Cool places for hot days

Last updated on 03.05.2023

Refreshing mountain air in the Stubai Valley!

The mountains are a popular holiday destination at any time of the year but many people are especially drawn to the lofty heights when temperatures start to rise. The Stubai Valley, only 20 minutes by car from Innsbruck, also offers many places and opportunities for you to cool off: the Stubai Glacier, Schlick 2000, cable cars of the Elferbahnen Neustift and the Serlesbahnen Mieders, and the valley itself are just waiting to be discovered by the whole family.

Hiking is one of the most beautiful ways to get to know the region. Whether you prefer a relaxing hike with a panoramic view, an alpine adventure, a thematic hike full of discoveries or a long-distance hike lasting several days on the Stubaier Höhenweg – there’s something for everyone in the Stubai Valley. Many varied adventures are waiting for you, during which you can refresh yourself and cool down in the mountains, sometimes even in the mountain lakes.

Take a deep breath at the Stubai Glacier

Surprising, versatile and really impressive: a visit to the Stubai Glacier is all of these. The summit platform ‘Top of Tyrol’ is easy to reach thanks to the Eisgrat- and Schaufeljochbahn cable cars and promises a breathtaking panoramic view. With a cool breeze at 3,210 metres above sea level, nature lovers will find more than 100 three-thousand-metre peaks at their feet. On 30 July, you can pause and recharge your batteries at the glacier yoga workshop in the middle of the Stubai Glacier mountain scenery.

For hiking fans, it’s time to discover the Glacier track (Gletschersteig):hikepast the colourful moor, glacial moraines and a reservoir lake, up to the Eisgrat mountain cable car station. There the Mammut high-altitude playground offers a spectacular panorama and is the perfect place for young visitors to climb, play and slide. Perfect for a refreshment stop: the Eisgrat restaurant with its sun terrace serving Tyrolean cuisine and grilled specialties. Regional ingredients and fresh preparation are the secret of the good cuisine at the Stubai Glacier. Family tip: children under the age of ten can use the cable cars free of charge when accompanied by a paying parent. Summer operations at the Stubai Glacier start on 1 July.

From rugged alpine to grassy green

The Schlick 2000, above Fulpmes and Telfes, surrounded by the Kalkkögel Mountains, wins you over with pristine mountain scenery and an extraordinary panorama. For a fascinating view, it’s well worth taking a trip to the Scenic Nature Site ‘Gletscherblick’ with its panoramic view of the glacier or the Scenic Nature Site ‘Gschmitz’. Sitting on a swing, you can see across Serles, Elfer, Habicht and the Pinnis Valley.

Shady trees and colourful flower carpets alternate on the Nature trail and the ‘Abendweide’. Younger guests can have fun racing along the Disc trail (Scheibenweg) or going on a treasure hunt together on the ‘Stubai Baumhausweg’, where clues are collected in seven different tree houses along the path. Excitement and action on the mountain for young and old are the order of the day on the via ferrata of the ‘Alpin-Erlebnispark’. Here beginners, advanced and ambitious climbers can conquer the rocks or whizz from peak to peak on a zip line.

Enjoyment of nature meets action

The largest accessible equatorial sundial in the alpine region is enthroned on Neustift’s local mountain, the Elfer. The building is regarded as a viewpoint across the Stubai Valley and at the same time as a starting point for fantastic hiking-trails, such as the ‘Geh-Zeiten-Wege’ – three themed trails that are dedicated to different nature cycles with the ‘solar time’, the ‘flowering period’ and the ‘Stone Age’.

Active and sporty holidaymakers will enjoy tricky climbing routes on the rock towers of the Elfer via ferrata or meandering over the ‘EinsEinser’ and ‘ZweiZweier’ Mountain bike downhill trails into the valley. Paragliders, on the other hand, take advantage of 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 those who like to spend extra long hours in the mountains, the evening rides on the Elferbahnen enable you to ride in the cable cars until 9.30 p.m. on Mondays.

Discover, play and enjoy

At the Serlesbahnen in Mieders, there’s a novelty to discover this summer:
King Serli’s Nature Adventure Trail with eight interactive stations. The local nature and mountain worlds are explained to children in an entertaining way. With the specially developed Explorer’s Pass, young visitors can collect stamps at the stations and then exchange them for a
King Serli’s Discoverer Box.

For refreshing afternoons on the mountain, you will love the Serlespark with its water play area, tap sluicing system and raft. The Serles train takes you to Maria Waldrast Abbey. The popular summer toboggan run then takes young and young-at-heart back down to the valley again after forty curves through forest and meadow.

Hiking with all your senses in the Stubai Valley

The fascination of Stubai not only begins at altitude – the valley has an inspiring and wide range of summer activities too. Connoisseurs and indoor as well as outdoor fans can take a break from everyday life while hiking and discover regional peculiarities. In three stages along the WildeWasserWeg, holidaymakers will experience unique alpine locations and different manifestations of water. The spray of the Grawa Waterfall provides health-promoting freshness and healing spray mist. The raging rapids of the Ruetz Cataract Gorge also impressively illustrate the power of water.

Visits to the nine Stubai mountain lakes are both rewarding and refreshing. Like the Seven Summits Stubai or the natural sites, they are energy-giving places as well as designated spots to collect stamps for your outdoor stamp passport. With the help of the Smartphone App SummitLynx, you can also do this on your mobile phone – so all the hiking awards of the Stubai Valley are always with you.

The Stubai Super Card is a service that will round off your holiday happiness in the Stubai Valley. It includes free rides on the buses and cable cars.