From Dawn Till Dusk: A Perfect Autumn Day In Tirol

Last updated on 19.07.2023

Rise before the sun, savour your first coffee on an alpine huts, before sampling fine wine in the afternoon, relaxing in the spa and rounding the day off with delicious game specialities and pleasures of the palate. It may well look like this: the perfect autumn day in Tirol.

Indian Summer in Tirol: Beautiful Autumn Landscapes

Forests glow golden yellow, orange and red, temperatures are pleasantly mild and the air is crystal clear: autumn has arrived in Tirol. It’s a special time of the year when summer slowly takes its leave, while winter still seems a long way off.

Greet the sun · alpine sunrise hike

Autumn is the perfect time of the year for a sunrise hike. Even though you have to leave your cosy warm bed early, you don’t have to set out in the middle of the night, as the sun rises later in autumn than in summer. Morning temperatures make for a pleasant ascent. It’s not oppressively warm and the clear mountain air enables you to enjoy beautiful views into the distance. To hike up the mountain at dawn, to watch the sun slowly peeking out from behind the majestic mountain peaks and to feel the first warm rays of the day on your face is truly a special experience.

There are recommended tours all over Tirol for every fitness level. One of the most popular sunrise tours is the two-hour hike up to Rangger Köpfl, west of Innsbruck. Those who manage the 1,939-metre ascent in the dark are rewarded with a truly unique panoramic view over Innsbruck, the Inn Valley and the many peaks behind. Further recommendations for particularly beautiful sunrise hikes can be found at: www.tyrol.com/sunrise-hikes

Sunrise Hike to Rangger Köpfl © Innsbruck Tourismus, Helga Andreatta

Coffee at an alpine hut · breakfast on the mountain

It’s an extraordinary feeling to enjoy a hearty breakfast in the morning sun at a picturesque alpine hut, after having completed the first metres of altitude on foot or by mountain bike early in the morning. Fresh milk, homemade cheese and yoghurt, various egg dishes, regional sausage specialities, muesli, juice and of course coffee are not to be missed. All these specialities taste twice as good in the morning tranquillity of an alpine hut, with breathtaking views stretching out before your eyes. The Seidlalm above Kitzbühel is a popular destination, where guests can enjoy an alpine breakfast from Friday to Sunday accompanied by stunning vistas of the Wilder Kaiser and Kitzbüheler Horn. Breakfast is also served in the other numerous huts that are members of the “Breakfast on the Mountain” initiative, which invite you to an enjoyable start to the day at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser and the undulating grassy mountains of the Kitzbühel Alps. www.fruehstueckamberg.at/en.

Celebrate autumn · colourful autumn festivals

Back in the valley, many regions and communities invite visitors to colourful autumn festivals, where the end of summer is celebrated with culinary delights. Stanz is a tranquil village above Landeck, where the local population celebrate an annual festival called “Stanz brennt” together with numerous visitors. On 3rd September 2023, distilleries will open their doors once again for visitors to catch a glimpse of their centuries-old craft. Interested visitors can gain an insight into the art of distilling schnapps on guided tours of the distilleries, where the delights of this intoxicating beverage can be sampled.

Throughout Tirol, “Stranz brennt” is but one of the numerous colourful festivals which invite you to celebrate autumn. Enjoy culinary delights in the Paznaun Valley at the annual Culinary Way of St. James festival, where local gourmet chefs offer regional specialties at seven selected huts. Visitors can experience traditional crafts at first hand and take part in the colourful festivities on the second weekend of September at the Tirolean Craft Fair in Seefeld. And let’s not forget about the countless “cattle drives”, well-known far beyond Tirol’s provincial borders, where the safe return of the animals from their alpine pastures is celebrated in the valleys with vibrant festivals.

Breakfast with a view © Tirol Werbung, Lisa Hörterer

Relax with a mountain view · wellness & spa

After starting the day early and enjoying the lively ambience of one of the many autumn festivals, it’s time for a well-deserved break in the afternoon. What could be better than returning to the hotel to relax with a stunning mountain view? Completing some leisurely laps in the heated infinity pool with a view of the peaks, sweating in the sauna while enjoying an aromatic hay infusion, or simply putting your feet up in the relaxation area – the spectacular panorama alone contributes to healthy relaxation in Tirol’s many wellness hotels. In addition, the hotels impress with state-of-the-art relaxation areas, soothing wellness treatments and pampering services.

The view over the lake and mountains in the Panorama Rooftop Spa of Seehotel Einwaller in Pertisau on Lake Achensee is unique, as is the spa area with sauna, pools, relaxation area and library in the idyllically situated Juffing Hotel & Spa on Lake Thiersee in Kufsteinerland, or the nature spa at Naturhotel Waldklause in Längenfeld in the Ötztal Valley in a sumptuous forest setting. More wellness hotels with panoramic spa and mountain views can be found at: www.tyrol.com/alpine-wellness.

Hotel Entners, Pertisau am Achensee © Tirol Werbung, Ramon Haindl

Round off your day with delicious game specialities · Tirolean culinary delights

What better way to end a perfect autumn day in Tirol than with a mouth-watering game speciality? When Markus Singer and Karin Rimml, owners of the Rimmlstube restaurant in Berwang, go out hunting, they do so in their own preserve. The result is excellent chamois and venison specialities, as well as a plethora of other traditional dishes like Tirolean Kasspatzln (cheese noodles) and Krautkrapfen (cabbage fritters).

If you would like to enjoy autumnal products such as venison, mountain lamb, local pumpkin, potatoes or mushrooms on your holiday, you are advised to visit a Tirolean inn or traditional guesthouse and let the hosts spoil you with culinary delights. www.tyrol.com/tirolean-inns