The Biggest One
Austria’s highest mountain straddles the provincial border of East Tirol and Carinthia. The Großglockner lies within the boundaries of the Hohe Tauern National Park and presents a real challenge for experienced climbers only. It also forms part of the “Glocknerkrone”, a six-day hike giving walkers the opportunity to admire the Großglockner from many different perspectives.
The White One
Covered all year round in a blanket of snow and ice, the Wildspitze is the highest mountain in North Tirol and lies within the Ötztal Alps. It is, in fact, home to two separate glaciers: the Taschachferner and the Mittelbergferner. It is popular with experienced mountaineers in both summer and winter. Those with little experience of such high mountains can still enjoy its majesty by riding up on the Wildspitzbahn cable car to the Hinterer Brunnenkogel, from where they can look forward to fabulous views of the Wildspitze from its most beautiful side.
The Legendary One
The Serles is probably the most-seen mountain in Tirol. Located between the Stubai Valley and the Wipptal Valley, this craggy pyramid dominates the horizon from many places in Innsbruck as well as from the Europabrücke bridge. It is also one of the most legendary mountains in Tirol, home to many myths and stories. The peak itself is not too difficult to climb but requires sure footing and good fitness. If you fancy enjoying the view but don’t want to go all the way to the top then we can recommend Koppeneck and Eulenwiese for some great views of the Serles.
The Stand-Alone One
The Großer Rettenstein stands out from all the other mountains in the Kitzbühel Alps. While most of the peaks in this part of Tirol are grassy and rolling, the Großer Rettenstein is a craggy monolith that rises high into the sky. It has been variously compared to a flame, a cake and a castle. Walkers wishing to admire the Rettenstein can embark on a hike to Spießnägel. Indeed, it is even possible to climb the Großer Rettenstein as long as you have the requisite fitness and a good head for heights.
The Impossible-To-Miss One
Wherever you look in the Wipptal Valley and Lower Inn Valley, one mountain is impossible to miss: the Olperer. Its presence, height and picture-perfect pyramid shape on the Zillertal Valley side combined with its icy glacier on the Wipptal Valley side make the Olperer a real eye-catcher. In winter you can admire it while skiing on the Hintertux Glacier, while in the summer months the Peter Habeler Hike leads more or less around the Olperer. And, last but not least, the Padauner Kogel is another nearby mountain which offers fantastic views of the Olperer.
The Craggy One
Okay, the Wilder Kaiser is strictly speaking not a single mountain but a chain of mountains. However, we are more than happy to make an exception here and include not just one but all of these craggy peaks, the tallest of which is the Ellmauer Halt. The north-facing slopes are popular with climbers. In fact, the skyline of the Wilder Kaiser is impressive wherever you are. For sure-footed hikers we recommend the ridgetop walk to Feldberg and Stripsen-kopf, two peaks offering fine panoramic views of the Wilder Kaiser.
The Spiky One
Another exception to the rule, the Kalkkögel are also actually a series of mountains instead of a single peak. Again, as with the Wilder Kaiser, we didn’t want to choose a single summit but decided to include them all. Known as the Dolomites of North Tirol, they can be found between the Stubai Valley and the Sellrain Valley and are pretty much unique to this part of Tirol. If you’re looking for that ultimate Insta snap, head up to the Salfainssee lake. This is a great spot for a photo of the Kalkkögel peaks reflected on the still water’s surface. The view from the other side at Schlick is also pretty good.
The Oversized One
With its vast glacier slopes, the Großvenediger is one of the highest mountains in the East-ern Alps. Together with its neighbouring peaks – Kleinvenediger, Hohes Aderl, Rainerhorn and Hoher Zaun – it is part of a wide-ranging stretch of eternal snow and ice. There are sev-eral hikes offering fine views of what is the second-highest mountain in the Hohe Tauern range. We recommend the Three Lakes Hike, the walk to Messeling and the Lasnitzenhütte in the Virgental Valley, which can be combined with the Muhs Panorama Trail.
The Tricky One
Tricky in this case refers to the fact that, seen from a distance, the Brandberger Kolm appears utterly unclimbable, but the closer you get, the more you realise that with good fitness and a head for heights this mighty rockstar can indeed be conquered. We recommend the route from Brandberg to the Brandberger Kolmhaus and then on to the summit. The views from the top are fabulous.
The Matterhorn One
There is the real Matterhorn, and then there are mountains known as the Matterhorn because of their similarity to the legendary Swiss summit. The Ehrwalder Sonnenspitze is without a doubt one of those “Matterhorn impostors”. Towering above the villages of Ehrwald and Lermoos, it can best be admired from the Coburger Hütte on the way to the Vorderer Drachenkopf.
