Italian dolce vita, Scandinavian fjord ambience and a Canadian national park feeling - a trip around the world in your pocket.
Tyrol's largest lake lies elongated in a deep bed and, depending on the location and line of sight, sometimes looks like a Norwegian fjord with deep blue water. Steep, towering rock faces push up towards the sky and the lake mutates into an estuary. A few kilometers further on, the water is turquoise and rivals many a Caribbean island. The road to Pertisau is somewhat reminiscent of the "Occidentale" on the shores of Lake Garda, with the colorful canvas sails of surfers and kiters perfectly rounding off the Dolce Vita Lago feeling.
Lake Achensee looks like a Norwegian fjord, photo: Achensee Tourismus
If you hike from Pertisau towards the Karwendel valleys and take in the rugged, wild mountain landscape, you might even think you're in one of Canada's many national parks. Only the bears are missing, but the marmots whistle, completely harmlessly, and lick good cow tongues over our salty skin. And just like that, the Tyrolean mountain lake becomes a pocket-sized trip around the world, just in case wanderlust gets the better of you. Otherwise, welcome to one of the most diverse regions in Tyrol.
Little Canada, photo: Susa Schreiner
Climbing with a Canadian flair: the Karwendel
The Canadian feeling starts just after Pertisau ... When the three Karwendel valleys stretch deep into the mountain world, when the peaks rise mightily into the sky and gnarled trees tell of harsh winters. The path to the Gramai Alm is a moderate climb - which is great fun on a bike, as the landscape passes by at a leisurely pace and the anticipation of climbing increases with every meter. Of course it is also possible by car (toll). The starting point is always the parking lot at the Gramai Alm.
The Gramai Alm in front of the magnificent mountain panorama of the Karwendel, photo: Susa Schreiner
From here, you are spoiled for choice: sport climbing, alpine climbing or completing well-secured multi-pitch routes - what do you fancy? The large topo sign at the Gramai Alm attracts visitors with a climbing guide in hand ...
The Gramai Alm, Sonnjoch climbing board provides information about the numerous tours, photo: Susa Schreiner
Perhaps an exclusion criterion à la: We definitely want to go today or we definitely don't want to go today will help. If it's definitely a leisurely climbing day, then a visit to the Gramai Wasserfall climbing garden is recommended. Ten interesting lines can be climbed in two sectors. Especially on hot days, climbing in the left sector is a delicious treat, as the routes start at the outlet of the Gramai waterfall. The spray from the water on your skin, your feet in the cool water and interesting lines in the rock in front of you ... Life is good and with swimming trunks and a picnic basket with your loved ones, nothing stands in the way of a luxury summer vacation.
Arco flair and dolce vita
The Achensee near Maurach looks almost Caribbean. When the kitesurfers with their colorful kites race across the water, a breath of Italy wafts around your nose. With an ice cream in your hand or a glass of Aperol on the table in front of you - what more could a traveler's heart desire?
Kitesurfers at Achensee, photo: Tirol Werbung
Well, maybe climbing ... No problem, because the Bärenkopf climbing garden is located just above the Maurach district of Lärchenwiese, practically around the corner from Dolce Vita & Co. The approach can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes and you are in the lower sector. The routes are easy, perfectly secured and therefore ideal for first attempts at lead climbing. If you want more, continue up to the upper sector via a steep path in the mountain forest. The route names here are sweet, such as "Mars" and "Snickers", and the climbing is - depending on your personal ability - either sweet or hard, but definitely worth it! Afterwards, it's back to sweet idleness by the lake, with ice cream and sparkling white wine, watching surfers and plenty of vacation atmosphere ...
In the Bärenkopf climbing area, photo: Susa Schreiner
Fjord ambience with a deep view: Climbing and hiking in the Rofan
The Rofan doesn't have much in common with Norway, and it doesn't have to: after all, the Rofan mountains are a feast for the eyes in themselves, with their broad alpine pastures and steep, picturesque mountain peaks that watch over hikers and climbers like tin soldiers. But a little Norwegian atmosphere comes almost automatically when you follow the hiking trail from the Rofan mountain station to the Dalfazalm, for example. The perspectives, which make the Achensee look like an estuary high up in northern Europe, are astounding.
Rest with a view of the Achensee, photo: Achensee Tourismus
Oh, and if you're traveling with children who are now crying after the trolls and fairies they missed on their Scandinavian vacation ... The Dalfaz and Buchau waterfalls offer all kinds of opportunities to bring the Nordic goblins to life ...
The Rofan also has plenty of climbing routes to offer, with a project for almost every climbing level. Children and beginners will get their money's worth on the Mauritzalm, Grubaplatte and Grubastiege. On the other hand, the high Klobenjoch offers strong climbers up to the upper 10th degree a true project Eldorado for tinkering, testing and climbing through.
The alpinists among the climbers, on the other hand, go into raptures at the Rotspitz: "These lines, and then this view ... mhhh ..."
Surrounded by a high alpine landscape that is at its most beautiful in summer: Colorful flowers that beguile with their bright colors and delicate scent, while the marmots loudly warn family and friends with their shrill whistles and the jackdaws meanwhile cheekily sneak a piece of the cheese sandwich ...
Abseiling from the Rotspitz in the Rofan, photo: Susa Schreiner
And what else? You can do everything else at Achensee that you would normally do on vacation: swimming, sailing, surfing, diving, stand-up paddling, eating, drinking, cycling, hiking, doing nothing ...
Fancy a trip around the world in your pocket? Here is an overview of all the climbing routes.
