Tirol’s huts offer all the necessities; however, we want to point out that a mountain cabin is not a hotel— instead, these are places that encourage hikers to slow down, to interact and to leave no trace.

May is upon us, which means the days are longer and warmer and a great lull in between seasons happens: It’s the best time of the year for scenic bike rides, city trips and festivals.

As you arrive in the Alps, the seemingly infinite array of peaks spread out before you will most likely grab your immediate attention. I’ve been playing the name-the-mountain game on hikes for many years, trying to identify as many of the surrounding summits as possible. However, that's sometimes been at the cost of the wonderful flora right at my feet. Bursts of colour from hundreds of wildflower species are one of Tirol’s simplest joys. For years I have wanted to identify at least the most commonly found alpine flowers of Tirol, but I have been postponing it from hiking season to hiking season. This year, finally, I have created my very own Alpine Wildflower Guide. Most of the pictures were taken in East Tirol (Virgental Valley) and the Karwendel Mountains.

There are phenomena, buildings and customs in Tirol which might seem strange at first sight – but they exist.

The clip for British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s sugar-sweet love song "Perfect" was shot on location in Tirol’s Zillertal Valley in October. The video has everything you could want: snowy scenery, moments of friendship, and… an intriguing love story. And we have all the places where it was shot:

The romantic Christmas comedy "Your Christmas or Mine" starring Hayley Taylor (Cora Kirk) and James Hughes (Asa Butterfield) has been continued on Prime Video since December 2023. This time, Christmas doesn't take them to each other's parents' houses but to a ski vacation in Tyrol, along with their families. The filming took place in April and May in the Ötztal region, and we've gathered the exact locations for you.

Making your own Advent wreath in the run-up to Christmas is a dearly held tradition in many Tirolean families – including mine. Every year my grandfather would go into the forest to collect branches from the bushy green fir trees and then weave them together into a wreath which would take pride of place at home. He passed on this tradition to my mother, who has been making Advent wreaths for all the family for as many years as I can remember. Last weekend I had a go for the first time at making my own wreath – under the watchful eye of my mother, of course! I think it turned out pretty well. Scroll down to judge for yourself. All I have to do now is buy four candles and wait for the first Sunday of Advent to arrive.

There is that one day. When there is a crispness in the morning that signifies the golden hues of fall will soon dress the mountainsides of Tirol. A subtle message from Mother Nature that autumn is imminent. Making people say things like “fall is in the air”. This time of year always makes me get a little anxious as there is still so much to do as the days of summer come to a close. To a much too rapid close. There are countless more activities I would like to mark off the list. Hopefully, this list of things to do will inspire you to enjoy every last minute of summer and to get out and explore as much as possible. The time is now!

Today you can prepare every trip perfectly. Google Maps, Google Earth, Komoot, TripAdvisor ... But what happens if don’t do any of that and just go with the flow? Our team of reporters tried it out - and discovered that Lady Luck is sometimes the best tour guide.