Experience summer nature while hiking in Vent.
Majestic Alpine peaks, flower-filled mountain meadows, deep-green forests, and the most stunning sunsets you’ve ever seen: While hiking in Vent, you can still experience a real, unadulterated summer. A summer that’s just like in the good old days, amidst wild nature, just you and the mountains. In Vent, time seems to pass more slowly. Follow almost untouched trails up one of the numerous three-thousand-metre peaks that surround our mountaineering village. Or let the paths lead you up to one of the eight huts that can be reached from our apartments in Vent in two to six hours. Wander past peacefully grazing cows, sheep, and goats. And catch glimpses of the animals of this Alpine kingdom: chamois, ibex, bearded vultures, eagles, and marmots. Hiking in Vent is just how mountaineering should be. Authentic and pure. For a carefree holiday in nature. In Austria. In Ötztal.
The mountains in our hearts
That’s what drives us here in Vent. Passion for our unique, unspoilt Alpine kingdom. You could say that hiking is to Vent what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. So, it’s no surprise that we have three mountain guides in our family. They know our mountains like the back of their hands and will be happy to help you plan your tours during your summer holiday in Ötztal. Our family also runs the Similaun hut at 3,019 metres above sea level, which is found on the Schnals ridge on the border between Ötztal and South Tyrol’s Val Senales/Schnalstal. It can be reached from our holiday apartments in Vent in five hours and is located on European long-distance path E5.
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: the transhumance
Every year in mid-June and mid-September, Vent witnesses an extraordinary spectacle in the form of the transhumance. The droving of sheep from South Tyrol’s Val Senales/Schnalstal to Vent in Ötztal is a centuries-old tradition that has lost none of its wonder today. The farmers of Val Senales/Schnalstal drove their approximately 2,000 sheep over the snowfields and steep ridges of rock and ice on the main Alpine ridge to their pastures above Vent. On their arduous two-day hike, the shepherds and their flocks cover around 44 kilometres and countless metres of elevation. In September, they then make the return journey to Val Senales/Schnalstal. Since 2019, the transhumance has belonged to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and is a unique experience that you simply mustn’t miss while hiking in Vent.
Hiking in Vent: our insider tips in summer
Our Vent in Ötztal is a dream destination for mountaineers and hiking fans. Here are our absolute favourites amongst the countless rewarding hikes and mountain tours.
Summer hike Mutsbühel – Ramolalm
approx. 4-5 hours | max. elevation 2,330m
From the “Rund um Vent” (Around Vent) hiking trail, take the gently ascending trail through the dense pine forest above the Gampen lift. As soon as you leave the forest, the trail becomes much steeper and leads up to Mutsbühel. This is an especially good place to see the high-Alpine flora in its variety of bright colours while hiking in Vent, as well as the countless bumblebees, wild bees, and butterflies that visit the beautiful blossoms. The route then continues past rock faces over lush green meadows, where cows graze with their calves. Once you arrive at Ramolalm, you can soak up the wonderful peace and the awe-inspiring mountain panorama before beginning your descent back to Vent.
Wildes Mannle summit tour
approx. 5 hours | max. elevation 3,023m
You can either take the trail marked “Breslauer Hütte” to the Stablein mountain station of the Wildspitz lift or take the lift to get there. Above the mountain station, follow the fork marked “Wildes Mannle” to the right. The route takes you over steep, rocky terrain, some of which is secured, to the summit at 3,023m above sea level. You’ll be rewarded with a priceless view across to Wildspitze, which at 3,774m is Tyrol’s highest mountain, as well as the other surrounding three-thousand-metre peaks. You then descend via a small col and continue on a secured trail to the tongue of the Rofenkarferner glacier. From there, you descend to the Stablein panoramic restaurant and then return to Vent either on foot or by lift.