This region to the east of Innsbruck has been richly blessed by nature. Visitors can travel back in time by heading underground into the former silver mines in Schwaz before cooling off in one of the local swimming lakes.
One of the most amazing sights in autumn is the "Großer Ahornboden", a high plateau home to over 2,000 chestnut trees. Just ten kilometres away as the crow flies is the town of Schwaz, once one of Europe's wealthiest places. In the Middle Ages it had thousands of miners working here to extract silver from underground sources. Today, visitors can follow in their footsteps and head underground into the network of tunnels and shafts used many hundreds of years ago. Further highlights include the impressive Tratzberg Castle near Jenbach, where the past is brought to life through richly decorated rooms and virtual reality experiences. The Zillertalbahn is one of the last existing single-gauge steam railways of its kind in Austria and operates between Jenfeld and Mayrhofen. Last but certainly not least, the Wolfsklamm gorge near Stans is well worth a visit with its rushing river and narrow walkways.
