Description

This is one of those hikes that's perfect for when you have murky weather and just want a few hours out in the woods; it's not a big hike by any means and it's easily reached by public transport.

The hiking is quite strenuous at times as you drop down into the gorge that this route traverses but other than a couple of brief sections, it's a pleasant and easy stroll. Catch the train to Leithen (or walk there from the nearby popular alpine village of Seefeld) and cross under the railway tracks to reach a path which goes alongside the tracks before heading north into the Schlossbachklamm gorge.

Keep following a good path into the gorge and the path soon begins to descend - increasingly steeply - to reach a wooden bridge.

Cross the bridge and take some time to look up to the spectacular railway bridge to the north.

The bridge is in a shaded, cold spot and it's atmospheric and has a really unusual ambience. At the far side of the bridge make a steep climb up zig zags to a more gently ascending section of path, reminiscent of the path you initially entered the gorge on.

Follow this path as it takes you south, directly towards the Inn valley. Keep on the path and it eventually leads you to a road.

Walk down the road to the tiny train station at Hochzirl, from where there are regular trains to Innsbruck and Seefeld.

The fact that this route starts and finishes at train stations makes logistics extremely simple and also means that you don't need a car to complete it.

All in all, it's an easy, stress-free trip through a gorgeous part of the Austrian Tirol.