Hippach-Schwendberg: Hiking, the Alpine Road and Chapels

Schwendberg can be explored through specific travel-related features: its scattered houses and farms, historic chapels, and hiking, cycling and winter activities. When planning your trip to Hippach-Schwendberg, it helps to distinguish between these features: some details describe a route, others an accessible mountain destination, an elevation or a seasonal condition. This makes it easier to organise activities according to your interests and the travel period that suits you.

Landscape and history on Schwendberg

On Schwendberg, houses and farms are scattered across the western mid-mountain range, sometimes standing alone and sometimes in groups. The settlement is therefore spread across individual locations and clusters. Scharmoos is a landmark southwest of Hippach and above it. This location detail places Scharmoos in relation to Hippach and adds to the geographical orientation for planning your trip.

Schwendberg was first mentioned in a document in 1318. The year marks its first documented mention, not necessarily the founding of the settlement. The Chapel of Our Lady of Victory stands in the hamlet of Perler on Schwendberg. Raggl endowed the chapel in Perler using his private funds.

The Chapel of Mary of Victory is also known as Hochschwendberg Chapel. An entry dated 28 May 2024 lists it in Hippach-Schwendberg as protected by regulation. The two chapel names offer different starting points for exploring local history: Perler is identified as a hamlet with a chapel, while the Chapel of Mary of Victory is also known by the name Hochschwendberg Chapel.

Hiking and winter in the mountains

The Rastkogel can be reached from Schwendberg; conditions on the mountain vary with the seasons. The Adlerweg is a 20 km circular hiking trail. These present two different planning considerations: seasonal mountain conditions should be taken into account for the Rastkogel, while the Adlerweg is specifically described as a circular route with a stated length. This information helps distinguish an accessible mountain destination from a circular route with a specified distance.

The Penken ski area also has a specific access point: it can be reached via the Möslbahn cable car on Hochschwendberg. Lift access and operating hours may change seasonally. So check the current Möslbahn timetable for your planned day of skiing.

Cycling route and the Zillertal High Alpine Road

Cycling Route 421 to the Brindlingalm starts at the Möslbahn on Schwendberg. It follows the Zillertal High Alpine Road as far as the turn-off to the Brindlingalm, then continues through the forest on a paved road via Hochschwendberg. For route planning, the route is divided into two sections: first along the high alpine road to the turn-off, then along the paved forest road via Hochschwendberg.

Two specific elevations are given along the Zillertal High Alpine Road. The Grünalm snack station is at 1,800 m directly on the road and can only be reached in summer. Melchboden is at 2,020 m, the highest point on the Zillertal High Alpine Road. These elevations indicate where both places are along the road; the Grünalm’s seasonal accessibility should also be taken into account.

Wine walk on Hochschwendberg

The wine walk on Hochschwendberg combines a gentle climb through forests with tastings of wines from Austria and the surrounding area. The tour reaches an elevation of over 1,300 m. This experience brings together physical activity, a forest route and wine tasting. Details may change, so check the latest information about the wine walk before making plans.

Discover more destinations: Stumm, Pill, Schwaz, Laimach, Fügen, Stummerberg, Finkenberg, Juns.

Back to the parent travel guide: Schwaz.