WINTER HIKING TRAILS

At the start of Völsesgasse in Oberperfuss, a side trail (Path Nr. 8) heads across the fields and along the edge of the forest. This route continues on to Ranggen and then back to Völsesgasse. A detour to Itzlranggen is also possible.

An idyllic and sunny winter hiking route with stunning views! The hike starts from the lift car park at Bergbahnen Oberperfuss, which is free of charge for anyone using the lift. Take the gondola up to the Stiglreith lift station at an altitude of 1,363 m, where you will set off on your hike. Follow the path past the ski hire shop and onto the Panoramastraße road, which you should then follow downhill for approx. 50 metres until you reach the first bend. From there, take the signposted path on your right, which is an idyllic trail leading slightly uphill through the forest. Along the way, you will frequently be treated to wonderful views across the valley and of the surrounding mountain landscapes. There are also plenty of benches where you can stop for a relaxing break. After walking for approx. 45 minutes, the path ends at an altitude of 1,450 metres above sea level. You can then turn around and follow the same winter trail back to the starting point, yet again enjoying the stunning views and glorious peace and quiet along the way.

The hike starts at the Bergbahnen Oberperfuss lift station. First take the gondola up to Stiglreith, which is located at an altitude of 1,363 metres above sea level. From there, the route passes the car park and continues along a road with stunning mountain views. Keep following the yellow signs to the district of Gfas at 1,517 metres above sea level.  The hike follows the same route back to the starting point. A short detour is possible to visit a beautifully situated reservoir and Restaurant Sulzstich. The road from Oberperfuss Berg to Stiglreith is closed to unauthorised vehicles during the winter months from 1 November until 30 March. Highlight: Gfas is the highest district of Oberperfuss and home to two farmhouses, a beautiful chapel and stunning views of the Inn Valley and the surrounding mountains.

If you choose to start your chapel hike in the centre of Oberperfuss, you should set off from the free car park next to the Parish Church of Saint Margaret. According to official documents, the original church was constructed back in 1391. The old late Gothic building was replaced with a new church building in 1729. The current church is a Baroque single-nave construction with a large north tower and is surrounded by a cemetery. Its impressive features include a sundial created by Peter Anich on the south side and vault paintings by Franz Altmutter inside the building. The fact that religious folk art flourished during this period made the church a treasure of the Baroque era. On 20 July every year, the church celebrates the patronage of Saint Margaret by holding a special mass and festival.  After admiring the parish church, walk a few steps west to the Peter Anich House, to the left of which you will find the Gasslerkapelle chapel. The building, which is also known as the “Chapel of Our Lord in Misery”, is home to an old statue of Christ based on the statue of the Man of Sorrows at the Pilgrimage Church of Wies in Upper Bavaria. The chapel was formerly used for the blessing of the deceased, who were brought to the cemetery from the local district. On Palm Sunday, the chapel holds a palm ceremony followed by a procession to the parish church.   Continue your hike past the Hotel Krone to the road and then follow it north until you reach the Huebe-Hinterhof crossing. Here you will find the Albis Chapel, which was constructed as a plague chapel by a farmer from the Albis family in 1676. In 1959, a commemorative year marking 150 years since the Tyrolean Rebellion in 1809, the chapel was restored by an 80-year-old farmer from the Albis family and the Young Farmers Association. A Sacred Heart painting was consecrated on 6 September 1959 in place of the painting of the Virgin Mary by Zötsch.   After leaving the chapel, continue west for approximately one kilometre until you reach the address Völsesgasse 21. The Zischgen Chapel is located on the right of the courtyard of Johann Witting. According to the Monuments Authority for Tyrol, the building dates back to the late Gothic period and was decorated in Baroque style in the 17th century. The altarpiece depicts the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln. The chapel was damaged during the Second World War and subsequently repaired. In 1991, the chapel was completely refurbished by Johann Witting.   Continue along Völsesgasse until you reach the Sattlerbauern farm (Völsesgasse 47). On the left you will find the Hueber Chapel, which is adorned with a Sacred Heart painting. The Polten Chapel is located at the end of Völsesgasse road. It was built by a farmer from the Grünfeld family in 1837. The altarpiece depicting Our Lady of Sorrows was created by the painter Schnaiter from Zirl. The main ceiling painting depicts the Descent from the Cross and was painted by Anton Krömer in 1838. The four spandrels of the chapel ceiling feature images of the four Evangelists and their corresponding symbols. After being completely renovated, the chapel was re-consecrated on 12 October 1982. It is named after the nearby farm, which was formerly known as the Poltenhof and now belongs to the Stackler family. The chapel is now owned by a group of ten farmers. It is also the destination of one of the local processions.   Continue along Peter-Anich-Weg back towards the village. On your right by the Studlerhof farmhouse, you will see the Dickicht Chapel, which looks like a wayside shrine and used to stand to the right of the farmhouse together with a large old statue of the Virgin Mary. In 1935, the farmer’s wife was offered a large sum of money for the statue but replied that the Mother of God is not to be sold. The Mother of God was stolen one year later. When work was carried out to straighten the road, the chapel was moved to its current position in the thicket.   Continue along Peter-Anich-Weg and you will find the little Hütter Chapel tucked away on the mountainside on the right-hand side of the road, opposite the cable car station. The chapel contains carved figures of the Holy Family and was a wayside chapel until the road was rebuilt. On the right-hand side of the mountain, you can also see the nearby Tschoner Chapel. The construction of this chapel as an Our Lady of Lourdes chapel with a small bell tower was commissioned by Mrs Tschoner around the turn of the century.  Opposite the electrical shop Hörtnagl, you will find the Aigen Chapel, formerly known as the Ela Chapel. The chapel was constructed in 1858 and restored by the Young Farmers’ Association in 1985. It is adorned with a large carved cross. In the early 1990s, the figure of Saint John was stolen and the figure of the Virgin Mary was recovered from the neighbouring farmhouse.   At the point where the Peter-Anich-Weg branches off towards Aigen, you can find the Marxerhof farm on the left-hand side of the road. In 2015, a stunning wooden chapel was built in the courtyard of the Triendl family home, the Marxer Chapel.  In the past, the local processions led from the parish church to Aigen and on to the Marxerhof, where the gospel was also preached. In recognition of this, a chapel was constructed in the courtyard and now houses the old procession altar. Next to the chapel you will find the old summit cross from Rosskogel mountain, which was replaced in 2011 after 46 years and is also well worth admiring.   Finish off your journey by following Peter-Anich-Weg back to the starting point of your chapel hike, the parish church in the village centre.   Sources and literature: “Gemeindebuch Oberperfuss” (Oberperfuss Parish Chronicle)   Rest stops: Hotel Krone – m1 Cafe Restaurant Bar Lounge (closed on Thursdays), Vormittagscafe Kleißl (open mornings only, closed on Mondays), Baguette Cafe Bistro and the Bäckerei Oberperfuss bakery 

This hike leads up Rangger Köpfl mountain. The route starts from the lift car park at Bergbahnen Oberperfuss, which is free of charge for anyone using the lift. We recommend taking the 8-seater gondola up to Stiglreith. Alternatively, you can hike up on foot by following the Haggenweg trail but be warned: this route is also a toboggan run. The trail climbs gently uphill through the forest for about 1.5 hours to the car park at Stiglreith. It is very important to be aware of oncoming tobogganers and to proceed with caution. Please note: fees apply to park in the car park at Stiglreith and a driving ban prohibits anyone from driving there between 1 November and 30 April. On the left-hand side of Stiglreith car park, you will find the Chapel of the Visitation, which was built by the Kofler Family to fulfil a promise. The chapel was consecrated in 1992. A mountain church service (Almsegen) accompanied by a small celebration takes place there every year on the Sunday after the Visitation (2 July). The site of the chapel was formerly home to a stone cross built to ask God for good weather.  Follow the forest road gently uphill to Sulzstich. When you come to a turnoff, keep left towards Gfas. Gfas is the highest district of Oberperfuss at an altitude of 1,517 metres above sea level. It is home to two farmhouses and a Marienkapelle (St. Mary's Chapel) that was originally made of wood. In 1941, Franz Leitner replaced the wooden construction with a brick-built chapel, which was consecrated in 1987 following renovation work. The distinctive Rosskogel mountain towers up behind the chapel.  From the district of Gfas, follow the road towards Sulzstich until you come to the idyllic reservoir. Just below the reservoir is the Sulzstich restaurant with its large sun terrace. This is wonderful place to take a break and enjoy a bite to eat. From there, you can either take Gondola II or follow the road back down to Stiglreith before taking Gondola I back down into the valley. Sources and literature: “Gemeindebuch Oberperfuss” (Oberperfuss Parish Chronicle)  Places to stop for food and drink: Restaurant Sulzstich (only open when the lifts are running at Bergbahnen Oberperfuss) and Panoramarestaurant Stiglreith (open daily).

On request. A picturesque guided hike through snowy Oberperfuss. During the hike, you'll stop at various viewpoints with stunning views of Innsbruck and receive lots of interesting information about Oberperfuss, the Innsbruck region and Tyrol. The hike takes about one hour. Minimum of 10 people. Meeting point 8.15 pm at Hotel Krone, lanterns are handed out and the hike starts from there.  

Going for a stroll or hike to visit a nativity scene or two is a popular pastime in Tyrol. Oberperfuss is a very well-known nativity scene location that is home to outstanding woodcarvers. Every festive season, numerous visitors flock to the village to admire the stunning works of art in local homes and buildings. Given the current restrictions due to the coronavirus, the Oberperfuss Nativity Scene Association, which is run by the Chairman Christian Spiegl, has come up with an extra-special nativity scene walk for visitors: The walk starts in the car park next to Oberperfuss Parish Church, where you can park for free. In front of the parish church you will see the beautiful village nativity scene by Konrad Spiegl, a grandson of Oberperfuss' famous woodcarver Josef Spiegl, who carved thousands of sheep that can now be admired in many of Tyrol's nativity scenes. When you enter the church, be sure to check out the baptistery on the left, where you can view the stunning old church nativity scene, a mountainous crib scene created by Karl Triendl, featuring figurines made by Giner, Seisl, Mundi, etc. and a background by Pögl Alois. Other attractive highlights of the Baroque parish church include the tomb next to the church wall and the sundial by the famous cartographer Peter Anich on the south side of the church. After leaving the parish church, continue west for a few minutes until you reach the Hotel Krone, home to the Niederkircher family's inn nativity scene. At the reception desk, you will see a sign reading "zur Krippe". Follow the signs directing visitors through the hallways to the "Steincafé" and it won't be long until you're suddenly standing in front of a true work of art so large that it needs its own room: Tyrol’s largest private nativity scene with a width of 5.2 metres and depth of 2.4 metres. The scene contains hundreds of figurines depicting various stories from the Bible, for example the Annunciation, Mary and Joseph's search for a room, the birth of Jesus in the stall, the shepherds in the field and the visit of the Three Wise Men. The painted background of the nativity scene has a genuine oriental feel to it. Hundreds of the figurines in the scene date back to a period lasting two centuries and are believed to be connected to the late-Baroque Giner school from the end of the 18th century. This nativity scene takes an impressive total of two weeks to install. It is a truly fascinating original replica of Jesus' birthplace, Jerusalem, the landscape, the shepherds' clothes and the animals. Back when the scene was created, a number of local residents embarked on what were extremely difficult pilgrimages to the Holy Land in order to be able to realistically recreate what happened in the nativity. The Niederkircher Nativity Scene at the Hotel Krone in Oberperfuss is truly tremendous and well worth a visit. After admiring this work of art, you can bring your nativity scene tour to the perfect close at the neighbouring M1 café and restaurant. The car park next to the parish church is only a short walk from the restaurant, or you can choose to go on a longer walk starting at the Hotel Krone and leading you through the village before following the Blasius-Hueber-Weg path back to the car park. You can, of course, also enjoy this very sunny route before setting out on your nativity scene tour.  

Path number 7 heads from the cable-car car park back through the neighbourhoods of Aigen and Huebe around the Hueber Fields. it then continues across the country lanes to the hamlet of Dickicht and back to the car park.

This trail starts at the valley-station car park at the Oberperfuss cable-car, and subsequently lightly climbs for for 6 kilometres through the forest on the way to Stiglreith. This section can also be conquered by cable car. Take care during winter, however, as this path also doubles as a toboggan run.

Head from Stiglreith along the road to the Sulzstich Restaurant (cabel-car mid-station). The new cable car can, also, naturally be used for this stretch. This winter walk heads from the restaurant along the toboggan run to the Rosskogelhütte alpine hut at 1,778m above sea level. This final section of the walk should take you about 35 minutes.

Take the Bergbahnen Oberperfuss gondolas up to the Sulzstich lift station at an altitude of 1,560 metres above sea level. From there, follow the path on your left. This joins the forest road and takes you directly to the Rosskogelhütte mountain hut. Watch out for oncoming tobogganers! This idyllic winter hiking route is an absolute highlight with stunning views and an exceptional panoramic view from the terrace of the Rosskogelhütte.  

This wonderful winter hiking route with stunning views starts in the Kammerland district and takes you across snowy meadows to the edge of the woods before leading uphill along a section of the Haggenweg trail (watch out for tobogganers) and then left along the upper Wiesenweg route, across the Plörlwiesen meadows and back down to Kammerland.