Zillergrund
Zillergrund is the source valley of the Ziller River - the name is derived from the Breton word "til", which essentially means "to drip, to flow, or to melt". The term "grund" has always been used in Zillertal to designate the tributary valleys formed as troughs in the broad main valley during the ice age. These "gründe" were seldom inhabited on a year-round basis and that still remains to be the case. One can observe the stretched surface areas of pasturages and its offshoots. The Zillergrund can be reached from Mayrhofen and Brandberg and it is bordered to the east by the Reichenspitzgruppe mountain at the border of Austrian province Salzburg, and in the south by the Ahrntal Valley in South Tyrol.
Zillergrund still exhibits some smaller tributary valleys, such as Bodengrund, Sundergrund or Hundskehle. The latter two – just as with Heiliggeistjöchl – offer scenically impressive cross-overs in the Ahrntal Valley. A toll road runs from the Nature Park's Maurach parking lot (after the Brandberg Tunnel) to Bärenbad. From to Bärenbad you can either walk or take the bus to the head of the dam. It is only about an hour's travel from here to the Plauener Hütte mountain hut (2,363 m), which is an excellent starting point for tours to Reichenspitzgruppe mountain peak cluster – such as the Reichenspitze peak (3,303 m), Kuchelmooskopf (3,221 m) or Richterspitze peak (3,054 m) – as well as for the descending pass via Heiliggeistjöchl (2,658 m) in the Ahrntal Valley. The characteristic that really sets Zillergrund apart is its promotion of sustainable mobility. On a nearly hourly basis, one can ride the bus line to Zillergrund from either Mayrhofen or the Maurach parking lot. Usage of "soft mobility" is rewarded with the "Umweltbonus" ("Environment Bonus") – an incentive in the form of a restaurant voucher worth € 1.50 – that can be redeemed at all restaurants/guesthouses in Zillergrund.
All bicyclists have the option to transport their bicycles with the bus. On the route from Maurach to Bärenbad there's also the option to take the diverse and entertaining "Flurnamenweg Zillergrund" self-guided tour consisting of a take-along booklet pointing out many interesting facts about Zillergrund, its history and the origin of the "Flurnames" – the oft colourful indigenous names given to the fields by the land owners. More information about Zillergrund and its guesthouses and visitor facilities at www.zillergrund.com.
» back