Jodelahitiiii! We went hiking in Tyrol, specifically on the sunny Austrian side of the Zugspitze. In winter, it’s a true ski paradise, but mountain enthusiasts will also find what they’re looking for in summer, as there are hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails. Take a lift to great heights, make trips along bright blue mountain lakes, and hike to the a on a summit! We enjoyed these routes and can warmly recommend each one.
1. Loop around the Blindsee
- Distance: 5,5 km
- Elevation: ▲ 170 m ▼ 170 m
- Parking: for free at the Rasthaus Zugspitzblick or €15 at the parking on the other side of the lake.
This loop around the beautiful Blindsee is just a warm-up. Both the distance and the elevation gain are limited. However, this does not detract from the beauty of this mountain lake. The water has that typical turquoise (or is it apple-green?) color, and in the distance, you can see the mighty Zugspitze. Yet, few tourists come here. When we were there, we could count the other hikers on one hand. Wonderfully peaceful! Moreover, you can swim and dive in this lake, which must be a delightful experience given the crystal-clear water.
If you park your car at the Zugspitzblick restaurant, you will start at the highest point of the trail and a descent to the water. At the end of the loop, you have to do this part again but uphill. If you park on the other side of the lake, you could possibly skip the viewpoint. It’s not a must-see, but also not unpleasant and you’ll find a large sun terrace there.
If you’re up for it, you can extend your hike to the smaller Mittersee, but we didn’t do that on our trip.
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Blindsee
2. Over the Grubigstein to the Wolfratshauser Hütte
- Distance: 6,25 km
- Elevation: ▲ 185 m ▼ 865 m
- Parking: free of charge at the valley station of the Grubigsteinbahn in Lermoos
- Cost: €30 pp for round-trip lift ticket
Thanks to the Grubigstein I and II lifts, you’re above two thousand meters in no time. This is where the adventurous hike starts, as the path to the Grubigstein summit isn’t for the faint-hearted. You’ll have to use your hands to climb over rocks here and there, and the last part is along a ridge with a steep drop! However, the cross at the top is achievable for the average hiker. The same goes for the “vorgipfel,” a slightly lower point with a cross.
More experienced hikers and adrenaline seekers can continue towards the Gartner Wand after the Grubigstein. It looks like an insanely cool route along the ridge. We walked a bit further to check it out but turned back when the path became too rocky and required more cables for support. We had our little one in a carrier. However, we promised to come back and take on the challenge!
But for now, we retraced our steps back to the lift station. We descended further, partly on a wide gravel path, partly on narrow mountain paths until we finally arrived at the Wolfratshauser Hütte. A drink (or two?) was definitely in order before we continued the descent to the mid-station, where we took the lift safely back to the parking lot.
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Grubigstein and the Gartner Wall
3. Along the Seebensee and the Drachensee
- Distance: 13 km
- Elevation: ▲ 560 m ▼ 560 m
- Parking: €5 per day at the Ehrwalder Almbahn valley station in Erhwald
- Cost: €23.50 pp for round-trip lift ticket
If you love mountains and lakes, this is an absolute must-do hike for you! You’ll get to enjoy two fantastic lakes along the route. The lovely Seebensee is a popular spot, and it’s easy to see why! The path to it has a gentle slope, especially if you choose the wide, easily accessible bike path. We found the alternative hiking trail to be even more beautiful and less crowded, which was a nice surprise! The Seebensee is quite touristy, but we totally get why. In 2017, it was even named the most beautiful spot in Tirol, which is really no surprise at all!
To reach the second lake, the Drachensee, we had to put in a little more effort! It’s not much farther, but it’s a steep climb higher. We huffed and puffed our way up a rocky and zigzagging path, but it was worth it! At the top is the Coburger Hütte with a terrace overlooking the stunning, bright blue Drachensee! Grab a beer and enjoy!
To get back to the lift, just follow the same path down. There’s another way to get to the valley station from Seebensee, but we found it pretty dangerous and not recommended. In this case, it’s probably best to play it safe!
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Seebensee and Drachensee
4. Gorge Walk: Rosengartenschlucht
- Distance: 2,5 km
- Elevation: ▲ 250 m ▼ 0 m
- Parking: € 3.50 per day at the Parkplatz Rosengartenschlucht
Our Airbnb host suggested we check out the Rosengartenschlucht. It’s a gorge with steep walls through which a wild river flows, and there are lots of waterfalls. The gorge is open to the public, with lots of boardwalks and stairs. We saw lots of families climbing through the gorge with their young children.
The hike starts in Imst and ends in Hoch-Imst. You can take the bus back to the starting point or just walk down. However, we took the lift up for the next hike (see below).
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Rosengartenschlucht
5. Via the Drischlsteig to the Muttekopfhütte
- Distance: 5,5 km
- Elevation: ▲ 25 m ▼ 555 m
- Parking: in the center of Imst(Parkplatz Rosengartenschlucht) or at the valley station of the Imster Bergbahnen in Hoch-Imst
- Cost: €28.60 pp for round-trip lift ticket
After our hike through the Rosengartenschlucht (see above), we took the cable car up in Hoch-Imst. We got up to about two thousand meters above sea level, but we wouldn’t get any higher for the rest of the day because we hiked almost exclusively downhill. The name of the path, Drischlsteig, is a bit misleading.
After a few minutes of walking, we made it to the Adlerhorst viewing platform, and from there, the path was pretty spectacular. According to a sign at the start of the route, you need to be sure-footed, but our hike was never really difficult. Just a heads-up: If you’re afraid of heights, you might want to avoid looking over to the right because it offers a pretty impressive view into the abyss.
The Muttekopfhütte came into view soon after, and it’s in a great spot. We stopped on the terrace to take in the view and enjoy a local beer. Then we took a different route to get back down. We stopped at the mid-station to take the lift down, but you can also descend further on foot. If you’re looking for a more exciting way to get down, you can ride the Alpine Coaster, the longest toboggan run in Tirol! It looked amazing, but I’m not sure it’s really baby-proof. This is another reason to come back!
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The Drischlsteig
6. Tough ascent of the Hönig
- Distance: 11,5 km
- Elevation: ▲ 740 m ▼ 740 m
- Parking: free of charge in the center of Berwang
We saved the toughest hike for last. This hike doesn’t have any lifts, so you’ll need to rely on your legs. The Hönig summit is at 2034 meters, which is pretty high! The paths are very steep. The first part of the route was a gentle climb on a wider field path, but then we walked up a bit of a ski slope and finally zigzagged up the hill. Luckily, the surroundings were beautiful: flowers of all kinds of colors grew around us.
After a bit of a workout, we signed our names in the ‘gipfelbuch’ at the top of the cross. We had more beautiful things to see. We followed a gorgeous green path along the ridge with impressive views on both sides. The descent was more gentle than the climb but still challenging for the knees. No pain, no gain, but we wouldn’t have missed this hike for anything!
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The Hönig
Where to stay in Tyrol?
If you’re looking for the perfect starting point for these six hikes, you can’t go wrong with Lermoos, Biberwier, or Ehrwald. We stayed in Nassereith, which was also an option, although we had to cross the busy Fernpass for most hikes.
If you stay in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena for at least a week, you’ll get a guest card. You can also get a cheaper Z-ticket, which is a summer ticket that lets you use all the lifts in the Arena.
There’s something similar for the Imst area. We got an “Urlaubspass,” which gave us free access to the Imster Bergbahnen. Be sure to ask your accommodation about this!
