Читать книгу The Adlerweg. The Eagle's Way across the Austrian Tyrol онлайн

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A wide variety of animals and plants can be found. The lower meadows are carpeted with wild flowers in late spring, while once the snow disappears the upper slopes come alive with alpine plants, including edelweiss and gentian. Chamois, ibex and marmots can be seen throughout the route. However, as you are walking the Eagle’s Way, the creature you will most want to find is likely to be the eponymous golden eagle. Keep a good lookout and you may see one soaring around the highest peaks. If, however, wild eagles prove illusive, the route passes Innsbruck’s Alpine zoo, where there are two captive golden eagles.

Golden eagle in Innsbruck Alpen zoo (Stage 12a)

The Tyrol tourist organisation describes the Adlerweg as ‘arguably the most beautiful long-distance trail in Austria’. Does it live up to this claim? That is for you to decide. Walk it and see!

Background

Austria

Located in the centre of the continent straddling the Alps, Austria is Europe’s 17th largest country by size, and, with 8.3 million inhabitants, its 18th by population. It shares borders with Germany (with which it also shares a common language), the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Its position with the Danube, one of Europe’s most important waterways, to the north, and the Brenner, the most accessible alpine pass, to the south, has made Austria the crossroads of central Europe.