A Tyrolean walking holiday in Leutaschtal

Delightful, friendly hotels especially Hotel Kristall and Hubertushof. Lovely pool complexes were just what was needed after a long day walking. Flights from Gatwick to Innsbruck would be considered if we visited the area again as a very long drive.

Highlights: the views were spectacular and the scenery was awesome, especially in the Gaistal valley. I would recommend allowing a bit of time for the visit to Mittenwald as it is a beautiful little town and the cable car ride was fantastic. The Leutasch gorge was spectacular. The variety of walks and the range of options made it easy to tailor each day according to the weather conditions.

Leutasch Gorge definitely worth going to visit, and the alpine meadows were really nice. We got good weather - sitting in a mountain cafe with the sun shining looking at the cows with their bells on - it made it a struggle to start walking again!   

The Alpine meadows alive with colourful flowers are a delight as are the sometimes unexpected views that open up as one travels along. The quality of the food provided is excellent and this together with the friendly helpful staff make a holiday to remember! 

Hotels were great with the food quality being exceptional.

I can understand why this is a popular holiday with Inntravellers. The hotels, the countryside, the views, the food - all fabulous. I just wish it had not been cut short and would go back like a shot - although my wife might have a slightly different view.

Excellent trip with varied walks in stunning scenery. Day 2 was a bit on the short side and could be extended. Hotels were superb and the service in all of them was exemplary, particularly the service and staff at Hotel Kristall. Food was generally excellent and a varied choice of 3 main courses on the menu. Day 3 for the Gaistal Valley was a highlight for the scenery. Day 4 was a challenging ascent but this was partly because of quite a bit of late snow (the host in the Hubertushof said we and another group on the same itinerary were the first of the season to make the crossing over the top) and some path damage due to avalanches and mud slides. It was well worth it though for the spectacular views and scenery. The alternative route along the valley didn't look particularly inspiring. Mittenwald and Seefeld were very pretty and worth spending some time. Plenty of mountain huts/restaurants for refreshments and food on route every day. Room upgrades at Inntaler Hof were very good.

If visiting Innsbruck an Innsbruck Card is well worth the money if you are visiting a few of the attractions.

We found all six days walking just to our liking (we chose some of the easier alternatives as we are 70+). Our pattern was to leave about 9.30 after an excellent breakfast, getting in about 2.30, so leaving plenty of time for a swim in the lovely pools in each hotel. That, for us, was a relaxed and active day. We were lucky with weather - all six days were pleasant and dry. The overall experience was highly enjoyable and very relaxing in good hotels amongst fabulous scenery. We were also lucky to coincide with several other Inntravellers so that we could exchange tips and experiences.

Excellent holiday. We particularly enjoyed the wild flower meadows. We recommend the gorge. It is not as scary as it appears in the walking notes!

Great holiday, wonderful scenery, challenging but enjoyable walks, very friendly staff and good quality hotels, good on-route restaurants - recommend stroganof and apple strudel (plus beer of course)!  Glorious September weather was an unexpected bonus!

Great holiday (again), our many thanks to all at Inntravel. Accommodation, arrangement, booking & payment process, route, hospitality, transport, etc. all up to your usual high standards.

The whole holiday was fabulous from start to finish. Information on how to get from the airport to the station would have been useful and it might be good to include it for future customers. Ie- take the F line bus from just outside the airport. You will need exact change for the ticket machine €2.40 per person. Other than that our journeys here and back went like clockwork. I would definitely recommend a massage from Thomas at the Inntalerhof after a hard week of walking.

It was our first to Austria and it surpassed all of our expectations. The scenery was spectacular and the walking routes imaginative and a good challenge. The notes and maps provided by Inntravel were very comprehensive and easy to follow. Our luggage was transferred seamlessly between hotels. Our favourite hotel was the Kristall in Weidach which provided a very comfortable room, excellent meals - particularly the 5 course dinners. The Kristall offer Segway tours of the area which was a definite highlight of our stay. If you enjoy hiking and have a reasonable level of fitness, this is a fantastic and most enjoyable holiday. We took the option of staying an extra night in each hotel so we did not have to walk every day if the weather was inclement and had the chance to explore the area for longer. We would definitely do the same again. 

