Dolina Aurina w Południowym Tyrolu

Children need constant change and are always looking for adventure. The Ahrntaler Sonnenwege (sunny trails) and especially its Ahrntaler Hexensteig (Witch’s trail) is the ideal spot to give families such exciting adventures. It starts at Mühlegg/Costa Molini from where you walk to the rushing Frankbachwasserfall (waterfalls). Continue on and pass an old millstone which tells us a little about the farm life of long ago. You then get to some rocks which are ideal for children looking for adventure and who want to test their climbing skills. The very brave children may even dare to enter into the bear cave and walk through the 20 m long underground tunnel where they will have to pass the witch’s big chair and a wooden carved family of bears before reaching the end of their hiking destination – the family friendly Bizathütte (lodge) which welcomes you with its mountain restaurant.

„Nomen est omen“ - Schönberg is like a pulpit offering a great view in a low mountain range between the peaks of Turnerkamp and Schwarzenstein. Beautiful is the sight of these two higher mountains, beautiful is the path to the alpine pasture, beautiful is the summit and beautiful is the panoramic view of the Ahrntal valley reaching to the Dolomites in the distance. Schönberg is situated at the southernmost point of a lateral mountain range dividing the Schwarzbach and the Mitterbach valleys. Another mountain which is well seen from the peak and is situated a bit higher above in the north is called Schafbretter, a perfect name disclosing the true form of the mountain, which looks like boards descending down to the timber line. Because of the danger of avalanches, mighty barriers were installed above the Schönbergalm.

A beautiful one and a half hour hiking trip near Luttach/Lutago and around the mysterious Schwarzbachklamm is the round trip to the waterfalls. You start at the Sportbar in Luttach/Lutago and go into the woods along water channel heading towards Brunnberg. After crossing the stream and another branch-off, the trail takes you close to the Schwarzbach waterfalls. You then descend gently at first but steeper later on. Near to the Weißenbach/Rio Bianco road you will see and hear the thunderous waterfalls. Further down you will see the Schwarzbach gorge and the lower part of the waterfalls. The steep rock walls around take away a lot of the day light. You cross over the scary gorge and once close to Luttach/Lutago you will be in the sparse woods again.

Enjoy traditonal local dishes and spend happy hours in a friendly atmosphere.

In spite of its rather limited height the Lutterkopf is a stunningly beautiful mountain summit located further in the Ahrntal valley and it is a relatively easy climb. The area is quite isolated and original.

As we walk along the "Knappensteig" path, passing by entrance to old mine galleries, we take a journey into the past and time when the extraction of ore was just beginning. Above the tree line, we feast upon a richly diverse mountainous world - in one of the country's most beatiful high valleys. The widespread distribution of the alpine cabins demonstrates the cultural imprint of people over centuries. The interesting remnants of glaciers can be seen in the form of old moraines at the Rötalm hut - and "Merbalm".

Kreuzkofel - a  nice tour to a peak above St. Johann/S. Giovanni. From up there you can enjoy the stunning view of the various peaks of the Ahrntal valley mountains. 

Isolated, steep, with a marvellous view… Ascending the Schaufler is exhausting and steep. The advantage, however, is that even in high season you will not come across many people so you can enjoy the silence and the solitude. From the Hochlärcher Wasen alpine pasture, there is a steep narrow path to the peak of the Schaufler where you have a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. On top you must be sure-footed and you can not suffer from vertigo. For experienced hikers, however, the tour is easy.

The Arthur Hartdegen Höhenweg was built in 1910 and it is one of the most beautiful mountain trails in South Tyrol.

A mountain offering marvellous views, partly accessible by cable car… The Rauchkofel is one of the most beautiful mountains from which you can enjoy a fantastic panoramic view over all of the Ahrntal valley and the Dolomites in the far distance. Presumably, its name derives from its rough and rocky shape („rauer Kofel“) and has nothing to do with the term „smoke.“ A great deal of the difference in altitude can be covered using the Klausberg cable car. An easy climb over blocks of rock leads to the summit cross. Sure footedness and no fear of heights are absolutely necessary for this tour, otherwise the Klausbergjoch below should be your final destination. The area around the peak is quite exposed, so you should not start the tour in unstable weather conditions. All in all, the Rauchkofel or Jochkofel is a very popular mountain for hiking.

St. Johann‘s meditational trail was established in 1996 by the local parish council and St. Johann‘s Schützenkompanie (protection guards). Its creation commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus pledge that was sworn in 1796 and remains part of the local tradition today. Walkers are invited to stop at each station along the path to be informed by the contemplative texts and images.

Since ancient times the population of Ahrntal was always closely related to its mountains. The south side of the Zillertal Alps, the Hohe Tauern and the Rieserferner mountains have left impressions on its surrounding life and people. Whereas years ago the high peaks were unaccessible and unclimbable, the situation changed with land surveying in the 19th century and the flourishing of tourism around the turn of the century. Alpinism can thus be seen as a foundation for tourism in Sand in Taufers. The valley became interesting as there was a lot of, until then unknown, new climbing territory which attracted climbers from England and Germany to conquer first ascents. Simultaneously, the need for mountain guides and the construction of shelters and paths emerged. The most famous local mountain guide around the previous turn of the century was Johann Niederwieser Stabeler, the most famous local climber of the modern era is Hans Kammerlander. The path gives us insight into the mountaineering of the valley from past to present times. Charts and symbols along the way. Trail conditions: forest road. Difficulty: easy, walkable from spring to late autumn.

