Hintertux, Austria

 

Hintertux is known nationwide for its glacier ski area and is located in the Zillertal Alps at the end of the Tux Valley, a southern side valley of the Zillertal in North Tyrol / Austria.

The place Tux is mentioned for the first time in 1280. The hamlet of Hintertux belonged to the parish Matrei am Brenner in the Wipptal for a long time. Politically, Hintertux has belonged to the municipality of Tux since 1926, with the municipal administration in Lanersbach.

The beginning of mass tourism in winter is the year 1949 with the founding of the Zillertaler Gletscherbahn, initially as "Schiliftgesellschaft Hintertux" and a newly built chairlift, which was destroyed by an avalanche in 1951. But with the construction of further lifts in 1954 and 1960 and the first lift to the glacier in 1968, ski tourism cannot be stopped in Hintertux even in summer.

Today Hintertux consists of two parts of the settlement, that is the actual place Hintertux, a small hamlet with the church and farmhouses and from the valley station of the glacier railway located about one kilometer to the south-west directly at the end of the valley as a hotel village with the operating buildings for the lifts and large parking lots.

 

Attractions

Assumption of Mary (built 1952)
Spannagel Cave on the Hintertux Glacier, is considered the largest cave in the entire Central Alps, the highest show cave in Europe and has been a national monument since 1964. Current survey status: approx. 10 km in length, of which approx. 500m are accessible to visitors, inspection as part of a guided tour.
Location: at the middle station (2,535 m) of the glacier lifts

 

Activities

In summer
highest thermal bath in Europe;
Hintertux Oktoberfest with cattle drive, every year on the last weekend in September;

 

Getting there

By plane
The nearest international airport is in Innsbruck (92 km). Other airports that can be reached are in Salzburg (195 km) and Munich - Franz Josef Strauss Airport (214 km);

By train
From Jenbach an der Unterinntalbahn (Kufstein - Innsbruck route) with the Zillertalbahn to Mayrhofen, then by bus or taxi to Hintertux.

Information on the Zillertalbahn: www.zillertalbahn.at;

By street
The Tuxertal itself is a dead end, the approach is only from the north from the Unterinntal (Inntalautobahn A12, Kufstein - Innsbruck) and further on the federal road B169 through the whole Zillertal or from the east from Mittersill on the federal road B168 and over the Gerlospass (toll road, around ten euros), each possible via Mayrhofen.

For the journey in the winter months, winter equipment including chains is strongly recommended. While the approach through the Zillertal is still relatively flat, there are some steeper climbs along the route in the Tuxertal. In addition, there is often the narrowing of the lane due to the snow when there is heavy traffic, including oncoming traffic from the ski buses. In spring and autumn, it is easy to get ice in the morning from the condensation from the day before.

In spring, during the high season of the glacier ski area, the parking spaces at the valley station of the glacier lift can be overcrowded on weekends and when the weather is nice. The drivers are then diverted to alternative parking spaces in the Tuxertal beforehand, and the further journey to the valley station of the glacier cable car is then carried out with the ski bus.

Around the city
Tuxer Sportbus all year round free of charge from Vorderlanersbach, Lanersbach, Juns and Madseit
Free ski bus from Mayrhofen in winter with stops in Finkenberg and Lanersbach
Night bus "1 Euro-Night-Liner", in winter until 02:20