Summer retreat with cooling off in the mountains of the Stubai Valley
Last updated on 23.04.2024
When it gets warmer and the longing to cool down grows, the call of the mountains is particularly loud. If you follow it into the Stubai Valley, you can look forward to fresh mountain air, cool lakes and shady forests. Temperatures that drop with every meter of altitude guarantee relaxation and perfect conditions for an unforgettable summer holiday. A new addition is a suspension bridge more than 100 metres long with a spectacular view of the Stubai mountains. There are further opportunities to cool off and marvel at the Stubai Glacier, at the Schlick 2000 hiking centre, at the Serlesbahnen in Mieders and at the Elferbahnen in Neustift.
Experience the fascination of distant views on the TOP OF TYROL summit platform above 3,000 metres
Fascinating and refreshing at the same time is the summit platform “TOP OF TYROL”, which is easily accessible thanks to the Eisgrat and Schaufeljochbahn and offers breathtaking panoramas of more than 100 three-thousand-metre peaks at an altitude of 3,210 metres. For those seeking peace and quiet, there is the opportunity to take part in the glacier yoga workshop in the midst of this impressive backdrop, which promises a special break on Sunday, July 28 2024.
A little below the summit platform is the Schaufeljoch chapel, whose architecture and appearance blend harmoniously into the mountain landscape. A place of power that invites you to pause and remember.
From the Fernau middle station, the glacier trail beckons. Over a difference of 600 altitude metres, it leads hikers past the colourful moor, over glacial moraines and along a reservoir pond. At the Eisgrat mountain station, another summer highlight awaits all visitors: a six-metre-high mammoth that invites kids to climb, slide and romp. In addition, the new, true-to-scale wooden snow groomer will make children’s hearts beat faster this summer.
Last but not least, the sun terrace of the Eisgrat restaurant, where Tyrolean cuisine and grill specialties are served with fresh, regional ingredients, invites you to take a rest. A special tip for families: Children under the age of ten can use the mountain railways free of charge when accompanied by a paying parent. Summer operations on the Stubai Glacier start on Saturday, 29 June 2024, and promise unforgettable experiences for the whole family.
Lace up your hiking boots and discover new things in the Schlick 2000
In the Schlick 2000 hiking centre, the new Seenweg (path of lakes) invites you to cool tours, ideal for hot days. The trail begins at the mountain station of the new Galtbergbahn, leads past the idyllic ‘Galtalmsee’ to the Panorama Lake, where peace and relaxation await you on the relaxation loungers on the waterbank. In addition, the Disc trail and the Baumhausweg (treehouse path) offer exciting exploration tours for children. From fast-paced wooden disc races to the discovery of dwarf Bardin’s tree houses, whose visits can be documented with a collector’s pass. There’s a reward at the end.
Starting at the mountain station of the Kreuzjoch cable car, you can reach the ‘StubaiBlick’ viewing platform or the instructive nature trail, which leads through the diverse flora and fauna of the area. For the adventurous, the Alpine Adventure Park with climbing course offers exciting challenges.
Another highlight in the area of Schlick 2000 are the scenic nature sites, which offers fascinating views of the surrounding peaks. On the one hand the so called ‘Gletscherblick’ (glacier view) with its large Stubai picture frame, which invites you to take the perfect holiday photo. On the other hand the scenic nature site called ‘Gschmitz’, from where you can enjoy the majestic view on the mountains of Serles, Elfer and Habicht and the Pinnis Valley in peace and quiet. With its romantic swing the spot reveals the beauty of the landscape from a new perspective.
Enjoyment of nature and action around the Elferspitze
Neustift’s local mountain, the Elfer, is home to the largest accessible equatorial sundial in the Alps. The building is considered a vantage point of the Stubai Valley and at the same time a starting point for fantastic hikes such as the ‘Geh-Zeiten-Trails’ (Walking Times Trails) – three themed trails that are dedicated to different nature cycles with the “Sun Time”, the “Blooming Time” and the “Stone Age”.
Action- and sports-loving holidaymakers will find via ferratas and tricky climbing routes on the rock towers of the Elfer or meander down into the valley via the “EinsEinser” & “ZweiZweier” mountain bike downhill trails. Paragliders, on the other hand, use the thermals and float back down to Neustift with their paragliders. The region offers taster courses and tandem flights for both professionals and beginners. For all those who like to spend a particularly long time in the mountains, the evening rides at the Elfer lifts always allow gondola operation until 9:30 p.m. on Mondays.
20 years of fast-paced descents paired with water fun for kids at the Serlesbahnen in Mieders
This summer, the focus is on the 20th anniversary of the summer toboggan run at the Serlesbahnen in Mieders right at the beginning of the season: On 18 May 2024, the steepest summer toboggan run in the Alps celebrates the new look with a festival and offers special activities, such as a photo trap that ensures unforgettable souvenir photos.
In addition, King Serli’s nature adventure trail with its eight interactive stations provides exciting insights into the local nature and mountains. Children can collect stamps on the trail and exchange them for a King Serli’s Discovery Box.
In the Serlespark, the water play area, cone alluvial system and raft provide cooling and fun, while the summer toboggan run leads down to the valley after a rapid ride through forest and meadow.
Cool tours for hot days over a suspension bridge, mountains and water
The new ‘Sunnenseit’n trail’ in the Stubai Valley always leads along the sunny side of the valley and offers spectacular views with its 110-metre-long suspension bridge and the viewing platform called “Neustiftblick“. The trail, which is more than eight kilometres long, stretches from the Froneben middle station in the Schlick 2000 to Kartnall in Neustift.
The spray of the Grawa waterfall on the Wild Water Trail continues to provide health-promoting freshness and healing spray mist this summer, and after visits to the Stubai mountain lakes, the Seven Summits Stubai or the natural sites, you will be rewarded with cool souvenirs.
How do you get to the Stubai Valley?
Thanks to its proximity to the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck, the valley is easy and uncomplicated to reach. Due to the excellent transport connections, travelling by train is an optimal alternative. Once at Innsbruck main station, guests can easily be taken directly to their accommodation by hotel transfer or travel further into the Stubai Valley by bus and tram. For all overnight guests, the tourism association offers a free arrival and departure voucher on its website www.stubai.at for this purpose.
If you like it particularly comfortable, you can travel to the mountains with the “Nightjet“. This combined ticket not only includes the train journey from Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Vienna or Graz to Innsbruck with seat reservation, but also the transfer to your accommodation in the Stubai Valley.
Within the Stubai Valley, the holiday is rounded off by the Stubai Super Card. Among many inclusive services, it allows free travel on buses and mountain railways and thus offers ideal access to all attractions.
