Day trip to Highline179 bridge in Reutte (Tirol), Austria

The Highline179 is a massive suspension bridge located in Reutte, a small town in the western Austrian state of Tirol. Tourists mostly visit this bridge as a day trip along with the fairytale castle – Neuschwanstein Schloss located in Füssen, Germany.

The 360° panoramic experience makes the bridge a must-visit attraction.

Highline179 bridge highlights

• Bridge length – 406m
• Height – 114m
• Entered the Guinness Book of World Records as ‘Longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world in Tibetian style’ in December 2014.
• Bridge weight – 70 tons
• Max load – 500 people

How to reach Highline179 bridge by public transportation

The bridge can be easily reached by public transport. If you are visiting from Germany (like us), you need to take the Bayern day ticket. It is one of the Regional day tickets available in Germany. Here is the route

1. Train #RB 73 – Kempten <—> Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Get down at the train station: Reutte
   Note: Currently train services stop at Pfronten-Steinach. Connecting bus SEV shall take to Reutte main bus station.
   • The frequency is every one hour
   • Price: Bayern day tickets start from 26€ for one person + 8€ for every additional person (upto 5 maximum)
2. Bus #150 – Reutte Schulzentrum <—> Nassereith. Get down in bus stop: Abzw Ehrenberger Klause
   • The frequency is 2 – 3 hours. I have included the bus timetable
   • Price: One-way ticket is 1.3€

Once you get down at the Ehrenberger Klause bus stop, follow the signs for Highline179. In a few hundred meters, you reach the car parking. Proceed straight through an arch and now you can find the ticket counter to your right.

Highline179 entrance fee

1. Access to the bridge – 8€
2. Kombi ticket includes an elevator to the top – 15€
3. The indoor ticket includes museum entry at the base – 10.8 €
   Note: To access the bridge, only an outdoor ticket should be bought.

Opening times

1. Summer season (May – November): 9.00 – 18.00 hours
2. Winter season (December – April): 10.00 – 16.00 hours

Always do check the official website Highline179 for opening times before your visit.

Hike or Elevator?

To reach the top, there are two options: a 15-20 minute hike or through an elevator (a few minutes). We decided to hike. Initially, there are a few steps followed by a dedicated hiking route. Most tourists prefer hiking as the route isn’t very difficult.

By the time you are tired and feel like taking a short break, you are already at the top. Simultaneously, you can see the elevator going above your head carrying people to the top.

Pro-tip: At the top, near elevator exit point, there is a free washroom. Washroom at the base costs 1€.

Walking through the Highline179 bridge

You validate the ticket just before the bridge entry. The walk through the Highline179 was surreal. It was my first-time experience. You will be blown away by the massive suspension bridge built only for pedestrians. Fascinating, isn’t it?

With enough people walking through, the bridge always swings left to right making life difficult for the faint-hearted and for those who are afraid of heights. If you are one of these two categories think twice before you cross.

Slowly we proceeded and one can feel the tension due to the winds. Every step you keep one can sense the bridge wobble. Despite everything, we managed to click countless pictures throughout our walk.

At a breathtaking altitude of 114m, you cross Highway 179 from one end to the other, hence the bridge gets the name ‘Highline179’. Looking down from the bridge makes your heart beat rise.

The bridge is also one of the best places for wedding photography.  The views throughout the walk are stunning, a definitive nature 360° view of the mountains and valley.

Once you reach the other end of the bridge, validate your ticket and exit. Don’t worry, you can re-validate and enter once again (but only once). To your left, there is a picture-perfect viewpoint offering a bird’s eye view of the entire bridge along with the Ehrenberg castle.

Other attractions at the Highline179

Ehrenberg Castle

At the top, just before you enter the bridge, you can first hike up the Ehrenberg castle (10 minutes). Built-in the 13 century, only the ruins remain today. The castle is being renovated in recent times. From the castle’s viewpoint, one has a complete view of the bridge at a higher elevation.

Fort Claudia

Once you cross and exit the bridge on the other side, optionally one can hike up to the Forst Claudia. It takes 5-10 minutes to reach the ruins of Fort Claudia.

Other attractions near Highline179

If your trip is by public transport, the options are limited. The best activity is to visit the Heiterwanger See (lake).

How to reach Heiterwanger See by public transport?

1. Hike down to the base, go to the same bus stop where you got down in the morning –  Abzw Ehrenberger Klause.
2. Board the same bus #150 direction – Nassereith.
3. Two stops and 5 minutes later, get down at the bus stop – Heiterwang Gemeindeamt.  The See is now 20 minutes walk.

The walk to the See is magical, surrounded by mountains on all sides. You reach the parking area first, followed by a camping area and then a magnificent view of the See. Optionally you can go for a boat ride which is subject to the weather. There is a bus stop (#151) right at the lake but doesn’t run on Saturdays. Stupid, isn’t it?

After spending a few hours, you can walk back to the same bus stop ‘Heiterwang Gemeindeamt’, and board the bus SEV in the direction – Pfronten-Steinach.

If the train service is operating, then board the train from Heiterwang train station to Kempten directly. The train station was closed during our visit.

Is the Highline179 worth visiting?

Highline179, the engineering marvel is one of the unique things to do in your life. Visiting any typical European cities in Germany, Spain, or France won’t give you this feeling as your day’s activity is almost the same. Nevertheless, it was great fun visiting the bridge with my bunch of friends. I wish to visit the Highline179 once again in winter for a 360° view of the snow.