Drive over to Heiligenblut. Felbertauern south, Großglockner road, Pasterze viewpoint.

Wed 27

Home. Drive Heiligenblut → Vienna, ~5h. No rest day.

Großglockner Hochalpenstraße — The Hochalpenstraße

Verified, plus caveats Großglockner Hochalpenstraße confirmed open since April 25, 2026 (May hours 06:00–20:00; toll price via the official site). Krimmler Tauernhaus confirmed opens May 20, 2026 (per their website). Matreier Tauernhaus confirmed closed in May. Most high alpine huts (Stüdlhütte, Glorerhütte, etc.) don't open until late June — this is a road-trip with one hut night, not a hut traverse.

Option E · Austria · Tyrolean city + dolomites hut

Lienz & the Lienzer Dolomiten

A small Tyrolean city as base, with a night up at Karlsbader Hütte beside the turquoise Laserzsee.

Sleeping

Lienz inn + 1–2× hut

Effort

Moderate hiking

Max altitude

2,260 m (hut)

Drive from Wien

~5.5 h, 525 km

Lienz + Karlsbader Hütte — forecast loading…

Lienz in the valley, Dolomitenhütte (drive-up), and Karlsbader Hütte at the Laserzsee.

Mon 18

Drive in. Vienna → Lienz, ~5.5h. Evening Hauptplatz walk.

Tue 19

Warm-up walk. Schlossberg + Schloss Bruck loop, or up the Hochstein lift area. Sleep Lienz.

Wed 20

Up to the hut. Drive Mautstraße from Amlach to Dolomitenhütte (1,620m, ~20min). Hike trail to Karlsbader Hütte at Laserzsee (2,260m, 2–2.5h, +650m). Sleep at the lake.

Thu 21

Laserzsee day. Walk around the lake, scramble toward Laserzwand or Simonskopf (snow-dependent). Descend to Dolomitenhütte or Lienz.

Fri 22

Home. Drive Lienz → Vienna.

Sun 24

Drive in. Vienna → Lienz, ~5.5h. Pfingstwochenende — book the hut early. Sleep Lienz.

Mon 25

Up to the hut. Mautstraße to Dolomitenhütte, hike to Karlsbader Hütte (2–2.5h, +650m). Sleep at Laserzsee.

Tue 26

Laserzsee day. Walks around the lake. Descend to Dolomitenhütte for night 2.

Wed 27

Down & home. Descend to car, drive Vienna ~5.5h.

Karlsbader Hütte at Laserzsee — Karlsbader Hütte + Laserzsee

Lienzer Dolomiten sunset — Sunset over the dolomites

Risk

Hut date marginal, snow above 2,200m

	A · Bovec base	B · Krn Lakes	C · Gesäuse	D · Hohe Tauern	E · Lienzer Dolomiten
Country	Slovenia	Slovenia	Austria	Austria	Austria
Drive from Wien	~5 h	~5 h	~3 h	~5 h	~5.5 h
Effort	Easy day-walks	Hut-to-hut, 5–7h	Day hikes from hut base	Mostly road-trip	Day hikes + alpine hut
Max altitude	2,072 m (drive-up)	2,182 m (foot)	2,369 m	2,571 m (drive-up)	2,260 m (hut)
Sleeping	One hotel × 4	Hotel + 2× hut + village	Inn + 2× hut + inn	3× hotel + 1× hut	Lienz inn + 1–2× hut
Weather flex	Total — swap days	Fixed once we're up	Two flex days	Re-route freely	Good — valley fallback
Alpine feel	Drives to viewpoints	Sleep above the treeline	Limestone hut	3,500m peaks in view	Hut at turquoise alpine lake
Booking pressure	Hotel only	Hut + village + shuttle	Hut + inn (phone only)	Hotel ×3 + Tauernhaus	Hut at Pfingsten = busy
Risk	Mangart road late?	Hut may not be open	Hochtor snow	Long drive	Snow above 2,200m, hut date marginal

Recommendation

If you want a holiday: A. Same bed every night, short walks, long breakfasts. Bovec's weather is mixed in both windows but the format absorbs it — swap days as you like.

If you want a trip: B. Two nights at the 1,385m lodge, sleeping above the treeline. Skip it in a wet window.

If you want Austrian-only: C, especially in W2 — short drive, hut at 1,699m, limestone walls, low crowds.

If you want the biggest sights: D. Großglockner, Pasterze, Krimml Falls in one trip. But it has the longest drives — would skip in a wet window.

If you want a postcard alpine lake: E. Best in W1 (the hut's only just opened; Pfingsten W2 means competing for beds). Snow may still be on the summit trails — the lake-level walking should be fine.

Hiking in May

All by car

Two weeks to choose from

Five different trips

Base in Bovec

The Krn Lakes Refuge

Gesäuse — Heßhütte base

Hohe Tauern — Krimml & Großglockner

Lienz & the Lienzer Dolomiten

Side by side

A Bovec base

B Krn Lakes

C Gesäuse

D Hohe Tauern

E Lienzer Dolomiten

Recommendation