The Altfasstal valley near Meransen: an insider tip for hikers

In the summer, the Altfasstal valley offers verdant meadows studded with bright rhododendrons and Alpine flowers, along with a gently gurgling brook where you can refresh your feet.

Hiking in this picturesque valley is a memorable experience for the whole family, and not just because of the tall mountains and green expanses that form the landscape. The numerous paths and trails take you deep into the heart of nature and also lead to welcoming Alpine huts with sunny terraces and children’s playgrounds where you can enjoy some rest and a choice of local specialities.

If you fancy a leisurely walk through the valley with your children, we recommend the Almenkneippweg – a pram-friendly themed path equipped with four different stations offering interesting facts about Sebastian Kneipp and his renowned hydrotherapy. The experience includes opportunities for water treading, feeling the forest soil with your feet and discovering all about the local medicinal herbs. We also have a tip for experienced Alpine hikers: a circular walk around the Altfasstal valley. This route takes about 3.5 hours to complete, and includes some rather exposed areas for which you need to be sure-footed. If that is not enough to quench your thirst for adventure, you can climb the Seefeldspitze peak. A well-maintained but steep trail will lead you to the Seefeldsee lake at an altitude of 2,276 metres. From there, you can continue to the Seefeldspitze top at 2,715 metres, where you will be rewarded with a sweeping view over the entire Altfasstal valley.

And how about a hike-and-bike combined tour of the Altfasstal valley? In Meransen there is a family-friendly path that in just 2 hours takes you either to the Wieserhütte hut or the Pranter Stadelhütte hut (both are at an altitude of approx. 1,850 metres). In the summer months, you can hire a mountain bike there and ride back to Meransen. The Wieserhütte facilities also include a cheese dairy where you can taste and buy freshly made Alpine cheese.

In winter, when nature dons its thickest snow coat and the meadows and woods are shrouded in an almost reverent quietness, the Altfasstal valley becomes a shrine of tranquillity and pure, crisp mountain air.

One of the most popular winter walks in the area is the one that leads to the Großberghütte hut. It takes around 30 minutes to reach the hut, from where you can also take a short snowshoe hike and immerse yourself in the peaceful landscape, where the only sound is the gentle crunching under your soles.