The Austrian Tyrol

Leutasch valleys & villages

• self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking (with notes) • luggage transported • warm Tyrolean hospitality • indoor pool & spa at all hotels • 3 nights in Mösern with host of children’s activities • dinner included every night

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 cycling on your 'free' days.

Nights: 7
Grade: 2 (moderate, with flexible routes)
Terrain: meadows, forests
Hotels: one 3-star hotel; two 4-star hotels
Meals: dinner & breakfast each day
Climate: Austrian summers are warm and sunny, with pleasant mountain breezes – perfect walking conditions. Temperatures average 16.5°C in June, rising to around 20°C in July and August.

The Leutasch Valley

Waymarked paths criss-cross the region

Enjoy far-reaching views

Hotel Kristall, Ober-Weidach

Enjoy the fresh mountain air

Hubertushof, Reindlau

Inspirational views

Starting point: Inntalerhof (4*), Mösern. Perched above the Inn Valley, Daniela Neuner'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, Adventure Swimming Centre 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. For a more leisurely day, take the opportunity to visit Innsbruck – trains run regularly from Seefeld (pay locally). This fairy-tale city is surrounded by mountains and boasts fine Baroque architecture, the elegant Imperial Palace and the unusual Goldenes Dachl ('Golden Roof'), an extraordinary Gothic bay window with 2,657 gilded copper tiles dating from the rule of Emperor Maximilian I. For a spectacular view over the city and the chance to meet some of the local wildlife, a ride on the Hungerburgbahn Funicular Railway to the Alpen Zoo – the highest zoo in Europe – is a must. It houses only animals that are indigenous to alpine areas and is renowned for its involvement in the European Endangered Species project. If you would like to see some animals without travelling to Innsbruck (and have the chance to pet them) you can visit the farm near Mösern which is home to forty goats, eight deer, five ponies, eight moufflon, four llamas, one eagle owl, three donkeys and one parrot! (10km, 3hrs or 12km, 4.5hrs)

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 whirl pool, 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)

Accommodation: Hotel Hubertushof, as above.

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 2008:

Start: Any day
Nights: 7
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners
Recommended airports: Innsbruck & Munich
Latest flight arrival time: Innsbruck flexible; Munich 1500
Earliest flight departure time: Innsbruck flexible; Munich 1400
*Connecting travel: return taxi from Innsbruck (out/home 0h50) £140 per family; return rail/taxi from Munich (out/home 3h) £70 per adult, £35 per child
Book your flights through us and we’ll find the best route, times and price to suit you
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais return Channel crossing for your party and one car.
Driving time from Calais: 12h30

Recommendations for extra nights: as all three hotels boast excellent facilities, they all make great choices for an extra night. We particularly recommend the Inntalerhof (Mösern) and Hubertushof (Reindlau).

14-night holiday: this walking holiday combines wonderfully with our hotel-based holiday at the 4-star Hotel Wiesenhof, Pertisau, where you can enjoy lakeside walks in another corner of the Tyrol. Please contact us for details and prices.

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