What to do in the Austrian Alps if you dont want to ski.
Despite its reputation as having some of the best skiing in the world, there is more to Austria than its slopes. You can dip into high end spa treatments, go mountain climbing, hiking, horseback riding, jumping on a sled down the mountains, and indulge in the wonderful food and drink culture. Predominantly, restaurants in Austria (especially in small villages) would offer a traditional menu. You certainly should try the Goulash, the Austrian schnitzel, the large variety of local meat dishes offered and most importantly the delicious apple strudel. Depending on the region that you choose, you can grab an all-in-one bus and train pass, or rent a car and set off on a magnificent road trip across the Austrian Alps.
The federal land of Tyrol, which shares a border with Italy, Switzerland and Germany, is often called the "heart of the Alps". There are more than 600 peaks that are "three thousanders" or above, five large glaciers, and countless small ones. There are plenty of picturesque green pastures and hundreds of old mountain towns, where you can witness the purest mountain rivers and green valleys. Combined with excellent ecology and a well-developed ski resort infrastructure, this allows the region to be considered one of the best resort areas in the world. It has the longest ski season in Austria and the warmest summer among all mountainous regions of the country. The united transportation system consisting of railways and bus routes of the Tyrol transport company Verkehrsverbund Tirol (VVT) presents excellent opportunities to explore this distinctive region. The main city of Tyrol - Innsbruck - lies on the southern slopes of the Norderketten ridge at the confluence of the Inn and Sill rivers.
Tyrol is Austria's highest mountain region (more than 600 peaks with altitudes over 3000 m), and is one of the most popular ski centers on the planet. Five high-altitude glaciers even allow for summer skiing. All of this is accompanied by a modern system of lifts, hundreds of restaurants, bars, cafes, and nightclubs.
The eastern part of the Inn valley, called by the local inhabitants Unterland, is considered one of the most picturesque regions of Austria. Along with the most beautiful mountain landscapes on both sides, you can also find many interesting historical cities of Tyrol.
Ten kilometers east of Innsbruck lies the town of Hall, a good starting point for exploring cozy mountain villages, such as Thaur, or the well-known ski center of Tulfes. Additionally, the Volders village boasts a unique church, St. Karl Borromäus, built in the 17th century. However, visitors are usually attracted by the industrial city of Wattens because of its unique Swarovski Kristallwelten - a factory and a cave with a multimedia exhibition of the Crystal Museum of the Austrian brand Swarovski. The famous "Swarovski Crystal Worlds" is a real labyrinth of rooms and halls connected by narrow corridors and stairs, in which the work of the artists of Swarovski are exhibited. Here, you can see the smallest (0,8 mm) and the largest (310 thousand carats) crystals of the world that are included into the Guinness Book of World Records, as well as a watch inspired by the “Persistence of Memory” painting by Dali made from a whole crystal. You will also be able to observe the parade gear of the beloved horse of an Indian Maharaja, a mosaic path made of crystals and even a Swarovski crystal hall, and a wall that is 11 meters high and weighing 12 tons laid out at the entrance, greeting all of the visitors.
To the west of Innsbruck, the charm of old cities is gradually giving way to the beauty of wildlife. Despite the fact that these places have been inhabited by people for at least fifteen thousand years, the land has remained relatively undeveloped and is still considered to have some of the most beautiful nature in Europe. Even the northwestern valleys-- cut off from the main thoroughfares of the Inn Valley by the Lechtal Alps barrier-- are quite accessible by the railway line, which goes north from Innsbruck, passes through Germany, and then returns to Tyrol. One of the most famous centers of the region is Seefeld, located just 18 kilometres north-west of Innsbruck. When traveling west through the Inna Valley from Innsbruck, it is unlikely that you will be able to drive past the pleasant towns of Zirl and Telfs, but the main decoration of these places is the town of Stams(40 km from Innsbruck).
The north-western areas of Tyrol are cut off from the Inna Valley by the impassable chain of the Lechtal Alps, which significantly differ from the main part of the region both in nature and in culture. The lush broad valleys of the Lech River around the old town of Reutte are highlighted by the greenery of the pastures of Ehrwald - and above all this is dominated by serrated grey walls of the Lechtal Alps ranges with the Muttekopf massif(2774 m) and the Wetterstein-Gebirge mountains with the Zugspitze peak (2963 m, the highest point in Germany). It is often easier to get here from Germany than from the territory of Austria itself, and public transport in this area is much less developed than in the resort areas of the south, but the beauties opening on the road from Innsbruck or Imst, more than justify this small inconvenience. Lying in the shadow of the Zugspitze, surrounded by a series of mountains of slightly lower height, the town of Ehrwald is considered to be the gateway to north-western Tyrol. Preserving a rustic and unhurried atmosphere, it serves as an excellent base for visiting the numerous mountain resorts of the area - Ehrwalder Alm, Marienberg, Lermoos and Zugspitzplatt. And the Zugspitze itself, legally located on the territory of Germany, is easily accessible from here by the cable car of the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, starting in the village of Obermoos, 5 km north-east of the city.
To finish your roadrip in Tyrol you might want to visit the town of Reutte 25 km to the north-west, which is known for its riches that the town earned in the Middle Ages on the salt trade between the Inna Valley and Bavaria. On its main street, leading from Untermarkt Square in the north end of the city to Obermarkt in the south, you can see all the city monuments - the mansion of Seilerhaus (the home of the dynasty of local painters Paul and Johan-Jakob Zeiler), an excellent museum of local lore in the nearby Grunez - as well as many colourful merchant villas of the 16th - 17th centuries.
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