Overall, another great Inntravel holiday, our sixth. The hotels were all lovely and very welcoming, although the Inntaler Hof certainly has the best views, and the best pool. The food was of a high standard throughout.

For the walking

• The highlight was the high route to Reindlau; amazing scenery and, luckily, perfect weather
• The Rosshütte funicular was well worth doing, although it does add another couple of miles to the walk
• The mountain restaurants are a great idea and we got through a lot of dumpling soup and strudel.

Other thoughts, there is no need for a guest card for the Rosshütte funicular ‘Cablecar Adventure Package’. The price is not discounted, but is probably worth buying anyway for the included coffee and cake!

Note that most cafes and restaurants close on Tuesdays (for their “Ruhetag”, staff day off) in the Weidach area, which caught us out. Make sure that you have some provisions.

For the walk to Mittenwald, the gorge was fine because all of the walkways felt very solid and safe. You have to trust the engineering. On the way back, we took a taxi for a flat rate of E21 to Reindlau to save waiting hours for a bus.

Poles are definitely useful for most of the walks.

We added on a night in Innsbruck and 3 nights in Verona, both of which were very enjoyable. The timings were about right. We took the train direct from Innsbruck to Verona, which was very easy to book online. The extra few Euros for reserving a seat in first class was worth it. Just look out for the little diagram on the screen on the platform to find your carriage. 

Following the Inntravel walk notes in both cities gave a very good introduction. Verona is full of restaurants and we found that they were all happy for us to share a starter (generally pretty big) and just have pasta as a main if we wanted. We enjoyed the following: Restaurant Maffei, Locanda 4 Cuochi, Antico Caffe Dante.

A very enjoyable walking holiday in the picturesque Leutasch Valley with choice of varied walks and excellent accommodation where everyone made us feel very welcome.

This was our 5th Inntravel holiday and our first trip to Austria.  I loved everything about the holiday.  The hotels were great - Inntaler Hof was my favourite and the views across the valley from our balcony were incredible.  It was lovely to return there for our final night.  The food was lovely - substantial breakfasts and 5 course meals every evening.  The afternoon buffet at each hotel was an added and unexpected bonus - thank goodness we were walking to burn off the calories. The walking notes were excellent as always - we did not get lost once. My favourite day was the walk over the saddle at Scharnitzjoch - it is true there is 1000m of ascent but the views were amazing and it was worth the effort.  If you are of a certain age and read Enid Blyton's "Valley of Adventure" as a child, this is what the beautiful quiet hidden valley reminded me of on the descent.  This holiday is one of the best we have had with Inntravel and I am keen to return to Austria and Germany as a result.  Travelling with Inntravel is a pleasure - it is just independent enough for us - you have done all the hard work in finding the hotels and the routes and we can get on with relaxing and enjoying our holiday.  Time seems to slow down on an Inntravel and a weeks holiday always feels like longer, ensuring I return home completely refreshed.

We loved the walk to Mittenwald and the Leutasch Gorge - we did option 1. Since my husband suffers from vertigo he opted not to do the gorge, but it was very nice that I was able to  do the gorge knowing we would meet up some 40 minutes or so later. And we had the bonus of a beautiful day. 

There were many wonderful moments during our walking in the Leutasch, but perhaps our favourite was the Gaistal valley and the walk up to 'Rotmoosalm' restaurant at 2030metres. The views on a bright sunny day were spectacular. A cold beer seemed a just reward for the long but enjoyable walk to the top!

Our fifth wonderful walking holiday with Inntravel. Looking forward to the next one!

Just a quickie - we really enjoyed this wonderful holiday. It was in parts challenging for the two of us - despite good fitness levels - as we did the walks every day. A couple of walks need rewalking and their notes updated as we got lost and wasted time - specifically Day 3 around Kirchplatzl and hotel Zanderand later on in this walk. We felt the directions were not accurate and not detailed enough. Maybe there have been some meadow changes locally since you walked it. Also the start of Day 5 from Hubertsuhof hotel - we wasted over half an hour following wrong paths once we had entered  the woods. I think the distances and metre-age were incorrect.

