Sankt Jodok am Brenner: Nature, Hiking and Climbing

St. Jodok connects the Schmirntal and Valsertal valleys; both branch off from here. Nature, mountain hikes and climbing offer different focuses for a stay. Orientation is also straightforward: the Valsertal is a starting point for visits to the protected area, and trails begin and end at St. Jodok station.

Valsertal and protected nature

The Valsertal has been a nature reserve since 1942 and a Natura 2000 site since 2001. The nature reserve extends to the Tuxer Hauptkamm; St. Jodok is the starting point for visits. If you want to focus on nature, you can include the protected area in your travel plans.

The Mountaineering Villages initiative also provides a regional framework: St. Jodok, Schmirn and the Valsertal have been members since 2012. The three names together represent the membership; each valley retains its own orientation. Schmirntal and Valsertal branch off in St. Jodok, so the village connects the two valleys.

Mountain hikes and getting your bearings from St. Jodok

The Padauner Kogel route begins and ends at St. Jodok station. From the summit of Padauner Kogel, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Olperer, the Brenner, the Stubai Alps and Innsbruck in the distance. The hike is considered technically undemanding. For planning, both the clearly specified starting and finishing point and the character of the hike are useful landmarks.

St. Jodok is also a possible starting point for the Peter Habeler Runde. This option should be distinguished from the Padauner Kogel route: one is a possible starting point for a circuit, while for the other, St. Jodok station is the designated start and finish. This lets you plan your trip around the route in question without treating the two hikes as the same.

Via ferrata and climbing garden

The Peter Kofler via ferrata is located on the Stafflacher Wand in St. Jodok and is graded B–C. The Stafflacher Wand Links climbing garden near St. Jodok is a separate destination: it has 40 routes graded from 1+ to 7+. These details describe two different climbing destinations and give you a specific basis for choosing between them.

The walking time to the climbing area on the Stafflacher Wand is also useful for finding your way from the station: it is a 15-minute walk from St. Jodok station. If you include climbing in your travel plans, you can use this to judge the location of the area in relation to the station.

A course and cultural impressions

The “Almluft & Ziegenduft” course includes a hike to a high-alpine pasture at 2,000 m in the Valsertal and a visit to Erich’s “Land-Art-Kunstreich.” In Vals, the course also includes outings together with a herd of goats and making fresh cheese. The experience brings together hiking, land art, goats and cheesemaking rather than focusing on just one excursion destination.

St. Jodok is also home to a historic building, the parish church of St. Jodok: the Gothic church was built in 1425 and remodeled and given a Baroque style in 1784. The two dates mark different phases in the building’s history. A particularly impressive curved railway tunnel is also located near St. Jodok. The tunnel allows the railway to gain elevation as it bypasses the village.

Rail and bus connections

S-Bahn line S3 runs along the main valley between Innsbruck and Brenner. Regional bus line 571 connects St. Jodok with Schmirn; line 572 connects St. Jodok with Vals. These are different connections to the two valleys. If you plan to travel by train or bus, check the current timetable and routes in advance, as schedules and routes may change.

Discover more destinations: Rinn, Kolsass, Pfaffenhofen, Rum, Igls, Telfes Im Stubai, Steinach Am Brenner, Grinzens.

Back to the broader travel overview: Innsbruck-Land.