Discover Sankt Leonhard in Pitztal

Sankt Leonhard in Pitztal combines the clear Rifflsee lake, high-alpine views, trails through the valley and living regional history. The Rifflsee, the Pitztal Glacier, waterfalls along the valley hike from Stillebach to Wiese and special cultural sites give your trip different facets. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first consider whether you are mainly looking for mountain landscapes, hikes, nature observation, history or shared experiences with children.

Mountain lake, high-altitude trails and the Pitztal Glacier

The circular Rifflsee hiking trail starts and ends at the Sunna Alm mountain restaurant. It follows an easy trail around the clear mountain lake. Anyone who would also like to experience the landscape from the water can obtain tickets for the raft trip on Rifflsee at the Rifflsee ticket office, at the Sunna Alm restaurant ticket office or directly at the raft before departure. These specific points of contact can be taken into account when planning the day.

The St. Leonhard high-altitude trail offers a different perspective. It leads from St. Leonhard in Pitztal along old hunters’ paths to the Luibisböden area and onwards to Piösmes. This trail can be a useful reference when choosing your accommodation if you would like to focus your trip more strongly on mountain hikes and landscape experiences. The “688 | Söllbergalm” tour starts at the Wiese car park at the beginning of Sankt Leonhard in Pitztal.

Glacier views and regional specialities

Café 3440 can be reached from the valley by the Gletscherexpress and Wildspitzbahn in around 20 minutes. From there, the view stretches across thousands of mountain peaks in the Ötztal Alps and to the Wildspitze. The café serves coffee specialities, homemade cakes, breakfast and regional delicacies. This makes it possible to combine an excursion into the high-alpine landscape with a culinary break.

The Pitztal Glacier-Rifflsee ski area is Austria’s highest-altitude ski area and reaches up to 3,440 metres above sea level. Families travelling with children will also find an adventure climbing trail at the Pitztal Glacier climbing park that is suitable for children aged 10 and over. At the upper end, there is a view of Tyrol’s highest glacier. This age requirement is particularly important when planning a day together.

Nature experiences and culture in the Pitztal

An easy valley hike from Stillebach to Wiese follows the River Pitze and passes waterfalls that originate in the Kaunergrat and Geigenkamm mountain ranges. At the Tyrolean Ibex Centre, a walk-in ibex enclosure is also part of a photographic exhibition. This means that both landscapes and nature observation are available in the valley as independent travel ideas.

The valley’s history can also be discovered at several sites. The restored Schrofenhof is considered the oldest farm in the Pitztal mentioned in historical records. The pilgrimage church of “Maria Hilf” at Bichele in Sankt Leonhard in Pitztal dates back to 1610. Local tradition also includes the “Betrothed Holidays”: self-imposed days of devotion intended to protect the population from dangers such as natural disasters, infectious diseases, the threat of war and livestock epidemics.

For another active option, the “Mittelberg Way” starts at the bus turning area in Mittelberg. It follows a technically very easy gravel road that is also suitable for beginners. The Klockelefall near Stillebach is a gently sloping, not overly steep icefall and is well suited to beginners.

Getting to the Pitztal

The nearest railway station is Imst in the Inn Valley. From there, bus route 310 travels through the Pitztal to the bottom stations of the Rifflsee cable car and the Gletscherexpress.

For further orientation, the villages of Boden, Zaunhof, Plangeross, Mandarfen and Wiese are also worth considering when exploring the Pitztal. This allows you to check before booking which village is best suited to the experiences you would like to focus on during your stay in Sankt Leonhard in Pitztal.

For the higher-level travel overview: Imst.

More destinations

More places at the same destination:

Nassereith, Rietz, Karrösten.