Vals – High Alpine Landscapes, Winter Trails and Valley History

If you are planning a stay in Vals, you will encounter several distinct themes: high alpine nature, winter activities, longer mountain tours and cultural traces in the valley. You can assess Vals based on which of these themes matter most for your trip.

High Alpine Scenery in the Valsertal

The Valsertal is nestled among the mountains of the Tux Alps. The Valsertal Natura 2000 site is designated under code AT3303000 and covers 3,519.4 hectares. It has a very high alpine character; large areas consist of rocky habitats and alpine and subalpine grassland.

At the end of the valley, the grey alder forest has been protected since 1942. For anyone interested in nature and landscapes, Vals thus offers not only high alpine open country but also a protected forest as a distinct feature.

Winter Activities and Mountain Tours

The Padaun plateau has a natural toboggan run and several snowshoe hikes. The Vennspitze is considered a popular area for ski touring. These winter activities differ in nature: tobogganing, snowshoe hiking and ski touring each have a different focus. Check conditions when planning your trip for the time of year you intend to visit.

Vals is also a possible starting point for longer tours. The Peter Habeler Circuit is approximately 56.5 kilometres long, includes around 4,990 metres of elevation gain and passes six mountain huts; Vals is one of its possible starting points.

Two ascents, each taking approximately three hours, differ mainly in their starting points and routes: the hut hike begins at the Touristenrast in the upper Valsertal and follows long-distance trail 02, gaining 1,000 metres, to a mountain hut. Another tour starts in the centre of St. Jodok and follows the Valser Bach. Seasonal conditions can affect walking times.

There is also a sport climbing area with more than 100 routes at the head of the Valsertal. Public transport can be used to travel from St. Jodok railway station to the start of the Peter Kofler via ferrata. Check local transport details before setting out. This helps you plan your tour around whether you want to focus on hiking, a via ferrata or sport climbing.

Cultural History and Traces of Work

At Bloaderalm, a once important but now disused marble quarry and a stone saw supplied marble for floor slabs in the parish church of St. Jodok, St. James’s Cathedral and the Hofburg in Innsbruck. These three buildings show where material from the valley ended up; the quarry and saw are no longer in operation. This theme connects local quarrying history with buildings elsewhere.

Along a seven-kilometre stretch of the valley, there are 15 private chapels in the Valsertal. They are privately owned, cared for and regarded as landmarks of the valley. Their number and distribution make the chapels a distinctive part of the cultural landscape, while their private ownership remains an important consideration in how they are approached.

Remains of the former molybdenum mine can be seen below the Alpeiner Scharte at an altitude of 2,800 metres. Together with the history of marble quarrying, they represent different forms of work in the valley: molybdenum mining in the high mountains on the one hand, and the extraction and processing of marble on the other.

A Stay with a Practical Focus

The Schule der Alm offers a five-day stay in the mountaineering village of Vals. Participants learn practical crafts and how to help on the alpine pasture and with mountain haymaking. This programme has a different focus from simply planning tours: the emphasis is on hands-on activities connected with the alpine pasture and mountain haymaking. If you are considering Vals as a travel destination, you can base your decision on the themes that appeal to you most—from winter activities and mountain tours to cultural history and practical work on the alpine pasture.

Discover more destinations: Gschnitz, Kolsassberg, Lans, Volderau, Axams, Volders, Tulfes, Wattens

Go to the main travel overview: Innsbruck-Land.