Travel guide Tauferer Ahrntal
Alpine hiking and ski weather in Tauferer Ahrntal
A typical alpine climate prevails in Tauferer Ahrntal. Summers are mild, with temperatures up to 24 °C during the day, and about ten rainy days per month. The best time for a hiking holiday is between May and September. Winters are dry and cold, with temperatures around and below freezing – perfect for a
ski holiday in Tauferer Ahrntal with average snow depths of more than two meters.
A Mediterranean Alpine cuisine – The best of everything
In South Tyrol, hearty alpine cuisine meets the lightness of the Adriatic, although the former prevails. The cuisine is diverse, offering pasta dishes and dumplings, risottos and polenta, beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, and poultry, as well as deer, stag, and wild boar. Fish is rarer. The appetizers already showcase the South Tyroleans' love for meat dishes. Liver or bacon dumplings are popular additions to clear soups. A local pasta variation is Schlutzkrapfen. What was once a leftovers dish and is known elsewhere as fried potatoes is called Gröstl in South Tyrol. It comes in various variations – with blood sausage, veal, vegetarian with mushrooms, or with stockfish. An exquisite South Tyrolean white wine, characterized by a delicate minerality and an elegant fruitiness, goes well with the fish variant. You can't go wrong with single-varietal wines made from Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon. Among the red wines, the indigenous Lagrein from the vineyards around
Bolzano and the Vernatsch stand out. Other red wine varieties are Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Active on the mountain and in the valley all year round
Your holiday apartment in Tauferer Ahrntal is the perfect starting point for hiking, cycling, and climbing tours between Bruneck and the upper Ahrntal. The Tauferer Ahrntal cycle path runs from Sand in Taufers down to Bruneck. The Klausberg offers mountain bike trails for beginners and advanced riders, hiking trails, and a cable car that takes you from Steinhaus up or down to the valley. A highlight is the hike to the crystal-clear Lake Klaus. Winter begins in the high altitudes in late September. The Klausberg and Speikboden ski areas offer many kilometers of skiing fun, groomed cross-country ski trails, toboggan runs, and winter hiking trails for snowshoeing. Enjoy a cozy horse-drawn sleigh ride. A highlight in autumn is the annual Almabtrieb when shepherds accompany the colorfully decorated cattle down to the village – this is what a perfect
holiday in the mountains in Tauferer Ahrntal looks like.
Castles and tunnels – On and inside the mountains
With the panorama of the Zillertal Alps in the background, the majestic Taufers Castle towers over Sand in Taufers, guarding the passage from the Tauferer Valley to the Ahrntal for centuries. The impressive complex is located on a steep rocky outcrop at almost 1,000 meters above sea level. The origins of the castle date back to the 13th century. Inside, you can visit the torture and weapons chambers with original furnishings. The keep, chapel, and residential tower date from the original period. In the 16th century, residential wings, battlements, gate buildings, and storage rooms were added. Another highlight is the Prettau mine, which takes you into the mountain on a mine train. The Rettenbach mine in Prettau has existed since the early 15th century. The mine was closed as early as 1893. Inside, two tunnels can be visited with guided tours. A so-called climate tunnel provides relief for people with respiratory diseases due to its particularly low allergen air.