Innervillgraten brings together historic alpine pastures, sacred architecture, traditional farming crafts, and trails for hiking or tobogganing. When planning your visit, it helps to distinguish the destinations by their character: Oberstalleralm combines a historic alpine village with a short hike, while the open-air museum offers insights into traditional building and working culture. For winter trails, other details matter, such as lighting, length, and gradient.
Alpine Pastures and Sacred Architecture
The Maria Schnee pilgrimage church in Kalkstein dates from 1660. Its interior features a simple star-ribbed vault and a pointed chancel arch. Oberstalleralm is a listed alpine village with 18 historic alpine huts and a chapel. The huts were first mentioned in 1675: this date refers to their first mention, not to a stated year of construction.
A short hike to Oberstalleralm starts at Unterstalleralm in the upper Villgratental valley. This lets you experience the alpine village both through its historic buildings and as a hiking destination. The church in Kalkstein offers a different focus: here, attention turns to sacred architecture and its architectural details.
Traditional Farming Architecture and Crafts
The Alpine Life open-air museum is located at the entrance to the Arntal valley in Innervillgraten. It showcases restored examples of traditional farming and building culture, including a fulling mill, a mill, a farmhouse, an alpine hut, and an entrance house. The selection brings together different buildings, tools, and work processes rather than focusing on a single house.
At the fulling mill, woven wool is pounded and fulled in hot water until it becomes dense loden cloth. The fulling mill has been in operation for more than 200 years. The Lüftermühle is a historic flour mill with a barley roller; the “Neuhauser” farmhouse dates from between 1700 and 1740. The Wegelate sawmill is also part of local history: it is the last of a total of eight water-powered sawmills that once stood in Innervillgraten and the surrounding area.
Hikes on Different Scales
The viewing platform at the Klapfbach waterfall is part of a circular hike. From the Unterstalleralm snack station, it takes about ten minutes to reach the platform on foot. The Sinkersee natural monument can be circled along a fenced path. Both destinations offer a clearly defined route, while the long-distance “Herzass” trail covers a much larger area: its five stages span 70 kilometres of trail along 50 peaks around the mountaineering villages of Außer- and Innervillgraten.
A guided hike along the historic smugglers’ trail into the Gsiesertal valley is planned for 2026. Check the dates before your trip if you plan to join this hike. The Sinkersee loop, the viewing platform, and the multi-stage “Herzass” offer different types of routes; the stated stages and trail distances help distinguish between them without assuming a walking time for any individual stage.
Toboggan Runs, Ski Lift, and Kneipp Trail
The unlit “Sandbergweg” toboggan run starts near the village centre of Innervillgraten. The “Alte Kalksteinerweg” toboggan run is in Kalkstein, is two kilometres long, and has an average gradient of four to eight per cent. The Sandbergweg is defined by its starting location and lack of lighting; the length and gradient of the Alte Kalksteinerweg provide a different point of reference. Children and beginner skiers can use the Stauderlift in Innervillgraten.
The Innervillgraten Kneipp trail includes a natural Kneipp trail, a barbecue area, a tree hut, and numerous play structures. The facilities also include an artificial lake, which is not a swimming lake. If you plan to visit this area, consider the lake part of the facilities, not a place for swimming.
Regional Cuisine
Gannerhof prioritises a strong commitment to regional produce and uncomplicated cuisine with plenty of finesse. If you plan to visit, check the latest information before your trip, as restaurant details may change.
Discover more destinations: Assling, Außervillgraten, Dölsach, Untertilliach, St. Johann Im Walde, St. Veit In Defereggen, Abfaltersbach, Kals Am Großglockner.
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