Tux

Altitude: 1,500 m a.s.l.

Mountain giants such as the Olperer Glacier, the Gefrorene Wand and Mt. Hoher Riffler - all of them are more than 3,000 m high - surround the village of Tux in the Tux Valley, a side valley at the head of the Zillertal. The panoramic view is simply stunning: The farms are scattered on the hills, and on the rural settlement Gemais at 1,450 m a.s.l. - a group of farmhouses which date back to a single "Schwaighof" of the 13th century - has been put a preservation order.

More than 100 sqkm of municipal area offer enough space for countless hiking paths, Nordic Walking routes and MTB trails. High on the Hintertux Glacier you can do a boat trip in Nature's Ice Palace also in summer, while the Spannagel Cave, the highest show cave in Europe, invites to discover the inside of the mountain. Afterwards, at the Glacier Flea Park also a snowball fight is possible. Slightly beneath start some theme trails, perfectly suited for families - referred to collectively as TUX Worlds - which lead to the Mehlerhaus Farm in the valley, a small museum.

A hike for connoisseurs, however, leads in a 2.5-hour ascent to the cheese dairy and snack-bar Stoankasern on the Juns Mountain Pasture. Up there, between grazing cows and alpine roses, herdsman and dairyman show you the cheesemaking methods. Of course, you can try the tasty products afterwards. The Hintertux Glacier, the only all-year-round glacial skiing area of Austria, awaits you with 60 km of slopes between October and May, and in summer anyhow with 20 km of slopes. In winter, it is connected to the mighty Ski & Glacier World Zillertal 3000.