The Glungezerbahn cable car connects Tulfes with two mountain stations: the mid-station at Halsmarter is at an altitude of 1,567 metres, and the top station at Tulfein is at 2,055 metres above sea level. From Halsmarter, a hike leads to the Voldertalhütte mountain hut; the Glungezer summit hike, by contrast, starts at the Tulfein top station. The starting points and destinations differ from the outset, so bear this in mind when choosing a route.

Hiking on the Glungezer

One hike leads from Tulfes via the Glungezerbahn to the Halsmarter mid-station and from there through alpine pastureland to the Voldertalhütte mountain hut. The return route goes via the Stiftsalm alpine hut and Windegg back to Tulfes. The summit hike starts higher up, at the Tulfein top station, and leads via the Schaferhütte and Glungezerhütte mountain huts to the 2,677-metre-high Glungezer. From there, the distant views take in 400 peaks. If you are deciding between the two hikes, their different starting stations and directions will help you choose.

A shorter loop by distance is the approximately two-kilometre Zwugl-Runde: it starts and ends at the Gasthof Halsmarter inn and follows a good forest track through shady woodland. It can be reached on the Glungezerbahn. The approximately seven-kilometre Zirbenweg is another option. It runs almost flat from the top station of the Patscherkofel cable car to the Tulfeinalm alpine hut; the walking time is approximately two to two and a half hours. To get there from Tulfes, take the bus to Igls and then continue by gondola. The route to Schartenkogel was closed throughout the 2026 summer season. Check current conditions before setting out on a future hike.

The Glungezer is also home to Kugelwald, the world’s largest wooden marble run, in a natural woodland setting. This distinctive woodland attraction complements the hiking routes, which have different starting points and course.

Winter activities

The Glungezer ski area offers a descent of up to 15 kilometres, depending on how you ski. Another local speciality in Tulfes is Klumpern: riding single-runner sledges down the practice slopes. So, alongside skiing, you can experience this distinctive sledging tradition and its own way of making your way downhill.

Church, nativity scene and Kolbenturm

St Thomas’s Parish Church in Tulfes is late Gothic; written records date back to 1332. The present-day tower was built in 1718. The two years therefore mark different historical reference points. The altarpiece in the church is by Alois Reisacher, a painter from Hall.

A nativity scene dating from 1608 in the parish church is one of the three oldest in the region and probably in Central Europe too. For the Tulfes nativity scene, Kaspar Gerolt, a puppeteer and painter from Innsbruck, supplied the clothing and carved some of the figures in 1608. As it is displayed seasonally, check before your trip when the nativity scene can be viewed.

The Kolbenturm in the Volderwald forest of Tulfes is a medieval residential tower. It was built around 1200 by the Kolb family. Together with the parish church and the nativity scene, it offers another distinctive link to the area’s history.

Getting there and finding accommodation

Regiobus 540 connects Hall in Tirol railway station with the Glungezerbahn valley station in Tulfes. When planning your trip, it is helpful to tailor your journey to your chosen starting point: the hike to the Voldertalhütte goes via Halsmarter, the summit hike starts in Tulfein, and the Zirbenweg requires a bus and gondola journey from Tulfes. If you are looking for a hotel in Tulfes, you can use these different hikes and routes as a basis for planning your stay.

Discover more destinations: Mutters, Mühltal, Scharnitz, Pfaffenhofen, Ranggen, Sankt Jodock Am Brenner, Innsbruck, Unterperfuss

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