BOUNDARY PATHS PREDOI/PRETTAU - TAUERN PATH

Walk through the scenery and the history as you hike along the borders of Nordtirol, Salzburg and Osttirol. Enjoy the beautiful panorama and the views of Zillertal Alps, the Rieserferner Group as well as the Venediger Group. On a clear day,you can even see the Dolomites from the Drei Zinnen as far as to the Marmolada. Passing over these yokes you arrive at the refuges on the other side of the border into Zillertal, into Krimmler Achental or Prägratten.

The summit offers an exceptional view of the mountains on the South Tyrolean and East Tyrolean side.

The valley Bärental lies between the villages St. Jakob/San Giacomo and Steinhaus/Cadipietra in the Ahrntal valley.

High mountain trail to the Schwarzenstein - the striking summit on the main ridge of the Zillertal Alps.

Speikboden Bergbahnen is a snow-secure, familiarly skiing-area in the valley “Tauferer-Ahrntal”. It contains 8 cableways with a total transport performance of 13.140 persons/hour. About 80 hectare of slopes has to offer enough liberty for everyone – from the summit (2.400 m altitude) to the valley (950 m altitude). Many alternations of the terrain and very wide slopes make happy beginners and professional skiers. In the summer the “Speikboden” is a fantastic hiking area!

The two ski arenas Speikboden and Klausberg including the two town lifts Weißenbach and Rein in Taufers form together the Skiworld Ahrntal. A single ski pass allows you to use over 74 kilometers of slopes while 21 lifts from 950 to 2.510 meters carry you to the mountain top. The covering artificial snow systems of the Skiworld Ahrntal guarantee snow all the way through.

Once many different lines of people walked over the „Krimmler Tauern” - hunters, farmers, seamstress, smugglers, soldiers and the path makers themselves. The Tauern crossings into ‘‘Salzburgerische’’ (in Austria) have a tradition that goes back to thousands of years. The historical importance of the route is also confirmed by the ancient “Hl. Geist” church. Furthermore the area is interesting because of its flora and fauna.

There is hardly an alpine valley that has so many “beautiful” mountains not only in their shape but also by name (schön meaning beautiful). In addition to the Schönberg mountain in Weißenbach there is the Schönberg Peak in St. Jakob and almost opposite it on the other side of the valley there is the Schönberg Albl (pasture): and so it is that “beauties” abound!

The small mountain Kleiner Nock is located a 2,227 m at the Speikboden and is also accessible from Luttach/Lutago.

The Ahrntal Sun trail takes you to several traditional mountain lodges where you can stop to eat and through magnificent flower fields on the sunny side of the Zillertal Alps. You will get to see breathtaking views of the Ahrntal (valley), of the Dolomites and of the Rieserferner mountain group. Particularly impressive are the pastures and the beautiful flowers on the mountain meadows in almost alpine terrain. Up here the farmer produces food in accordance with nature and he gives the land back what he takes from it. You will get an insight into the difficult life as it once was up in these meadows and can compare it to the much less difficult life up there today. If you get hungry, you can always try the typical specialties from the area.

BOUNDARY PATHS PREDOI-PRETTAU - BIRNLÜCKE

At the water devide between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea… Enjoy a walk along the banks of the Ahr river, with a breathtaking view of the mighty Dreiherrenspitze and backdrop views of Austria in the distance. The Birnlücke is a more pronounced mountain saddle high above the valley end of Ahrntal and can be seen every now and again starting in Luttach/Lutago. It separates the Zillertal Alps to the west from the Venediger Group to the east and is part of the water devide between the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea. There is an old at the mountain incision that used to be a very busy trade route for the exchange of goods between Ahrntal and the Pinzgau in the Austrian Salzburg region.

The observation tower at the ridge of the Schwarzenstein… North of Luttach/Lutago we can see the sharp spike of the Wolfskofel which stands there like an observation tower. It is situated at the end of the south-eastern ridge of the Schwarzenstein and is the landmark mountain of Luttach/Lutago. It also offers excellent views from the top, especially the peaks of Großer Löffler and Schwarzenstein seem very close. The Schönberg to the west and the surrounding panorama are the reward for the rather strenuous ascent. The summit area made out of limestone and dolomite is interesting from a geological point of view. On the top there is a short, exposed climbing section; therefore sure footedness and not suffering from vertigo are an absolute must.

Beginning the walk in the cultivated land in the valley, we cross into typical high alpine larch forests. The forest is of great importance since it protects the valley from avalanches and falling rocks - but it can only fulfill this role if the flora and fauna are kept in a harmonious relationship. Above the woods, we find alpine cabins - witnesses of past labours. Over the years, farmers have shaped the landscape and kept in balanced.