The Changeable One
Okay, yet another mountain which often finds itself compared with the Matterhorn. Howev-er, we can assure you that the Patteriol is much more than just a cheap copy of the Swiss icon. Indeed, it is probably the most changeable of all the mountains on our list. What does that mean? The Patteriol presents very different faces depending from where you look at it. The most impressive perspective is from the north, where the Patteriol stands high and mighty as part of the Verwalltal Mountains. And if you want to see the Patteriol from all sides, we recommend a weekend at the Konstanzer Hütte. From there you can enjoy the hike towards Gstansjöchl, climb the summit of the Scheibler and hike to the Scheidseen and Langer See lakes. A three-course menu of Patteriol perspectives!
The Collossal One
Wow, what a wall! And what a contrast to the surrounding meadows and pastures. The Laliderer Wände are a series of towering rockfaces stretching high into the sky in the Kar-wendel Mountains. They are best observed on a circular hike to the Falkenhütte through the Laliderer Tal and the Johannistal. Up close they seem even more imposing than from a dis-tance.
The Colourful One
A colourful mountain? Indeed – at least to the extent that a mountain can be colourful. The Freispitze has green grassy slopes, craggy grey rockfaces and dark rocks dotted across the landscape. Thanks to the large diversity of rock and stone types found here, the Freispitze is popular with both geologists and hikers. The best views can be had from the area around the Memminger Hütte, where the Freispitze is reflected in the still water of the Seewiesee.
The Endangered One
The Hochvogel probably comes closest to the Serles when it comes to the title “most beauti-ful pyramid mountain in Tirol”. It takes its name, which means high bird, from the fact that left and right of the summit (head) it stretches out its wings and dominates the landscape between the Lechtal and Allgäu Alps. Yet, despite its mighty appearance, the Hochvogel is endangered. For years experts have been predicting a massive rockfall on this mountain which could change its appearance forever. If you want to catch a glimpse of what the peak looks, then we recommend a walk to the Kaufbeurer Haus and the second stage of the Grenzgänger multi-day hike along the Jubiläumsweg trail.
The Representative One
Watzespitze, Verpeilspitze, Schwabenkopf, Gsallkopf, Dristkogel, Rofelewand – there are many mountains we could choose in the Kaunergrat Range. In the end we opted for the Rofereland. It was a difficult decision, but the mighty north-facing walls and the towers fac-ing west and east make the Rofelewand a real eyecatcher between the Kaunertal and Pitztal Valleys. For the best views of the Rofelewand we recommend the hike to the Tiefentalalm, Rosskopf and Rappenkopf or along the St. Leonhard High Trail on the other side of the Pitztal Valley between Schoaßkogel and Luibisalm.
Tirol is home to some of the most beautiful mountains in Austria and some of the most beautiful peaks in the Alps. For many, Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner, is also the most beautiful mountain in Tirol. Others consider the Serles to be the most beautiful peak in the Tirolean Alps. The Serles is certainly one of the most famous mountains in the region. The Wilder Kaiser with its numerous climbing peaks is also well-known and is often considered the most beautiful mountain in Tirol. With so many beautifully shaped moun-tains in Tirol, it is difficult to decide which one to choose. The most beautiful mountains in Tirol are often also the most famous mountains in the Tirolean Alps.
The most beautiful mountains in the Tirolean Alps are very different. Some of the most beautiful mountains in Tirol are characterised by a striking shape. Some peaks are particu-larly pointed and jagged, others are huge massifs, while others have a particularly elegant shape, reminiscent of geometric forms such as pyramids. Some peaks in Tirol are particular-ly impressive thanks to their strong glaciation, while many peaks are imposing rock for-mations. Steep grassy slopes also often make for particularly beautiful mountains. Tirol has it all: mighty glacier mountains, elegant rocky peaks and striking grassy mountains.
There are many hikes and places from which you can see the most beautiful mountains in Tirol. The Grossglockner can be seen particularly well from vantage points around Kals in East Tyrol. The Wilder Kaiser is clearly visible from Ellmau and is an eye-catcher from many peaks in the Chiemgau and Kitzbühel Alps. The Serles can be seen on hikes around Inns-bruck and from many excursions in the Wipptal or Stubai Valleys. Many of the mountains can be seen from the valleys, while others are hidden deeper in the mountain ranges and can only be seen from other peaks or hikes at higher altitudes.
Some mountains from this list, such as the Serles, the Rettenstein, the Brandberger Kolm and the Hochvogel, can be climbed by all mountaineers who are sure-footed and have a head for heights. Mountains such as the Patteriol, the Ehrwalder Sonnenspitze and most of the peaks of the Kalkkögel and the Wilder Kaiser require experience on rock and climbing skills. Ascents of the Grossglockner, the Grossvenediger, the Wildspitze and the Olperer are serious high-altitude tours that require appropriate experience on rock and ice or can only be done with a mountain guide. Many of Tyrol's most beautiful peaks are rather difficult to climb due to their distinctive shape. If these mountains are too difficult, we have an alterna-tive list of summit hikes in Tirol here.
