Ried im Zillertal: Hiking and Cultural Heritage

Hiking trails, religious cultural heritage and the Zillertal High Alpine Road give your trip planning in Ried im Zillertal a variety of focuses. The municipality combines specific routes for walking and cycling with chapels, a parish church and a mountain road known throughout the region.

Landscape and the Zillertal High Alpine Road

Woodland covers a good 50 percent of the municipality. Above the tree line is an alpine pasture area of around 200 hectares, which continues to be used for alpine farming.

The Zillertal High Alpine Road is open to visitors and has five access roads, including one in Ried im Zillertal. If you want to experience the entire road, you should start the ascent in Ried. The route reaches its highest point at Melchboden, at 2,020 metres. Along the road, at an elevation of 850 metres, you will find the Schönblick wildlife enclosure, which has a playground.

Hiking and Cycling

For a short hike, consider the Ried–Kaltenbach–Stumm–Ried circular route: the stated duration is 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the route is 4.3 kilometres long. The Ried–St. Pankraz Church–Ried hiking route is longer, at 8.2 kilometres and 2 hours and 30 minutes. This makes it easy to compare the two routes by distance and stated walking time. Seasonal conditions on site can affect how long the walk takes.

The Ried–Kaltenbach–Stumm–Ried circular hiking trail is accessible by train or by Zillertalbahn bus to the Ried im Zillertal railway stop. Check transport connections and seasonal conditions before your hike. The Zillertal cycle path passes through Uderns, Ried im Zillertal and Kaltenbach. Its almost flat route is considered particularly family-friendly.

Chapels and Religious Cultural Heritage

Riedberg Chapel is located in the middle of the forest. From Taxach, a district of Ried, you can reach it via a field and forest path in about 15 minutes. The chapel was built in honour of the Mother of God and is dedicated to Marian devotion. May devotions are held there every year in May.

Another way to explore the area is to follow the Way of the Cross to the chapel: it starts at the Riedbach bridge in Ried, follows the Riedbach stream and then climbs uphill along a forest path. The 14 Stations of the Passion of Jesus Christ are depicted in relief in simple chapels along the route. Hermann Wildauer created the sculptures; Walter Rom of Kundl made the bronze castings of the individual panels. The Way of the Cross can also be walked as a contemplative trail. In June, a Way of the Cross procession walks from Ried to the chapel.

There is also religious art and protected buildings in the town centre. The high altar of the parish church of St. John the Baptist is adorned with a relief by sculptor Josef Bachlechner. The old section of the cemetery with its cemetery chapel, as well as the Widum at Kirchweg 2, are protected as historic monuments by ordinance.

More Excursions

The Hochzillertal-Hochfügen ski area is just a few minutes’ drive from Ried im Zillertal. As access and operation are seasonal, check conditions before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Hainzenberg, Weerberg, Gerlos, Strass im Zillertal, Stummerberg, Schlitters, Jenbach, Gerlosberg.

Back to the overview of destinations: Schwaz.