Tirol Valleys

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From the Swiss frontier in the southwest to the German frontier in the northeast the Inn valley cuts a swathe through the province of Tirol, with its side valleys - the Paznauntal, the Kauner Tal, the Pitztal, the Ötztal, the Zillertal, etc. - winding up into the grandeur of the mountains.

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Access to the beauties of the mountains is facilitated by the many lateral valleys which branch off on both sides of the Inn.

The Inn valley itself, with Innsbruck and such focal points of communications and trade as Landeck, Imst, Wörgl and Kufstein forms the principal artery of the province. To the south of the Inn the Pitztal and Ötztal run up into the Ötztal Alps. The resorts of Sölden/Hochsölden and Obergurgl/Hochgurgl in the Ötztal enjoy an international reputation among climbers and skiers. An attractive east-west connection between the Ötztal and the Inn valley is provided by the Sellraintal and Kühtaisattel. The Timmelsjoch Road forms an interesting link between the Ötztal and the Val Passiria in Italy. From the Wipptal (the valley of the Sill) which is followed by the Brenner Road, the Stubaital and the Gschnitztal branch off to the southwest. The Wattental and the Zillertal (see entry) wind up into the Tuxer Voralpen and the Zillertal Alps, with very beautiful branches to the Finsinggrund, the Tuxer Tal and the Gerlostal. The valleys of Eastern Tirol around Wörgl and Kitzbühel offer a variety of tourist attractions in summer and winter - the Alpbachtal at Brixlegg, Wildschönau and Kelchsau, the Spertental and the roads to St Johann in Tirol, Bad Fieberbrunn and Hochfilzen. The upper Lechtal, on the northern side of the Inn between the Allgäu and Lechtal Alps, is one of the most attractive areas in Tirol; however, cars towing caravans should avoid it. The Gurgital leads from Imst over the Fernpass to Ehrwald or Lermoos and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany, the Tannheimer Tal (see Reutte, Surroundings) from Weissenbach near Reutte over the Gaichtpass and the Oberjoch to Hindenlang (Germany). The Lechtal and the Vilstal cross the German frontier at Füssen and Pfronten. The busiest route from Tirol into Bavaria is the road from Innsbruck via Zirl, Seefeld and Scharnitz to Mittenwald, passing between the Wettersteingebirge and the Karwendel range. The Ausserfern district to the north of the Fernpass is another favorite holiday area. Ehrwald (starting point of the Zugspitze cableway), Lermoos and Biberwier lie on the edge of a wide valley basin dominated in the east by the grand western face of the Wetterstein and in the south by the Mieminger Berge. A beautiful road winds from the Tegernsee (Bavaria) through the Achental and along the eastern side of the Achensee, Tirol's largest lake, to the Strass road junction in the Inn valley. From the Rasthaus Kanzelkehre above Jenbach there is, in good weather, a magnificent panoramic prospect of mountains.