Scharnitz is a central starting point for hikes in Karwendel Nature Park. The Gleirschtal, which leads from Scharnitz into the Karwendel, features an impressive gorge. Two aspects of nature come together in the Gleirsch Gorge: visible rock layers date from the Jurassic and Triassic periods, and Alpine salamanders live in its constantly damp surroundings. The gorge can therefore be viewed both through the geological classification of its layers and through its habitat. There is no guarantee of seeing the animals. Geology and wildlife offer different perspectives on the gorge.
Hiking and Orientation
The Scharnitz Nature Park Information Centre provides comprehensive information before or after hikes in Karwendel Nature Park. If you are planning a hike, you can visit the centre beforehand; alternatively, you can get information after your tour. You can start with orientation in advance or use the information to follow up on your outing. The order is flexible, while the information centre remains clearly connected to the hiking opportunities in the nature park. Hiking and information serve different purposes: one takes you into the nature park, while the other provides comprehensive information about it.
Holzerhütte and Mountain Forest
The Holzerhütte Museum stands right next to the Scharnitz Nature Park Information Centre. The Holzerhütte is a historic log cabin from the Gleirschtal in Karwendel Nature Park. The Holzerhütte features an exhibition on the history and current significance of timber use, the everyday lives of woodworkers in the past and present, and the ecological connections and natural biodiversity of local mountain forests. The exhibition therefore looks beyond the past: the present-day significance of timber use and the lives of today’s woodworkers are also covered. Ecological connections and biodiversity complement the focus on working life and timber use. The exhibition themes thus bring together cultural history and nature.
Historical Points of Reference
Porta Claudia was built between 1632 and 1634. Birzl Chapel is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was first mentioned in 1809. For Porta Claudia, 1632 to 1634 refers to the construction period; for Birzl Chapel, 1809 is the year it was first mentioned, not a documented year of construction. These dates mark different historical aspects: construction history on the one hand, and first mention and religious dedication on the other. So when comparing historical references, it is worth remembering that the dates do not all refer to the same kind of event.
Nature and Culture Compared
Different themes can guide your plans. Hiking in the nature park focuses on landscape and movement; at the Gleirsch Gorge, geology and the damp habitat come into play as well. The Holzerhütte, by contrast, brings together timber use, working life and forest ecology. Porta Claudia and Birzl Chapel offer their own historical points of interest. If you would like to combine an interest in nature and culture, you can think of these as different ways to explore the area: hiking and the gorge on one hand, and an exhibition covering history, the present day and ecology on the other. This lets you choose a focus to suit your interests without combining every theme into a single itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Patsch, Telfes Im Stubai, Leutasch, Igls, Municipality in Tyrol, Matrei Am Brenner, Rinn, Sankt Sigmund Im Sellrain
Go to the main travel overview: Innsbruck-Land.
