Ομπεργκούργκλ

Late November to early May is the ski season, with reliable snow. July to September is best for hiking, when the huts and lifts are open. Autumn colour is good in September. The village is quiet in the shoulder seasons.

• Hohe Mut is a high viewpoint above the village, reached by cable car, with a view of many 3,000 m peaks.
• Naturpark Ötztal is a protected area covering the high valleys of the Ötztal.
• Gurgler Tal is the valley leading to the glaciers.
• Festkogel and Schönwieskopf are peaks above the village.
• The Rotmoos waterfall and the Rotmoostal valley offer an easy walk in summer.
• A memorial in the village marks the landing of Auguste Piccard's stratosphere balloon in 1931.
• The Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road leads to South Tyrol in summer.

• Ski above 2,000 m.
• Ride up to the Hohe Mut viewpoint.
• Walk the Rotmoostal.
• Hike to a glacier view.
• Drive the Timmelsjoch road in summer.

• Sölden is about 30 minutes away by car.
• Sölden's Ötztal Glacier Road is on the way down the valley.
• Landeck is about 1 hour 15 minutes away by car.
• Innsbruck is about 1 hour 30 minutes away by car.
• Merano in South Tyrol is about 1 hour 30 minutes away by car in summer via the Timmelsjoch road.
• St. Anton am Arlberg and Ischgl are about 2 hours away by car.

• Sölden is the nearest preferred destination.

• By air: Innsbruck Airport is about 1 hour 30 minutes away by car. Munich is about 3 hours.
• By train: Take the main line to Ötztal station, then a bus of about 1 hour up the valley. Check times on ÖBB.
• By car: Leave the A12 at Ötztal and follow the Ötztal road to its end.

The village is small and walkable. Free ski buses link Obergurgl and Hochgurgl in winter. Cable cars and lifts start near the centre.

The valley road is steep, and a car helps for day trips. The Timmelsjoch road is a toll road and closes in winter, usually from autumn to early summer. Winter tyres or chains are required in snow. Motorways in Austria need a vignette.

Tyrolean food includes Tiroler Gröstl, fried potatoes with meat and egg, Kaspressknödel, cheese dumplings in broth, and Kaiserschmarrn, a sweet shredded pancake. Mountain restaurants serve hearty meals at the lifts.

Obergurgl is very safe. The altitude can cause headaches in some visitors, so take it easy on the first day. Check avalanche reports before you leave marked ski runs. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Obergurgl was a remote farming hamlet for centuries, cut off by snow. In 1931 the Swiss scientist Auguste Piccard landed his stratosphere balloon on the nearby glacier after a record flight. Skiing made the village known from the 1930s, and it is now one of the high resorts of the Ötztal.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: