Discover Innervillgraten

Innervillgraten combines listed Alpine pasture huts, traditional rural architecture, special hiking destinations and winter activities. Those planning a trip with varied daily rhythms will find both cultural and historical discoveries as well as trails, water and opportunities for play. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, it is worth deciding on your personal focus: Should your holiday be shaped primarily by Alpine pastures and history, by hikes, or by tobogganing and family experiences?

Alpine pastures, churches and rural history

A notable destination is the pilgrimage church of Maria Schnee in Kalkstein, which dates back to 1660. Its interior features a simple star-ribbed vault and a pointed-arch chancel arch. Those interested in regional religious and architectural heritage can combine a visit to this place with further historical impressions.

A short hike to the Oberstalleralm begins at the Unterstalleralm in the rear Villgraten Valley. The Oberstalleralm is a listed Alpine pasture village with 18 historic Alpine pasture huts and a chapel. The huts were first mentioned in 1675. This excursion therefore focuses not only on physical activity, but also on the history of an Alpine settlement form.

At the entrance to the Arntal Valley, the Open-Air Museum of Alpine Life presents restored facilities showcasing rural working culture and architecture. These include a fulling mill, a mill, a single-farmhouse, an Alpine pasture hut and an entrance house. At the fulling mill, pre-woven wool is pounded and fulled in hot water until it becomes dense loden cloth; the fulling mill has been in operation for more than 200 years. The Lüfter Mill is a historic flour mill with a barley roller. The “Neuhauser” farmhouse dates from the period between 1700 and 1740.

The Wegelate sawmill also tells of earlier work powered by water. It is the last of a total of eight water-powered sawmills that once stood in Innervillgraten and the surrounding area, and it was renovated true to its original style in 1993.

Hikes with different focuses

For a view with a manageable walking distance, an approximately ten-minute hike leads from the Unterstalleralm snack station to the viewing platform at the Klapfbach waterfall. The platform is also connected to a circular hiking trail. At the natural monument Sinkersee, a fenced path can be used to walk around the lake. Those looking for longer excursions will find a much more extensive challenge on the “Herzass” long-distance hiking trail: it runs in five stages over 70 kilometres along 50 peaks around the mountaineering villages of Außer- and Innervillgraten.

A guided hike follows the historic smugglers’ trail into the Gsies Valley. This tour can therefore be regarded as a separate experience with a fixed guided format.

Tobogganing, skiing and time with children

For tobogganing days, the unlit “Sandbergweg” toboggan run begins near the village centre of Innervillgraten. The “Alte Kalksteinerweg” toboggan run in Kalkstein is 2 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 4 to 8 percent. Children and beginner skiers can use the Stauderlift in Innervillgraten.

The Innervillgraten Kneipp Trail includes an artificially created lake that is not suitable for swimming, a natural Kneipp trail, a barbecue area, a tree house and numerous play facilities. Families can therefore choose between a water experience without swimming, exercise and play. In culinary terms, the Gannerhof focuses on genuine regionality in its choice of products and on uncomplicated cuisine with plenty of finesse.

The right accommodation for your travel plans

A holiday apartment in Innervillgraten is particularly suitable for your plans if you would like to divide your days flexibly between culture, hikes and winter activities. When searching, check which location matches your intended starting points: The Sandbergweg begins near the village centre, the hike to the Oberstalleralm starts at the Unterstalleralm in the rear Villgraten Valley, and the viewing platform at the Klapfbach waterfall can be reached on foot in about ten minutes from the snack station mentioned there. This allows you to choose your accommodation according to your preferred holiday pace and the experiences that are most important to you.

Other places in the surrounding area

If you would like to compare other destinations besides Innervillgraten, you will find Tristach, Bichl, Kals am Großglockner, Moos, Untertilliach, Heinfels, Hopfgarten in Defereggen and Sankt Jakob in Defereggen here.

For the overarching travel overview: Lienz.