Day 6, which I know you walked recently, was an excellent day and the notes were spot on!

The hotels were functional and food a little variable - and large - although I appreciate the reasons for choosing them. If there was something smaller and more traditional and personal we would have preferred it. Perhaps there is a possibility of offereing a choice if something else is suitable nearby?

Overall  we were thrilled and had a super time. We felt looked after before, during and after!

Many thanks indeeed. I will use you again - very soon hopefully! What a stunning area....

Julia

Inntravel arrangements as usual were excellent. We really enjoyed the challenging walks and felt a great sense of achievement - any tiredness dissipated over excellent local beer, wine and dinner. Great choice for breakfast at each hotel which we needed before setting off each day. It is wonderful to travel somewhere in peak holiday season and avoid the crowds. Also to walk in areas that on the whole aren't accessible by car. Scenery beautiful and wonderful flowers. We made good use of the swimming pool and sauna at each hotel to ease aching muscles at the end of each day.   

For me the best day was the high route from Ober-Weidach to Reindlau.  Although challenging, the route down from the saddle was spectacular and well worth the effort.

A joy to walk through flower-filled meadows, the forests were full of bird song. A delight! 

This holiday lived up to our expectations - and more! Travel was made easy with all the necessary documentation and notes provided. Arrived in beautiful weather at the Inntaler Hof and were taken out to sit on the terrace, with a glass of prosecco, looking at the view - perfect start to a super week. All hotels were very welcoming, clean, comfortable, with good choice of food, but the Inntaler Hof was the best in our opinion, and we were pleased that we had our last night there too. Walking was varied, and we liked the flexibility of adapting the day's walk by using the extensive notes and tips from Inntravel. Our most challenging walk was on day 4 when we did the short walk to Reindlau but took the option of climbing up to the Puital meadow - a very steep climb, but we did it! Highlights were the views generally, but particularly from the Inntaler Hof (book a room with a valley view); beautiful alpine flowers; Katzenkopf mountain restaurant for views and hot chocolate; Karwendel cable-car ride; gorge-walk and waterfall; well-kept villages with beautifully decorated houses and flower-boxes; and meeting our fellow walkers. Luggage transfers all done efficiently. First time with Inntravel, and would definitely book again.

This has to be our favourite Inntravel holiday so far! Our first day was rainy but the walk to Seefeld and back was enjoyable. We made up our own route using the excellent maps. On all the other days we had perfect walking weather. The walk from Mosern to Ober-Weidach on day 2 was wonderful with far-reaching views and varied terrain - the flowers were beautiful with lots of orchids and unusual grasses. On day 3 we took advantage of the hotel shuttle to the Parkplatz Salzbach and started the Gaistal Valley walk from there. The valley is delightful, packed with views, flowers and the sound and sight of the pretty cows. We walked back along the river which was a peaceful, straightforward end to a great day out. If I was going to add an extra day then it would be here in order to explore more of the Valley. On day 4 we took the low route to Reindlau as we didn't like the sound of the descent from the higher route. It made for an easy day with another warm welcome at the end. Day 5 was definitely a highlight: we walked to and through the Leutaschklamm valley. The high walkways are quite scary but we were really pleased that we did it as it is magnificent (but one has to trust the engineering!). We then headed straight to the cable car and up to the top of Karwendlspitze, just in time for a picnic lunch. We were joined by a good number of Alpine Choughs which shared our food (in a nice way, not like seagulls!) and perched on our feet and backpacks. We walked around the "crater" where we were charmed by the tiny, colourful alpine flowers. We then went back down on the cable car and walked into Mittenwald which is a pretty town, although not many shops are open on Sundays! We caught the last bus back to Reindlau, but noticed that there are taxis available at the station were one to miss-time it! The final walk back to Mosern was our toughest as the ascents/descents are steep and uneven - walking poles were definitely helpful. However it was very rewarding and gave us a real sense of achievement. It might be slippery in the rain. In areas where the woodland is mixed keep an eye out for a truly unprepossessing, dead-looking, brown orchid ... it's a birds-nest orchid with no chlorophyll and an interesting life cycle! If you see one then google it for more info, you won't be disappointed. We saw lots in the forests above Mosern.

