Page 258 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

256  A USTRIA REGION b y REGION

u Ötztal
Road map B4. @ £
n Gemeindestrasse 4, Sölden
(05720) 05 00. ∑ oetztal.com
Following the course of the
Ötztaler Ache, a tributary of the
Inn river, is the long valley of
Ötztal. At its southern end, near
the border with Italy, rise the
Ötztal Alps, with many peaks
above 3,500 m (11,500 ft); the
Wildspitze, at 3,774 m (12,381 ft),
is North Tyrol’s highest summit.
Nestling within the Ötztal
Alps is also the highest parish
in Austria, the ski resort of
Obergurgl at 1,927 m (6,322 ft).
The largest settlement in the
lower part of Ötztal is Oetz,
an old village with attractive,
colourful houses. The paintings
on the Star Inn date from 1573
and 1615. On a steep slope
stands the church of St George
and St Nicholas, which retains
Europabrücke, the highest road bridge in Europe some original Gothic features,
including a vault and portals.
t Brenner The lowest route into the centre The largest town at the
of the massif runs along the upper end of the Ötztal Valley is
Road map B5.
Stubaital (Stubai Valley), with its Längenfeld, where you find the
At an altitude of 1,374 m busy tourist resorts of Fulpmes church of St Catherine. It has a
(4,508 ft), the Brenner Pass is and Neustift. The highest peak 74-m (243-ft) high Gothic tower,
the lowest passage across the of the Stubai Alps, Zuckerhütl a decorative west portal and a
Eastern Alps, and as such one (Little Sugar Loaf), rises to 3,507 m Baroque interior.
of the most easily accessible (11,506 ft). The Stubaital is a very Ötztal’s administrative centre
routes connecting northern quiet place, particularly when is the old Tyrolean village of
Europe with Italy. Separating compared with the neighbour- Sölden. There is good skiing on
the Stubai Alps from the Zillertal ing Zillertal, winding its way Tiefenbachferner and superb
Alps, the pass was originally above a busy motorway. The views from Gaislachkogel and
used by the Romans as a trade Stubai glacier provides excellent Wilder Mann.
and military route. A highway conditions for all-year skiing In 1991, a frozen human body
suitable for carriage traffic and walking. was discovered on the Italian
was built in 1772, and the first side of the Ötztal Alps. Although
trans-Alpine railway line was over 5,000 years old, Ötzi, as
opened here in 1867. Today he was named, was perfectly
the motor way leading across preserved by the ice, along
the wide saddle of the Brenner with some 70 artifacts.
also boasts the highest and
most impressive road bridge
in Europe, the Europabrücke, i Seefeld
815 m (2,674 ft) long. Road map B4. £ * 3,300.
n Klosterstrasse 43 (05088) 050.
y Stubaital This small town, occupying a
large sunny plateau, is one of
Road map B4. @ n Fulpmes,
Bahnstrasse 17 (0501) 881 200. the most attractive places near
∑ stubai.at Innsbruck. It is a smart resort,
with elegant shops along a
Travelling on the Brenner wide promenade, and boasts
motorway from Innsbruck a variety of attractions. In the
towards Italy you will pass the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics,
Stubai Alps to your right, a high Fulpmes, a popular tourist centre in Seefeld was the venue for all
ridge massif with few valleys. the Stubaital the Nordic skiing contests,
View of a man-made reservoir at the foot of the Zillertaler Alpen

256-257_EW_Austria.indd 256 03/09/15 5:44 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm