Aurach near Kitzbühel: Hiking, Wildlife Park and History

Hiking, wildlife watching, church art and mining history offer a range of activities. Seasonal considerations and specific visiting times are also important when planning your trip.

Hiking and mountain views

Aurach is an official hiking village; in summer, it is part of the hiking area in the southern Kitzbühel Alps. From Laubkogel, the view stretches across Kitzbühel and the Kitzbüheler Horn to the Wilder Kaiser. The Kitzbühel ski area connects Kitzbühel, Reith, Aurach and Jochberg and includes 233 kilometres of pistes and 58 lifts. These figures refer to the entire ski area, not just Aurach; the view from Laubkogel, by contrast, is associated with a specific location. This distinction helps you think of the hiking area, viewpoint and ski area as separate points of reference for your trip.

Aurach Wildlife Park: Animals and feeding times

There are 350 animals at Aurach Wildlife Park. The wildlife feeding takes place daily at 2:30 pm at the feeding site; it is suspended during the rutting season, from mid-September to early November. At the petting barn, visitors can pet llamas, sheep, Shetland ponies, donkeys, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, supervised animal feeding for children is offered there at 1:30 pm. The schedules differ when planning your day: feeding for children is scheduled for weekends and public holidays, while wildlife feeding takes place daily, with the rutting-season break noted above. On days when both activities are available, the petting barn session takes place one hour before the wildlife feeding.

Getting around the wildlife park

The entire wildlife park is accessible with a pushchair; wheelchair access extends as far as the feeding site and the lynx enclosure.

Church and chapels

Aurach parish church was first mentioned in 1365. It was dedicated to Saint Rupert in 1427; the Passion frescoes on its exterior wall date from around 1440. The Pocher Chapel was built by miners. The Brander Chapel, which was devastated by a storm, was rebuilt in 1911.

Hike to Kelchalm and Bochumer Hütte

The hike to Kelchalm and Bochumer Hütte starts in Oberaurach and leads to the Kochau district, where you can admire traditional Tyrolean houses. The historic Kelchalm building served as accommodation and a place to eat and sleep for miners. On the return journey, the Kelchalm route passes the ruins of the former ore-crushing mill. For travellers interested in history, points of interest lie at several places along the route: in the village of Kochau, at the historic building and on the way back.

NaturTaxi and planning your visit

From June to September, the NaturTaxi takes visitors from nine pick-up points to five nature highlights; it also stops at the entrance to Aurach Wildlife Park. The feeding site is about a two-minute walk from the wildlife park entrance. Times, fares and routes may change, so check the latest information before travelling. The NaturTaxi and wildlife feeding follow different schedules. If you plan to do both, take the seasonal operating period of the service and the feeding break during the rutting season into account separately.

Discover more destinations: Oberaurach, Waidring, Fieberbrunn, Kelchsau, Kitzbühel, Brixen im Thale, Kössen, Kirchdorf in Tirol

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