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Any fans of Stubai Valley?

Would appreciate help with planning a first trip to Tyrol, Austria.

Base: one village in the valley unless it makes sense to use two locations.
Travelers: two active seniors (60+)
Length: three to five days after visiting Innsbruck
Time: Summer or early fall
Transport: public transportation
Interests: walking, bird watching, bike riding, local food and wine, photography. Waterfalls, caves, hot springs would be a plus. No hardcore hiking or cycling.
Appreciate feedback on must do activities and must do locations

Posted by
1288 posts

I've been to Mieders and Fulpmes. We stayed in Mieders. It was early December 2019 with light snow. We didn't get much further south into the valley and did not go up any lifts during our short stay, though people were skiing. What we really liked was how convenient the public bus transportation was in the valley. We took the 30-minute bus ride to the Innsbruck main train station and walked the old city visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt, market, and café. We took the Funicular up to Hungerburg visiting the small Weihnachtsmarkt there, and took a walk to Gasthof Gramarthof for a bite. If I remember correctly it was about an hour bus ride from Mieders to Neustift, we just didn't have the time. Can’t help too much for hiking and biking, but it’s a great place to base to visit Innsbruck.

Posted by
1409 posts

Stayed in a farmhouse in Fulpmes. At the ground level, it's a barn with cattle.

I cannot say that there are must-see sceneries or must-do activities. One thing I enjoyed the most was the lack of loud, rude tour groups. Five days is too much.

I recommend driving because public transit is not frequent.

Posted by
856 posts

I've spent time in Mieders as well. The bus service up and down the valley is very good. In the non-winter months lifts often run taking you up to some wonderful hiking trails back down to the valley, so low impact. Near the end of the road there is a huge waterfall. While I have never been, it is on my to-do list next time I'm in the area. In Mieders there is the Serlesbahnen - an alpine coaster. This is a lot of fun.

Posted by
1288 posts

We spent 3 nights in the area in September of 2018. We really wanted to try some areas outside of the RS books, and stubai was one of our picks. We stayed at this B&B:

http://www.haus-wally.at/

We loved our time there. Our host gave us Stubai cards that allowed us to ride buses, lifts, etc for free. We hiked up Elfers, rode the lift up to the Stubai Glacier, Went on the Rodelbahn that was up the Serles lift and had a great time. (the Rodelbahn was also free with our pass) Here is a video:

https://www.stubai.at/skigebiete/serlesbahnen/skigebiet/sommerrodelbahn/

I have ridden several of these Rodelbahns, and this one was the best I've been on.

Here is another video that inspired us to climb Elfers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAr54WsmuaA

It is in German, but the scenery speaks for itself. We did climb all the way up to the official top of the needles, but the great thing is that a lift takes you up high enough to enjoy the views without hiking. There are many walks from the top of the lifts as well. If you are up to it, there is a shorter but steep climb to the Elfers Hutte which wins my "hut with fantastic views and food" award.

Stubai Glacier is a long lift that takes you right up to the glacier. There is a restaurant at the top as well.
i think this area is worth visiting for the length of time you have. We had a car, so I can't comment personally on public transportation. However, I believe there is a train that goes from Innsbruck to the area. You would need an accommodation with walking distance of the train station. I used this web site to book Haus Wally:

https://www.stubai.at/en/

Not all places offer the Stubai card. I do think it is worth paying a little more for one that does. It saves so much money on all the lifts and public transportation. Here is a list of what is included:

https://www.stubai.at/en/activities/hiking/stubai-super-card/?gclid=CjwKCAjwvMqDBhB8EiwA2iSmPJsO_0qrYouvMdqBl2btPnQxHX1sucZCswVXlF2uNe1vol836dazKxoC4dwQAvD_BwE

It looks like it includes both a bus and a train that runs between Innsbruck and this area Of course, things may change when everything opens up. We just have to wait and see. FYI- we were 62 during our visit, but we are avid hikers. We would love to return for another visit.