Discover Achenkirch on Lake Achensee

Achenkirch stretches across the entire northern part of Lake Achensee. The Rofan Mountains shape the alpine scenery to the east, while the Karwendel Nature Park lies to the west. The lake, ski area, hiking trails and historic sites offer different starting points for planning your trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Achenkirch, the activities and attractions described here can help you narrow down your interests for your stay.

Scenery, skiing and hiking

The Christlum ski area in Achenkirch offers slopes of varying difficulty at elevations between 950 and 1,800 metres. This range combines a specific altitude with different levels of slope difficulty. Which slopes are right for you depends on the level of difficulty you are looking for.

The hiking trails also offer different experiences. The Achenkirch panoramic hike goes around the entire town. The “Around Lake Achensee” route starts at the car park by the Sixenhof Local History Museum in Achenkirch; you can shorten or end it by taking the boat. If you plan to do this, check the boat timetable in advance.

The Achenkirch–Seehof Waterfall route is listed as 0.9 kilometres long and takes 30 minutes. It starts at the car park at Achensee Adventure Park. This gives you both a distance and an estimated time to help you plan this route. By contrast, the summit hike to Juifen in the Karwendel starts and ends at the Falkenmoos car park. The different starting points help distinguish the route names and trailheads.

Achensee Adventure Park offers archery and gold panning at the waterfall. These activities provide another way to spend time in Achenkirch. When planning, you can consider them separately from the hikes: the distance and duration are given for the route to Seehof Waterfall, while archery and gold panning are activities offered by the adventure park.

Museum, churches and Tyrolean Mountain Christmas

The exhibits at the Sixenhof Local History Museum focus on hunting and fishing, shipping on Lake Achensee and the timber industry. You can explore different aspects of life and work in the region all in one place. The farmstead took on its present appearance in 1810, after a fire destroyed the previous building. This history gives a visit to the museum its own historical context.

The Tyrolean Mountain Christmas is held at the Sixenhof every year during Advent. It tells the Achental Valley’s version of the Nativity story, using life-size figures and live animals. The museum and Christmas event share the same setting but offer different experiences: one features exhibits on regional subjects, while the other presents the Christmas story as a seasonal tradition.

The churches also offer specific historical points of interest. The parish church of St John the Baptist was built from 1748 to 1750 to plans by Jakob Singer. The Annakircherl, or Chapel of St Anne, on Dollenbühel near Dollnhof, dates from 1666/67. It remains a popular venue for weddings and church concerts. Their different construction dates make the chapel and parish church distinct stops for anyone interested in the history of religious buildings.

At the Kaiser Maximilian Rast, there is an oversized throne of Emperor Maximilian dating from 2019. From here, you can look out over Lake Achensee and the village of Achenkirch. Together with the churches and the Sixenhof, the site offers a range of cultural points of interest: historic buildings, a museum, a seasonal tradition and a viewpoint with a striking feature.

Discover more destinations: Aschau im Zillertal, Ramsberg, Finkenberg, Distelberg, Tux, Imming, Ramsau im Zillertal, Zell am Ziller.

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