Östen: Winter Trails, Circular Walk and Alpine Pasture Hike
Accommodation in Östen
Östen is the starting point for an alpine pasture hike and a stop on several other hikes. The tours differ in season, route and stated walking time. Two are winter hikes; there is also an easy circular walk through the Östen district. When choosing a tour, both the stated duration and the sequence of places are therefore useful.
Winter trails with different sequences of places
The winter hiking trail from Umhausen follows the Ötztaler Ache through Östen to Hopfgarten and back. The stated walking time for this route is 1.5 hours. A second winter hiking trail takes a different route, from Tumpen via Lehn/Platzl and Maria Schnee to Östen and on to Umhausen; its stated walking time is two hours. The two times therefore differ by half an hour, but the trails are not interchangeable alternatives: their starting points and sequences of places differ. On the first route, Östen lies between Umhausen and Hopfgarten; the second approaches Östen from Tumpen and then continues to Umhausen. So if you are choosing based on time, also take the route into account. Check current trail conditions before winter hiking; seasonal conditions may vary on the route from Tumpen.
Easy circular walk through Östen
The easy Talblick Umhausen circular walk is listed as 11.09 km, with a walking time of 3.5 hours. Its route passes through the Östen district and continues to the Hopfgarten district. As a circular walk, it is a different type of route from the two winter trails; its distance, duration and “easy” rating are also specified. At 3.5 hours, its stated walking time is longer than that of either winter hike. It is therefore the tour with the longest explicitly stated duration in this selection. The “easy” rating applies to this circular walk.
Alpine pasture hike via Farst to the Reichalm
The alpine pasture hike begins in the hamlet of Östen and leads via the historic village of Farst to the Reichalm. Farst is a waypoint along the trail, while Östen is the starting point and the Reichalm the destination. The route can therefore be identified by its sequence of places: from the starting point in the hamlet, via Farst, to the Reichalm. Check local conditions before setting out.
Compare walking times and sequences of places
When choosing a tour, the type of route and the places mentioned are useful alongside the walking time. Hopfgarten appears in both the description of the winter hike from Umhausen and that of the Talblick circular walk; the first follows the Ötztaler Ache and returns, while the second is described as an easy circular route of 11.09 km taking 3.5 hours. So the shared place name does not mean the routes are identical. When planning a day of hiking, you can first decide whether the season or the circular route, duration and destinations matter more, then choose the route by its full sequence of places.
Discover more destinations: Tumpen, Niederthai.
Back to the main travel overview: Umhausen.
