A glittering expanse of water on which the surrounding mountain ranges are reflected – the backdrop of the PillerseeTal makes every viewer’s heart beat faster. Arriving in PillerseeTal means finding yourself in the midst of fantastic nature and shaking off the burden of everyday life. The charming holiday destination is located in the Kitzbühel Alps in the Austrian province of Tyrol.
What is PillerseeTal?
To start with, a few facts about PillerseeTal: The eponymous body of water is a mountain lake at an altitude of 835 metres in the Limestone Alps. It stretches over a length of 1.6 kilometers, is up to 300 meters wide and a maximum depth of 7 meters. As a typical mountain lake, its water temperature does not rise above 20 degrees even in midsummer. Nevertheless, it is a popular bathing water and also delights with a hiking and cycling circuit.
The elongated Pillersee is framed by impressive mountain landscapes. These are the Loferer and the Leoganger Steinberge in the east and the Kirchbergstock in the west. In the south, the water is bordered by the enchanting village of St. Ulrich am Pillersee. Together with the municipalities of Fieberbrunn, Hochfilzen, St. Jakob in Haus and Waidring, it forms the PillerseeTal planning association.
The PillerseeTal in summer
The view from one of the surrounding mountain peaks of the lake, which runs emerald green through the valley, is pure magic. From spring to autumn, PillerseeTal is a popular destination for nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. Various bathing areas and jetties on the lake tempt you to jump into the refreshing water or stretch out under the Tyrolean sun. By the way, if water gets into your mouth while romping in the lake or swimming, this is not a problem: the crystal-clear body of water is characterized by drinking water quality.
In addition to bathing pleasure, the magnificent mountain landscape makes you want to do a variety of activities. Well-signposted hiking trails lead to the most beautiful vantage points and provide unforgettable holiday moments. There are more than 400 kilometres of hiking routes from a leisurely walk to a challenging via ferrata. For refreshment, alpine huts and snack stations along the paths invite you to stop for a bite to eat. Tip: On an interactive map, holidaymakers can find out about the various hiking tours, load their GPS data and view altitude profiles.
Those who love sporting challenges look forward to mountain experiences while climbing. Sport climbing routes and climbing rocks stand for adventure, effort and adrenaline. The Steinplatte in Waidring in particular is a popular limestone climbing area with a magnificent view. In the Steinberge there are climbing passages for real professionals. Families and beginners, on the other hand, have a lot of fun in the climbing gardens and parks.
Many other offers await nature lovers in PillerseeTal. Riding stables offer the opportunity for horseback rides or romantic carriage rides. Fans of the little white ball will be happy about several golf courses. There are also routes for cyclists and mountain bikers as well as for runners and trail runners. Fishing and stand-up paddling are also the order of the day. And if you are tired from all the activities, you can relax on one of the three summer mountain railways and enjoy the view with a cool drink on a sun terrace.
Wonderful fun in the snow on a winter holiday in PillerseeTal
From about the end of November until well into March, the Kitzbühel Alps with the PillerseeTal are transformed into a snow-glittering winter wonderland. It is one of the snowiest regions in Tyrol with excellent slopes in the three ski areas Steinplatte, Buchensteinwand and Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. They impress with an excellent infrastructure with cable cars and lifts. There are leisurely runs for beginners, action-packed slopes and long pleasure runs with magnificent views.
Cross-country skiing enthusiasts are enthusiastic about the approximately 100-kilometre-long network of trails. If you prefer to go on a toboggan instead of skis, you can look forward to natural toboggan runs that are illuminated until late in the evening. Winter hiking is also becoming increasingly popular, for which PillerseeTal offers very well-groomed winter hiking trails. A special experience is llama trekking through the snow-covered Fieberbrunn. The fun in the snow is rounded off by mountain restaurants and ski huts that spoil you with Tyrolean hospitality.
Holidays with children in PillerseeTal
For families, the area is a dream destination. Little ski heroes have a lot of fun in the Snow Crystal Worlds with Pletzibär and Tatzi. Tobogganing fun or active experiences on the Biathlon World Championship trail in Hochfilzen are also great. A highlight at any time of the year is a visit to the Triassic Park on the Steinplatte in Waidring, an interactive amusement park with dinosaurs, viewing platform and stalactite cave.
In the warm season, kids are not only enthusiastic about mountain and water fun, but also about great activities. Instead, there is a high ropes course and the Timok’s Wild World adventure park in Fieberbrunn. If the weather does not invite you to go outside, a trip to the indoor games hall in Mühlau is a good idea. Child-friendly hotels with apartments and plenty of space to play round off the holiday fun for families in PillerseeTal.
Attractions and sights in the PillerseeTal
Being out and about in the beautiful region means exploring great excursion destinations. The most famous in PillerseeTal is the Jakobskreuz on the summit of the Buchensteinwand. Since 2014, it has been around 30 metres high and offers an incomparable view of the mountains as the largest accessible summit cross in the world.
A trip to the bell village of Tyrol in Waidring is interesting. Bell casting looks back on a long tradition here. A bell adventure trail offers informative information in a vivid way, and during the show casting, visitors are amazed at how the imposing bells have always been made.
PillerseeTal is also a suitable starting point for great city trips, for example to the elegant winter sports resort of Kitzbühel with its medieval town centre. Also worth seeing are the picturesque Zell am See, Tyrol’s pearl Kufstein or the beautiful Mozart city of Salzburg
