Ehrwald: Mountain Landscapes, Hiking Trails and Tyrolean Culture

Ehrwald combines its location directly at the foot of the Wetterstein Mountains with a wide range of nature and cultural experiences. The 2,962-metre-high Zugspitze is part of this mountain landscape. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Ehrwald, it is therefore worth first considering which days you are planning: extended mountain tours, trails to lakes, special insights into the history of cable cars or traditional customs.

Hiking between alpine pastures, water and high mountains

The 8-person Ehrwalder Almbahn gondola lift takes guests from Ehrwald to its mountain station at an altitude of 1,500 metres. This mountain station is a starting point for hiking, mountain and MTB tours. From there, it is also possible to walk to the Almsee lake. In the Ehrwalder Alm area, a summer hike leads to Seebensee; from there, the route can be continued to Drachensee. This allows different ideas of a day in the mountains to be combined: a hike to a lake, a longer tour with an onward route or a walk as an independent destination.

Another option is the “Zugspitzi am Gaisbach” water experience trail. It follows a circular route along the Gaisbach stream towards the Seeben waterfall and returns via the Almmähder meadows. Anyone looking for a route with a clearly described course can include this trail in their day’s planning. The Gatterltour, on the other hand, has a different objective: it leads from Ehrwald on foot over the Gatterl to the Zugspitze and is suitable only for experienced, sure-footed and vertigo-free mountaineers with good fitness and appropriate equipment. You should explicitly take these requirements into account when choosing your activities and planning your accommodation.

Different demands on the trails

The trail options at the Ehrwalder Wettersteinbahnen also differ considerably. The “Blue Bird Trail” is classified as easy, while the “Bare Knuckle Trail” is considered difficult. This contrast is useful for your travel planning if people in your group have different sporting preferences or if you are specifically looking for an easier or more demanding route. The classifications do not replace individual planning, but they provide clear guidance for making your choice.

Cable car history and Tyrolean customs

In addition to mountain trails, Ehrwald also offers cultural points of interest. The “Museum im Spinnhof” began operating as a museum in its current premises on 21 June 2020. In the valley, the “BAHNORAMA anno 1926” cable car museum displays the original cable-car drive and a historic driver’s cab. The two destinations focus on different aspects: the Museum im Spinnhof centres on museum operations in its current premises, while BAHNORAMA anno 1926 presents a specific technical testament to cable-car history.

One of the defining traditions is the “Bergfeuer Ehrwald”. This social practice in Tyrol was included in the Austrian Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. Scheibenschlagen is one of the oldest Alpine carnival customs and takes place in Ehrwald every year on the first Sunday after Ash Wednesday. Anyone wishing to combine their trip with regional culture and special dates will find two different forms of traditional customs here: a practice listed in the cultural heritage inventory and an annually recurring carnival custom.

Mobility and further travel ideas

The valley stations of the two cable cars near Ehrwald can be reached by car as well as by train and bus. This can play an important role in planning your arrival if you do not want to travel all routes by car. When choosing accommodation, it is also crucial which experiences are most important to you: the mountain station of the Ehrwalder Almbahn provides access to hiking, mountain and MTB tours, while museums and customs offer a different focus.

The Ehrwalder Alm ski area is also part of the local offering. It has a total of 27.5 kilometres of pistes at an altitude of 1,100 to 1,900 metres and includes 13 varied downhill runs. In addition, the illuminated valley run of the Ehrwalder Almbahn is used for tobogganing; it is three kilometres long. If you are choosing accommodation for a trip with different activity preferences, you can take these differences between mountain tours, culture and winter sports into account in your decision without having to plan every day in the same way.

For your travel planning, you can also consider Pfafflar, Elmen, Grän, Forchach, Ehenbichl, Weißenbach Am Lech, Pflach and Heiterwang.

For the overarching travel overview: Reutte.