We found our own way from the bottom of the ski slope down from Sonnenalm to Seefeld town centre via the standing stones and display about the violin wood, to the open air church area. The funicular railway at Seefeld was well worth a visit although the railway works on the level crossing made it a bit more tricky.

A very enjoyable holiday - a very friendly warm welcome from all the hotels - particulary enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Kristall. We enjoyed the alpine scenery and views. We made it up the high walk on day 4 which was worth the effort even if we were caught on the top in a spectacular thunderstorm.

This was our first Inntravel holiday and it undoubtedly exceeded our expectations. Everything went very smoothly with the transfer from the airport ot the first hotel going to plan, all the hotels were excellent, immaculately clean with good food and service to match. We were looking for something reasonably challenging and the walks were spot on, we mainly used the descriptive route (rather than the map route) although on the odd occasion when we were unsure also used the map. We also had the pleasure of meeting some seasoned Inntravel travellers who were nice company over breakfast and the evening meal. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and are looking forward to booking a further trip in 2019.

My Dad and I had a fantastic time on this holiday. The hotels were lovely and all of our hosts went out of their way to make sure our stay was enjoyable (the Hubertushof even baked me a birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday!). The food was excellent with so much choice and good quality. We particularly enjoyed the day crossing Scharnitzjoch - although we didn't get the sweeping views and had to track through a bit of snow, the walk down the valley was just lovely. However, each day's walking brought with it lovely landscape and sampling apple strudel at the numerous mountain huts! The weather was mixed (according to the locals it was strange to see snow this early - mid September) but, by and large, it did not affect our walking too much (bar an abandoned walk to Mittenwald).

All the hotels were to a high standard. The Inntalerhof does stand out because of its superb location and views down the valley as well as the hotel interior and great food. Really super pool and sauna area with views. The ringing of the great Peacebell across the valley was very moving and unforgettable memory of the holiday.

The Inntravel notes do make the gorge crossing at Mittelwald sound rather scary but it is extremely safe - no wobbly bridges and good barriers - I nearly missed out because the notes put me off. It is very spectacular and should not be missed.

My favourite walks were the Gaistal Valley - lovely varied walk with great views and the extra bonus of the harp being played at Hochmoosalm ( and great Apfel strudl!). And the final walk - more challenging but super views - it was also a perfect sunny day!

This is our second walking holiday with Inntravel and once again we were delighted with our holiday. Everything was perfect. The booking process was smooth, the travel arrangements were great. The hotels were exceptional with fantastic views, wonderful food and superb service. We enjoyed all the walks. The maps and walking notes were detailed and the views were spectacular. Thank you again Inntravel. We have recommended you to lots of friends too.

A great holiday with beautiful scenery and high quality accommodation.  The hotels all gave us a warm welcome and the food was plentiful and very good. The threat of heavy rain dissuaded us from walking on Day 4, so we took the train to Innsbruck instead and followed the city walking tour supplied as an alternative to Day 1. All of the walks are well signposted and most of the mountain restaurants were open so we didn't feel we had to carry picnics. An added bonus was on Day 0 just after arriving, we used the hotel's mountain bikes to do a pretty local circuit recommended by the hotel which was great.

We had a lovely holiday. The scenery was gorgoeous and the hotels were excellent - very comfortable and with friendly staff. We had some bad weather, not surprising given that July is the rainiest month in the Tyrol, but we also had some periods of perfect weather, cool and sunny. We were not sufficiently prepared for the amount of uphill walking we had to do, but that is our fault for living somewhere competely flat. Altogether we would recommend this holiday to anyone and are currently considering which of Inntravel's trips we should do next.

Every day was a highlight. The hotel to hotel week was brilliantly organised. We just followed the walk instructions through wonderful scenery whilst Inntravel moved our luggage from one excellent friendly hotel to another. The food throughout was excellent and beautifully presented. All the Inntravel guests we bumped into had the same high praise for an excellent company. Well done, we had a fabulous holiday, thank you.

