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The Austrian TyrolLeutasch valleys & villages • self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking (with notes) • warm Tyrolean hospitality •
Explore the valleys and villages of
this glorious part of the Austrian
Tyrol and not only will you have
the chance to strike out into the
high mountains on flexible routes
along well-waymarked paths, but you will also experience the
very best of the hospitality for which the Tyrol
is renowned. Our three hotels here are real
family affairs: places where, over the years,
different generations have created a friendly,
convivial atmosphere. Cycling is an option from all three hotels if you prefer a change from walking on your 'free' days. Starting point: Inntalerhof (4*), Mösern. Perched above the Inn Valley, the Heidkamp-Neuner family's well appointed hotel makes a wonderful base for your first three nights. Highly-praised for its warm hospitality, the hotel offers a pool and spa complex, an unrivalled panorama over the Inn Valley and a whole host of children’s activities. The excellent restaurant has a children’s table with supervised lunch and dinners, and there are two hours’ worth of activities per day in the Pippi Longstocking Club. In addition to the local games park, there is a playroom, indoor swimming pool and outdoor playground, as well as golf, tennis, table tennis and bike hire available at the hotel.
Days 1-2: there are various options for your two days in Mösern. We suggest a relatively gentle 10-kilometre introductory walk along the shores of Lake Möserer to Seefeld (where there is a public pool with a water slide), and back through pine forests. To make a longer day, you can take advantage of the network of cable cars and funiculars from Seefeld to reach Harmelekopf (2,134 metres) for spectacular views of the Zugspitze range. A more strenuous 12-kilometre route ascends steadily to the summit of Gschwandtkopf at 1,500 metres, where you are rewarded with a glorious 360-degree panorama. You then descend to Seefeld and return to Mösern through a mixture of meadows and forest. (10km, 3hrs or 12km, 4.5hrs) If you prefer not to walk on both your days here then why not take the opportunity to visit Innsbruck which is easily accessible by train from Seefeld. This fairy-tale city is surrounded by mountains and is home to the highest zoo in Europe.
Accommodation: Inntalerhof, as above. Day 3: today’s walk offers broad views of the upper Inn Valley as you head out of Mösern towards Lottensee (more of a marsh than a lake). The route wanders gently on through sections of forest and across fields to Ober-Weidach. (12km, 3.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Kristall (3*), Ober-Weidach. Owned by the same family that owns the Hubertushof, your next base, this chalet-style hotel is a very convivial place with a truly welcoming atmosphere. The service is attentive, the cuisine traditional and the facilities wide-ranging: they include an indoor swimming pool, heated whirlpool, sauna, steam bath and fitness room. Though the bedrooms are simply furnished, they all have a small balcony. Day 4: believe it or not, you are offered a limousine transfer to the start of your walk here, which takes in the secluded Gaistal Valley. For a gentle walk, simply follow the river, though it is worth striking out up the northern slopes of the valley to best appreciate the beautiful scenery. If you prefer a day off from walking you may like to head to the Leutasch Games Park which incorporates an exhilarating 1,200-metre summer toboggan run (complete with bridges, tunnels and 50 bends!) as well as mini golf, go-karts and water rides. (up to 21.5km, 7hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Kristall, as above.
Day 5: to get to your next hotel, choose between a strenuous climb over the panoramic saddle of Scharnitzjoch (even better vistas of the entire valley can be enjoyed by ascending to the peak itself) or a more leisurely, low-level route along the valley floor. (11km, 6hrs or 8km, 2.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Hubertushof (4*), Reindlau. Set amid meadows near the river, the welcoming Pfeffel family’s attractive hotel is built in traditional Alpine style and offers excellent Austrian cuisine, a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, outdoor whirlpool and free mountain bike hire. Bedrooms are spacious and some have a small balcony. Day 6: on your final day, follow our route through the Leutaschklamm, a dramatic gorge in which the path criss-crosses the river by means of a series of footbridges. (There is an alternative route for vertigo sufferers.) Your target is the small German town of Mittenwald just across the border, where many of the oldest houses are decorated with frescoes and there is a cable car to the top of Karwendelspitze (2,244 metres). From Mittenwald, you can either return by bus (pay locally) or on foot – in which case add another 9km to the distance. (9.5km, 3hrs) Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Prices & travel 2009:
*Connecting travel: return taxi from Innsbruck (out/home 0h50) £165 per family; return rail/taxi from Munich (out/home 3h) £114 per adult, £62 per child Click here for more family walking holiday ideas. Click here to subscribe to our email newsletter and be the first to hear of all our new programmes. |
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