The High Descent — Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Höhe to Heiligenblut

This is Stage 1 of the world-famous Alpe-Adria-Trail. Starting at the dramatic high-alpine amphitheater of the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2,369m), the trail drops roughly 1,000 meters of descent into the legendary mountaineering village of Heiligenblut. You traverse the moraines of the Pasterze glacier, cross the dramatic turquoise Sandersee and Margaritzen reservoirs, and follow the Briccius trail past ancient chapels. The scenery transitions from raw, glacial desolation to the lush, flower-filled meadows of the Möll valley.

Technically Stage 8 of the Swiss Via Alpina, this traverse crosses the border between the Cantons of Glarus and Uri. Starting at Urnerboden—Switzerland's largest alpine pasture—the trail climbs toward the Klausenpass before a massive, spectacular descent into the Schächental valley. The path stays high on the sunny northern slope (the 'Schächentaler Höhenweg'), offering constant views of the jagged Glarus Alps and the limestone spires of the Schärhorn. It is a hike of immense scale and pastoral charm, passing through active cheese-making settlements.