Peaks of the Ötztal

This summer we got the chance to go and explore the Ötztal in Austria. This 65 km long valley borders with Italy and is home to some of the highest mountains in Austria. Herbert had been here multiple times before (both in summer and winter), but for Sanne this was the first time. A great thing about the Ötztal is that if you stay at one of their many lodging partners  you get a free Ötztal premium card (June to October). With this card you can use all the summer lifts for free. We only had 2 days in the Ötztal, so we decided to make the most of it and take as many lifts up to the top as possible. As we were here in summer we expected to see a lot of green mountains, but because of fresh snow in the nights we ended up in beautiful winter-like landscapes!

Wurmkogel, Hochgurgl (3064 m)

Our first stop was the Wurmkogel, which is situated above the tiny ski town of Hochgurgl. We first had to take a gondola and then a chairlift to go all the way to the top. We started below the clouds, but while sitting in the chairlift we passed through them and at the top we were rewarded with some spectacular views! At the top of the Wurmkogel they have a really cool panorama café called the Top Mountain Star.

Hohe Mut, Obergurgl (2065 m)

Our second stop was the Hohe Mut. You can reach it by gondola from the town of Obergurgl. It’s not the highest of all the places you can reach by lift, but it’s definitely one of the most beautiful. You have amazing views into the surrounding valleys and you can see multiple glaciers. If you’re lucky you might also run into some local sheep!

Tiefenbachkogl, Sölden (3250 m)

In winter the Tiefenbach glacier is home to some of the best ski slopes in the Sölden ski area, but in summer it’s definitely worth a visit too. You can reach it by driving the Ötztal glacier road all the way up to the bottom of the Tiefenbach glacier. You end up at a height of 2829 m, making it the second highest paved road in Europe! From there you can take the gondola to the top. At the top you have great views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers, especially from the overhanging viewing platform.

Gaislachkogl, Sölden (3040 m)

The Gaislachkogl can be reached straight from the center of Sölden using 2 gondolas. At the top they have a cool glass building which you might have seen in the latest James Bond movie (Spectre). Unfortunately for us there was some construction going on so we don’t have any good photos of the building. You’ll just have go see it for yourself sometime!

This post was made in partnership with Ötztal Tourism who sponsored our trip to the Ötztal, Austria. Our opinions and photos are our own.