Ellmau between the Wilder Kaiser and Hartkaiser

Ellmau combines an impressive mountain landscape with village history and special experiences. The village lies at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser nature reserve at an altitude of 820 m in the Söllandl valley. Nestled between the limestone massif of the Wilder Kaiser to the north and the Hartkaiser to the south, Ellmau offers a clear landscape setting for planning your trip. For families who want to combine nature, activity and cultural discoveries, it is worth considering the desired focus of the holiday when looking for accommodation.

Hiking and trails around the Hartkaiser

An important starting point for nature experiences is the Hartkaiserbahn 10-person gondola lift. It takes guests directly from the valley station in Ellmau to a nature and hiking area with views of the Wilder Kaiser. The middle station of the Hartkaiserbahn is also a starting point for numerous hiking and walking trails. This creates various options for planning your day: you can combine your stay with a ride into the mountain landscape or plan to use the middle station as the starting point for a walk or hike.

The Hartkaiserbahn is also important for winter sports. In Ellmau, the 10-person gondola lift provides direct access to the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser–Brixental ski area. Those who want to combine a trip with hiking, mountain views and skiing experiences will therefore find Ellmau to be a place where different seasons and travel ideas come together. Marked cycle paths are also quickly accessible from Ellmau, so the choice of activities is not limited to just one form of exercise.

Village history, film location and regional cuisine

In addition to its landscape, Ellmau offers specific points of interest for culturally minded travellers. The Maria Visitation Chapel, also known as the Marienkapelle, is located near the centre of Ellmau and was built in 1719. The Ellmau Local History Museum, also known as “Beim Wegmacher”, documents village life and Tyrolean contemporary history over the past centuries.

This historical focus is made particularly vivid by the museum building itself: it was originally built in the 16th century as a small miners’ house for mine workers. The rooms of the Ellmau Local History Museum are furnished true to the original in accordance with traditional rural customs. Those interested in regional history and traditional ways of life can take these aspects into account when planning their trip, alongside the nature experiences at the Hartkaiser.

The Bergdoktor practice in Ellmau is the original film location of the television series “Der Bergdoktor”. The Kaiserschmarrn Festival provides a culinary highlight: various versions of Schmarrn are offered there, either classic or as a side dish with a meal. A trip to Ellmau therefore includes not only trails and mountain landscapes, but also regional traditions and a characteristic local dish.

Choosing accommodation based on your travel plans

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Ellmau, you can first decide which part of the village and which experiences are most important to you. If the trip is to focus primarily on hiking and walking trails, planning around the Hartkaiserbahn is a good option. If you would also like to discover village history, film locations and regional cuisine, supplement these priorities with the cultural attractions and the Kaiserschmarrn Festival.

Further village pages to explore

For further research, you can also use the village pages for Landl, Oberau, Vorderthiersee, Oberau Wildschönau, Brixlegg, Söll, Reith Im Alpbachtal and Wörgl.

For the higher-level travel overview: Kufstein.