Alpbach

Alpbach

Alpbach is a perfect example  of a gorgeous Tyrolean village. In the summer it is a splendid place for hiking and in winter, for skiing and snow boarding. To get there, fly to Munich or Innsbruck than travel by rail and/or road. The earliest written record of the name Alpbach is from 1150, but it was doubtless settled years before that, the region having already been inhabited for well over 1,000 years. High up in a valley, the village was isolated and little visited until the road was built in 1926. Because of this relative lack of contact with the outside world, the locals retained their traditional, distinctive style of building wooden chalets with sloping roofs and balconies that in summer are a mass of colorful floral displays. Although tourism has meant that the village has grown, all new buildings must, by law, be built in the traditional style of architecture so the village retains its charm.

The village is small enough to have a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, and although the pubs and bars stay open late, it all feels very laid back. Now just 45 minutes from Innsbruck, Alpbach is popular with visitors both for its scenery and the first-class recreation it affords. It offers skiing for people at every level, from complete beginners to the black runs on the Wiedersbergerhorn.

The nearby Vorder-Unterberg Farm, which was built in the seventeenth century and lived in until 1952, is now a museum giving a fascinating glimpse into the traditional way of life of the region's mountain farmers.