THE AUSTRIAN TIROL

Regional variation and specialist facilities add interest to the dramatic Alpine walking routes of the Austrian Tirol

The Tirol forms the western arm of Austria, stretching between Germany and Italy towards Switzerland. Two sets of Alps run west to east through the region; the Northern Limestone Alps which follow the border with Germany, and the High or Central Alps in the south. The two ranges are separated by the Inn river which is punctuated half way along by Innsbruck, the provincial capital. The Tirol’s current boundaries are the result of the Treaty of St Germain which, after the Second World War, saw South Tirol becoming part of Italy. The Austrian Tirol now consists of the main Tirol province and a second area known as Östtirol to the south-east.

Outdoor attractions

Tourism is the backbone industry of the Tirol. The province receives substantially more visitors than any other area of Austria – over twice as many as neighbouring Salzburgerland, the next most popular region – and it is unsurprising that the mountains are the magnet.

Most of the peaks in the Central Alps are over 3,000m and the majority of them are glaciated. In winter, the main activities are snowboarding and skiing, a focus which, for some visitors, persists into the summer as they venture to extreme heights for glacial skiing. In summer the Tirol is transformed. Not only is it quieter but the verdure of the flora – dense green fields and jewel-hued wildflowers – is all the more stunning when compared with the ice-white blanket which covers it for much of the year.

Walking
The Austrian Tirol is divided into five regions: in the west, remote Ausserfern and below it the Oberland with the frozen expanse of the Ötztaler Alps; in the centre, historic Innsbruck and its surrounds; and in the east, the Unterland and the separate Tirolean enclave of Östtirol. To an extent these regions vary, giving walkers an opportunity to choose the flavour of excursions. For wildlife, Östtirol with its portion of the Hohe Tauern National Park is best; for culture, Innsbruck has the greatest variety; for Bavarian influence, Ausserfern; for glaciers, the Oberland.

Whichever area is chosen, all have well-marked trails with opportunities both for low-level river, forest and valley walks or for high-altitude options. Even among the alpine trails there is variation. A walk in the rugged Zillertal in the Central Alps will differ both in scenery and difficulty from one in the limestone mountains of the Ausserfern.

Specialities
The Tirol offers the usual services of mountain guides and schools common within the Alpine regions. In addition it offers fixed-rope climbs. Also known as vie ferrate, or iron routes, fixed-rope climbs are challenging mountain routes which have been made more accessible by affixing ladders, ropes and permanent belays. They are graded from ‘easy’, which are accessible to hikers of moderate fitness, to ‘very difficult’ for experienced mountaineers only. The abundance of fixed-rope routes within Tirol may be a legacy from one of its more famous 19th century climbers, Hermann von Barth. He proclaimed that ‘none of the huge mountains will remain untouched by my irons’, and proceeded in one summer to climb eighty eight of the mountains in the Karwendel range which rises behind Innsbruck. It was following this, at the end of the 19th century, that development of the vie ferrate began.

Another interesting type of route offered in the Tirol is the Tiroler Ausstellungsstrassen, or exhibition trails. Trails focus on periods of art and architecture – Baroque, Rococo and Gothic – and lead visitors between pieces held in varied settings within the province. Brochures describe the items, their location and the ‘art walks’ which connect them.

A further exhibition trail focuses upon Maximilian I, a member of the powerful Habsburg dynasty, who ruled as Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 to 1519. Maximilian was fond of Innsbruck and used it as his base from which to pursue policies of western expansionism. He spent much time and money beautifying the city with buildings and art patronage. Highlights of Maxmilian’s exhibition trail include his Renaissance sarcophagus in the Imperial church, and the Golden Roof tower. Made from thousands of gilded copper tiles, the Golden Roof was built as a symbol of Maximilian’s power and now houses a museum with exhibits from his reign.

Zillertaler Alps
The Zillertaler Alps are part of the Central Alps and lie in the south of the Unterland, along the Italian border. The Ziller river valley which runs from the base of the Zillertaler Alps to Jenbach is one of the most populated and popular areas in the Unterland. This is due to the picture-book scenery – alpine meadows and cows, sparkling rivers, traditional villages – but for walkers it also has the Zillertaler Höhestrasse. Like the Alpine Pass route in Switzerland this is a ‘classic’ alpine walk, but unlike its neighbour it is made up of a series of trails within one region which can be completed as day walks.

A good base for excursions is the striking upper Zemmgrund valley which extends into the heart of the Zillertal. Zsigmondy Spitze (3,089m) is an accessible peak from the valley but its exposed ridge requires climbing and scrambling experience. An easier summit is Schönbichler Horn, whose 3,133m top can be reached in three to four hours from the valley along a sheltered path. Further into the Zillertaler Alps, Schwarzenstein (3,368m) and Grosser Möseler (3,478m) offer a series of glacier crossings, as they lead southwards to Hochfeller which at 3,509m is the group’s tallest peak.

Ausserfern
The Ausserfern region covers the north-west corner of the Tirol, following the diagonal slant of the Lechtal valley. Ausserfern means ‘beyond the Fern’, a reference to the Fern pass, whose use dates from Roman times. The Fern remains one of the few means of gaining access to the region, which by Austrian standards is remote. The Lechtal valley lies between the parallel ranges of the Allgäuer and Lechtaler Alps, but their limestone composition means that the valley is softer and greener than those in the Central Alps. The Lech river, which runs along the valley from Vorarlberg in the west, is surrounded by broad water meadows.

Although few of the peaks of the Lechtaler Alps exceed 3,000m, a six day trek across the southern tail of the range enables visitors to enjoy walking in Alpine scenery as well through pastures and forests. The route starts in Pettneu and passes from hut to hut at altitudes around 2,000m before dropping over the range to end at Landeck in the Oberland. It has the benefit that walking times on several days are quite short and no specialist equipment or skills are required. Cable-cars increase accessibility in places, and panoramas incorporate the four western ranges – Allgäu, Lechtal, Verwall and Samnaun.

In the north of Ausserfern, scenic day walks revolve around the alpine lakes. The smaller ones – Vilsalpsee and Haldensee – are ideal for summer swimming, while the larger Plansee has a steamer in summer and ice-skating in winter. From Reutte it is only 15km over the German border to Füssen, famous for the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. Built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century, the castle was immortalised by Walt Disney in the 20th.

Other possibilities for walking in Ausserfern are provided by the E5 European Long Distance and the 01 Central Alpine trails. In the Tirol the E5 traverses both the Allgäuer and Lechtaler Alps before heading south over the Ötztaler Alps to Italy. In Ausserfern the 01 follows the Lechtaler Alps from north to south before passing into Vorarlberg where it ends at the Swiss border.

© Walk Europe
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