Dramatic scenery, majestic mountains, stunning alpine meadows - all that lacked was Julie Andrews appearing with her arms outstretched! Delicious food and helpful and friendly people. A great first experience of a walking holiday.

The hotels and the walks lived up to the usual excellent Inntravel standard.

A week in the Leutasch Valley with Inntravel

If you have been to the Alps in high summer, you know what to expect when you go back for more; if not you have a treat in store.

Flower-rich grasslands with blooms in every hue, perhaps a preponderance of white, purple and yellow, attract clouds of butterflies and other insects.  Rich food for herds of peaceable cattle, communicating with cow-bells around their necks.  Should we buy one for our granddaughter?  Would her parents ever forgive us?

Torrents gurgle and brooks babble, uniting to form small turquoise rivers sparkling in the sunshine.  We had plenty of sun, warm in the meadows, dappling the forests.  There was rain too, to keep the countryside verdant and the watercourses lively, but not enough to inconvenience our walking.  One night we sat on the balcony at the Inntalerhof watching a spectacular thunderstorm ricochet between the sides of the valley below, illuminated by wondrous lightning flashes.

At the end of each day there was luxury: a warm welcome from family-run hotels, warm water for a swim, shower or jacuzzi, and a substantial Austrian meal pleasurably consumed with local wines and other Inntravellers.

We know what to expect and hope to be back for more.  Where else in the region does Inntravel operate?

The gorge near Mittenwald was a real highlight.

The walk on day 4 - to and over the Scharnitzjoch saddle was the highlight in terms of challenge and sense of achievement. The descent, however, on the lower rocky path was, in our view, quite dangerous.  The accomodation and food was first rate at all three establishments, and especially generous at the Inntaler Hof. Everybody was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Yet another fabulous, faultless holiday from Inntravel! 

We have had a wonderful holiday and every walk took us through the most spectacular scenery with the high mountains, beautiful flower-filled meadows and shady forests.  Our favourite was the high walk from Ober-Weidach to Reindlau up to the Scharnitzjoch saddle which was truly amazing.  We were very lucky with the weather, we had very warm sunshine every day, the Austrian hospitality was excellent and the hotels were lovely with delicious food.  In fact the holiday was pretty much faultless!

We absolutely loved our first walking holiday, the arrangements and hotels were all excellent. It was a lovely way to discover an area, and a real sense of achievement every afternoon when we arrived back at the hotel. The sauna and pool available at the hotels helped with aching muscles, and it was no problem at all to put those walking boots on again the next morning. We had 3 days in Innsbruck at the end of our walking week, and really missed the walking there.

This was our first experience of an Inntravel walking holiday and we were simply both blown away with the experience.  he walks, the scenery, and the chosen hotels were all exceptional.

Everyone we met, of all nationalities also felt the same.

A good mix and choice of walks ensured you could choose from a strenuous hike to a stroll.

There was a great feeling of fulfilment and achievement on completion of the longer walks.

A few tips we would pass on to future customers

1. Use walking poles, especially for some of the steep descents.

2. Take plenty of refreshments as some of the establishments are not open every day.

3. We found our compass invaluable on the couple of occasions it was required.

We met and remet other InnWalkers and thoroughy enjoyed their company. They were all comfortably in a much higher grade than us - but so what! Their company added another dimension to the experience. The hotels were all excellent with personal friendly service and superb cuisine. Remember to be self sufficient - you will find it almost impossible to find a shop of any kind.

Excellent walk, very well structured and organised. I would definitely recommend this walk to others.

Overall this was a truly superb holiday which will take us a long time to absorb. The weather certainly played a part as only the last walking day was wet / cool and we were prepared for that. The flowers were possibly exceptional due to the weather sequence this year, according to one person we met.

It was a great refreshing break where we managed to eat and drink as much as we liked, thereby enjoying all the local cuisine, but with fantastic exercise that meant you didnt put on any weight.

The scenery and the locations were inspiring, the food and welcome was great and the variety meant every day was different and like a new holiday.

[INNTRAVEL NOTE: Mr Kelly did both our Bavarian Castles and Villages cycling holiday as well as our Leutasch Valley walking holiday.]