Tyrol Voyage Tips and guide

This article is about the Austrian region. For the Italian part of Tyrol, see South Tyrol.

Tyrol is one of the Länder (states) of Austria, in the heart of the Alps. It consists of North and East Tyrol, separated by a strip of Salzburg and Italy. The historical region extends into northern Italy.

47°18′0″N 11°24′0″E

Map of Tyrol

• 47.26833311.3933331 Innsbruck – the regional hub that offers an intriguing mix of contemporary and imperial history, culture and architecture
• 47.01305610.2880562 Ischgl – one of the largest ski resorts in the Alps, in Paznaun Valley
• 47.44638912.3919443 Kitzbühel – a medieval town; famous and exclusive ski resort
• 47.58333312.1666674 Kufstein – the last Austrian town in the Inn valley near the German border, known for its fortres
• 46.82972212.7697225 Lienz – a medieval town with a well-preserved historic centre
• 47.11666710.2666676 St. Anton – a ski resort in Stanzer Valley that offers advanced skiing, a reliable snow record and an extensive ski area that caters for a mixed level of abilities
• 47.3511.77 Schwaz – its historic town centre has many architectural gems from the 15th and 16th century
• 47.29138911.59258 Wattens – home of the Swarovski Crystal Company

• 47.08695611.1950691 Stubaier Gletscher – a glacier and a ski resort
• 47.03333310.752 Kaunertal – well-kept cross-country tracks, a slalom downhill course and a fun-park
• 47.0745312.693893 Hohe Tauern National Park – the largest nature reserve in the Alps, including the Grossglockner and Grossvenediger massifs

North Tyrol borders the German state of Bavaria to the north, Vorarlberg to the west, the Swiss canton Graubünden to the south-west, Salzburg to the east. South Tyrol is in Italy, part of Trentino-Alto Adige.

Like its sister provinces of Bavaria in Germany and Salzburgerland in Austria, Tyrol is the very definition of the Germanic Alpine stereotype. With its romantic lakes, castles and folkloric traditions deeply rooted in the Alpine landscape and seasonal changes, the area can seem like a fairy tale to visitors. Innsbruck is the only larger city, with the rest a beautiful natural panorama. The roads get clogged with tourists in the summer and winter months.

As in nearly all of Austria, Austro-Bavarian is the main everyday spoken language of Tyrol (except in Reutte district where it is Alemannic). The Tyrolean dialect is even often tricky to understand for residents of eastern Austria (including Vienna) let alone from northern Germany. But, as in all of Austria, standard (Austrian) German is the official language used in all official publications and schools, so the vast majority speaks it. English is spoken by most middle aged and young people, and Italian is also quite prevalent due to the proximity of the South Tyrolian border and a small immigrant community in Innsbruck. Tyroleans greet each other with Servus or in formal situations with Grüß Gott.

The main entry point by air is the Innsbruck International Airport (INN ^IATA) which has scheduled flights from Vienna Airport, Frankfurt Airport, Londonand Amsterdam Schiphol over the whole year. In winter, there are additional regular flights from various cities like Athens, Berlin, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Warsaw, Bristol, Reykjavík or Manchester

Munich Airport (MUC ^IATA), 2 hours away by road transport from Innsbruck, is another alternative. There are vans that will meet you at Munich Airport and take you directly to your lodging in or around Innsbruck for the price of a comparable train ticket.

The airfield of St. Johann in Tirol has a 750 m (2,460 ft) asphalt runway but no scheduled services.

Considering the topography rail connections are impressive and a highly scenic and relaxing way to see the Tyrol. Trains also connect the "three Tyrols" via rail and tunnels. One of the most scenic train tracks is the Arlberg railway and the Karwendel railway.

Innsbruck has connections to all major cities in Austria such as Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Linz and Bregenz.

Between Munich and Innsbruck, there is usually one train per hour with stops at Kufstein, Wörgl and Jenbach and trip times between 1:45h and 2:30h.

See Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) site.

Skiing into Tyrol is very easy from Switzerland when crossing the Silvretta above Samnaun. The mountain ridge is the border between Switzerland and Austria, and multiple lifts take skiers to the ridge from either side. Descending the mountain on one side leads back to Switzerland, the other side leads into Tyrol. There is no border checkpoint for obvious practical reasons and because both countries are members of the Schengen treaty, but skiers with a keen eye for detail may notice a ceremonial border guard who "patrols" the border on skis!

The alpine geography creates obvious chokepoints for both road and rail traffic and during busy times there may be restrictions on driving with visitors using local roads having to prove they are indeed visiting local accommodation and not transiting the country. Many road and rail tunnels have already been built, but the politically contentious situation is likely to remain difficult until the opening of the Brenner Base Tunnel which will hopefully divert a significant share of transiting freight transport from road to rail. If you can arrange a rail-based trip to your destination, do so for the sake of your own sanity.

The City of Innsbruck offers the traveller history, culture and architecture, with a castle, museums, grand churches, and historical buildings.

• The Achensee Railway, near Schwaz, is Europe's oldest steam-operated cog railway.
• Erlebnistherme Zillertal in Kapfing has indoor and outdoor pools and wellness including water slides and fun park.
• There are many excellent hiking trails in Tyrol. See the regional articles for locations.

• Fire department 122
• Police 133
• Rescue/emergency doctor 144
• Mountain rescue 140
• Emergency medical service 141
• Accident and breakdown assistance, towing service: 120 (ÖAMTC), 123 (ARBÖ)

The cell coverage is quite good, but be aware that in isolated parts (Karwendel, Ötztal alps) there is often no coverage.

Knödln (dumplings), Nudln (pasta), Nockn (smaller dumplings), Plenten (polenta), these are the four Tyrolean elements. Tyrolean cuisine has its roots in the rural cuisine of the 18th and 19th centuries and is characterized by a very sparing use of meat. Certain Italian influences are of course present, just as the cuisine in South Tyrol, Friuli and the Veneto - with regional differences - has strong North Tyrolean influences. Nowadays, the advantage of this basic, rural cuisine is that it is healthy, low in carbohydrates and often suitable for vegetarians.

Typical Tyrolean dishes include Speckknödel (bacon dumplings), Käsespätzle, Tiroler Gröstl (fry-up with beef and potatoes) and Schlutzkrapfen (stuffed pasta like ravioli). Other specialties include Krapfen (dough food, not to be confused with Faschingskrapfen but also deep-fried) and Kiachl (made from yeast dough). A typical regional specialty is ham, especially bacon. Bread specialties include the “Schüttelbrot” long-life bread and the Vinschgerl flat rye bread with spices, originally from Vinschghau. As far as long-life sausages are concerned, Kaminwurzen are particularly worth mentioning.

Tiroler Speck (bacon) and Bergkäse (mountain cheese) are special to Tyrol and have a Protected Designation of Origin. Another typical cheese is Graukäse (sour milk cheese). It used to be eaten only by the poor, but it is now appreciated for being low in fat and high in protein.

The famous Schnaps (a spirit) has many local variations and is made with different fruits. Popular non-alcoholic drinks include Almdudler lemonade, which is similar to ginger ale and is served throughout Austria and also Germany, as well as local lemonades such as Chabeso and Tirola Kola, which is a cola with a Swiss pine flavour.

• Bolzano/Bozen — capital of South Tyrol
• Brenner Pass and Timmelsjoch are scenic ways of getting into Italy.