Regions in Brief

Igls & the Environs

This area, where many events of the Olympic Winter Games of 1964 and 1976 were held, might be called "Olympic Innsbruck." The cluster of resorts, the best known of which is Igls, are all within easy reach of the Tyrol capital. A complete system of lifts opens up alpine scenery to everybody, from the beginner to the most advanced skier -- or to the sightseer in warm weather. You might consider staying in one of these resorts instead of at an Innsbruck hotel.

The Stubai & Wipp Valleys

Two of the most beautiful valleys in Tyrol are the Stubai and Wipp valleys, their alpine peaks some 15km (10 miles) west of Innsbruck. From the Brenner Road, you can fork off at Schönberg into the Stubaital, which has little villages such as Fulpmes and neighboring Neustift along the way, both summer and winter playgrounds. One of the first hamlets you'll encounter, and one of the most charming, is Mieders (952m/3,123 ft.). From Mieders, there's a chairlift that goes up to Kopeneck at 1,632m (5,354 ft.).

If you decide to stay in one of these little resorts, you'll find that prices will please your checkbook. These hotels are often signposted at the entrance of their respective resorts; not all are on street plans. However, you could also stay in Innsbruck and drive through the valley, either by private car or on a bus, in a day. Or, you could take a narrow-gauge electric train. If you travel by rail, you can go only as far as Fulpmes. After that, you must continue by bus.

The Wipptal (Wipp Valley), in the valley of the Sill River, stretching from Innsbruck to the Brenner Pass. An Autobahn, a great engineering feat, pierces the valley right on the outskirts of Innsbruck, going over the Europabrücke (Europe Bridge, on the A13), 191m (627 ft.) high and 824m (2,703 ft.) long. As you travel over it, you'll feel as though you're driving on a highway in the sky.

Brenner Pass, which marks the boundary between Italy and Austria, is known as the lowest gap in the major alpine chain and has been used since Roman times -- and probably before.

The Ötz Valley

This next excursion into the Ötz Valley is one of the most scenic in Tyrol. Following the Valley of the Inn, you head west from Innsbruck, taking a good but winding road (Rte. 186) south toward the Italian border before reaching Irnst. Along the way are many worthy places to stop, as each town or village offers good food and hotels, again at reasonable prices.

Ötztaler Ache flows through the valley, which extends for about 56km (35 miles) from the south bank of the Upper Inn. The mouth of the valley is at Ötz (spelled "Öetz" on some maps). Along the road, you'll see many waterfalls as you ascend. Arrive on a sunny day, and you'll marvel at the glaciers and peaks of the Ötztal Alps spreading before you. The valley cuts deep into the heart of some of the highest peaks in the eastern alpine range and leads into the midst of what has been called the "Tyrolean Arctic," a glacier region of ethereal beauty. The mountain villages have glacier lifts for extensive skiing. Glacier skiing is possible from spring through fall on the gigantic Rettenbachferner.

This long valley has good skiing in its lower and outer reaches, but if it's summer and you're here just for the sightseeing, the inner or middle part of the valley is the most spectacular.

The Eastern Side of the Arlberg: A Skiing Mecca

There's no such thing as a sacred ski (and snowboarding) mountain -- as far as we know -- but if there were, it would have to be the Arlberg. This is where alpine skiing began its conquest of the world. On the east side of the Arlberg, 114km (71 miles) west of Innsbruck, is what's known as the cradle of alpine skiing. Here the legends and stars known to all dedicated skiers were born: the Ski Club Arlberg, the early Kandahar races, and Hannes Schneider and his Arlberg method.

The Arlberg, with peaks that top the 2,745m (9,006-ft.) mark, lures skiers with its vast network of cableways, lifts, runs stretching for miles, a world-renowned ski school, and numerous sporting amenities. Runs begin at the intermediate level, reaching all the way to the nearly impossible.

The Arlberg is the loftiest mountain in the Lechtral range, and marks the boundary between the settlers of the Tyrolean country and the Vorarlbergers, who live in the extreme western province of Austria. One of the Arlberg's most celebrated peaks is the Valluga, at 2,812m (9,226 ft.).

In 1825, a road was opened, allowing traffic to travel to the Arlberg Pass. A 10km-long (6-mile) rail tunnel was opened in 1884, linking Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Finally, in 1978, a new road tunnel, Europe's third-longest, linked the two provinces. The toll for the Arlberg Strassen Tunnel is 8.50€ ($11) each way per car. If you're not driving, you'll find the area serviced by the well-known Arlberg Express rail link.

The Ziller Valley

Zillertal is the German name for the Ziller Valley east of Innsbruck, a resort mecca in summer and winter. Some say that this is the most beautiful valley in all of Tyrol. You might doubt this claim as you go through the first stretches of the Zillertal, but don't turn back. It gets more impressive as you travel deeper into the valley.

When you first enter the Zillertal during the warmer months, you'll pass rich meadowlands and sleek, healthy grazing cows. To the west are the Tux Alps and to the east are the Kitzbühel Alps, covered later in this chapter. As tempting as it might be to head for these alpine areas, continue farther into the Ziller Valley, which will suddenly grow narrower, with the scenery becoming more dramatic.

The people of the Zillertal are the finest singers in Austria, as generation after generation of valley families inherited magnificent voices and made use of their talents. Pass through the first of the little villages and resorts, since we think better ones lie ahead.

The Kitzbühel Alps

Hard-core skiers and the rich and famous are attracted to this ski region. Such a dense network of lifts covers the Kitzbühel Alps that they're Austria's largest skiing area, with a series of superlative runs. The action centers on the town of Kitzbühel, but there are many satellite resorts that are much less expensive, including St. Johann in Tyrol. Kitzbühel is, in a sense, a neighbor of Munich, 130km (81 miles) to the northeast: Most visitors to the Kitzbühel Alps use Munich's international airport.

East Tyrol

East Tyrol is not geographically connected to North Tyrol. When South Tyrol was ceded to Italy in 1919 in the aftermath of World War I, East Tyrol was cut off from the rest of the province by a narrow projection of Italian land that borders Land Salzburg.

Italy, including what used to be South Tyrol, lies to the south and west, with Land Salzburg to the north and Carinthia to the east. The little subprovince, of which Lienz is the capital, is cut off from its neighbors on the north by seemingly impenetrable Alps. East Tyrol is known as Östtirol in German.

Because of its isolated position, East Tyrol tends to be neglected by the average North American tourist, which is a shame. The grandeur of its scenery and the warm hospitality of its people make it worth visiting. It's crowned by the towering peaks of the Lienz Dolomites, which invite exploration. The scenery along the Drau and the Isel valleys is spectacular. These two main valleys have many little side hollows worth exploring, especially the Virgental. You'll see alpine pastureland, meadows, relatively undiscovered valleys, and beautiful lakes.

The Romans occupied East Tyrol in ancient times. Later the Slavs moved into the area as settlers and made it a section of Carinthia. It has known many rulers, from the Bavarians to the French. Even Great Britain had a hand in running things here, when the Allies made East Tyrol a part of the British-occupied sector of Austria from 1945 to 1955.

Since 1967, it has been possible to reach East Tyrol by taking the 5km-long (3-mile) Felbertauern Tunnel, a western route through the Alps. If you're driving, you can come from the east or the west. From the Grossglockner Road, you take the Felbertauern Road and the tunnel. If you're driving from the north to Lienz, East Tyrol's capital, you can take the Felbertauern Road from Land Salzburg, passing through the tunnel. In summer, you might want to take the Grossglockner Road and the Iselberg Pass. This road runs along the boundary between East Tyrol and Carinthia.

It's also possible to take a train from Italy to East Tyrol. Corridor trains operate between Innsbruck and Lienz as well. As you pass through Italy on this trip, the trains are locked and you don't have to show your passport or clear Italian Customs.

Woodcarving, long a pursuit in East Tyrol, is still practiced in tranquil chalets during the long winter months. You might want to shop for some pieces while you're here.