A medieval town centre and a glistening crystal world – strolling through the historic centre of Hall in Tirol is like taking a journey back in time, while no visit to the Hall-Wattens region would be complete without a trip to the fascinating Swarovski Crystal Worlds.

A visit to Hall in Tirol with its pretty medieval old-town and narrow cobblestone alleys is like a journey 700 years back in time. The residents of this town 10km east of Innsbruck achieved great wealth through salt mining many centuries ago and are proud of its many architectural highlights, including Hasegg Castle, once an important mint and today a museum. In fact, the old town in Hall is among the largest and best preserved in the whole of Austria. At the top of the old town you will find the Oberer Stadtplatz square with the town hall, Hasegg Castle and an interesting mining museum.

Nine holiday villages ideal for hiking, mountain biking and relaxing

East of Hall in Tirol lies the town of Wattens, a popular destination for tourists thanks to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. This eye-catching museum built by the internationally renowned cut glass company Swarovski, itself based in Wattens, takes visitors on a journey into a realm between dream and reality. Hall and Wattens are surrounded by nine holiday villages, including Absam with its pilgrimage church, Volders with its mighty Friedberg Castle and Wattenberg overlooking Wattens at an altitude of 1,000m and offering magnificent views of the Inntal Valley. Fritzens to the north of Wattens is home to a number of famous schnapps distilleries and has been named the region‘s most beautiful village in bloom on several occasions. The holiday villages are excellent starting points for walks, hikes and mountain bike rides through the surrounding countryside, especially in the Karwendel Alpine Park.

Mountain biking in the Hall-Wattens region

In the Hall-Wattens region, you can cycle through the nature park area on two wheels. Round tours in the Karwendel, but also extensive MTB routes through the Tux Alps are available. Golden eagles, chamois and special bird species can be spotted along the way.

The Hall-Wattens mountain bike region stretches out from Innsbruck to the east. Extensive round trips through quiet landscapes, but also mountain travels on two wheels are possible here - provided that you have enough leg strength and fitness. In the north it goes through the Karwendel Nature Park. Chamois and a wide variety of bird species can be spotted there - for example on a three-mountain pasture tour above Gnadenwald. Opposite, narrow, hardly populated side valleys meander through the Tux Alps. The 20th stage of the “Bike Trail Tirol” leads roughly through the Wattental and Voldertal. In addition to views of the Großer Bettelwurf and the Nordkette, the route offers an impressive bird's eye view of Innsbruck. If you are looking for an even bigger challenge, you can also cross the Tux Alps on the longest driveway of the "Bikeschaukel".

Hiking in Hall-Wattens Region

Covering the northern section of the Karwendel Mountains and the southern section of the Tux Alps, the Hall-Wattens Region in the Lower Inn Valley has several long-distance hiking trails as well as plenty of easy routes for all the family.

The region around Hall in Tirol and Wattens, two towns east of the regional capital Innsbruck, offers many excellent walks and hikes both north and south of the Inn Valley. Visitors shouldn't miss out on the opportunity to explore the Karwendel Nature Park. Families in the area can travel to Gnadenwald, a village north of Wattens, and wander up to the Walderalm hut. This circular walk leads through lush pastures and flower-filled meadows. Families with older children can explore the "Solewanderweg" through the Halltal Valley, which tells the long and rich history of salt mining in this region. With 760 vertical metres of climbing, both parents and kids will need good fitness levels to enjoy the trail. Those in search of something even more challenging can take on stage 12 of the Eagle Walk, a long-distance hiking trail crossing Tirol from east to west. The stage begins in the Hinterautal Valley and leads up over the steep Nordkette Moutains before descending back down the other side to Innsbruck. The Inn Valley High Trail through the Tux Alps is also reserved for advanced and expert hikers only. The region is also traversed by two more multi-stage hikes: the Via Venezia Alpina and the Munich-Venice Dream Path.