At the foot of the mighty Gerlossteinwand, Hainzenberg brings together mountain trails, cultural heritage and traditional crafts. The valley station of the Gerlossteinbahn is located here at the foot of the wall. The gondola lift carries guests to an altitude of 1,650 m; at the mountain station, they can set off directly on a hike or mountain tour. This provides a clearly defined starting point for planning, while the trails from there lead to a variety of destinations.
Hiking from the Gerlossteinbahn
From the mountain station, hiking trails lead to Brandberg, Mayrhofen and Ramsau, as well as towards Gerlos. The Gerloser Höhenweg also begins at the mountain station in Hainzenberg: it crosses alpine meadows to the Heimjöchl and continues to the Brandbergjoch. This gives you several directions to choose from, along with a specific sequence of waypoints to help you find your bearings. When choosing your tour, you can decide whether you’d rather follow one of the routes or use the named stops along the Höhenweg as a guide.
Another option is the Gerlossteinwand via ferrata. It is around 400 m long and runs along the wall to a summit at an altitude of 2,166 m. This describes a distinct route along the wall, while the trails from the mountain station lead to several named places or cross alpine meadows. The route length and summit altitude describe different measurements: the length of the via ferrata and the elevation of its destination.
Toboggan Run and Almflieger
The illuminated Gerlosstein natural toboggan run is about 7 km long. It runs from the Gerlossteinbahn mountain station to the valley station in Dörfl. This gives the route clearly named start and end points, and a length that differs from the hiking trails, which lead in several directions.
The Gerlosstein Almflieger has four routes. One of them is up to 738 m long, and the maximum speed is 50 km/h. These details describe the number of routes, their possible length and the maximum speed. They give you a concrete starting point when weighing up different activities for your stay, without equating the Almflieger routes with a hiking trail.
Maria Rast: Pilgrimage and History
The Maria Rast pilgrimage church combines a historic building story with a pilgrimage tradition that continues to this day. Construction of the present church began in 1738, replacing a small wooden chapel. In 1748, it received a Rococo altar by Stefan Föger. Every year, many people from near and far make a pilgrimage to the Madonna of Maria Rast. The two dates mark different stages: the start of the church’s construction and the later addition of the altar.
Alpine Craftsmanship in Hainzenberg
Cheese-making and old working tools are also among the things to discover in Hainzenberg. The cheese-making museum at Hochzeller Käsealm is housed in a faithfully reconstructed alpine hut that is more than 150 years old. It displays restored old equipment that is still in working order. Hochzeller Käsealm in Hainzenberg mainly produces cheese, as well as bacon, smoked sausages and schnapps, using traditional recipes. Alongside the history of the pilgrimage, you can explore craftsmanship, tools and the traditional production of various foods as distinct aspects of the area.
For your trip, you can choose from a range of different highlights: hikes from the mountain station, a via ferrata along the Gerlossteinwand, the toboggan run and the Almflieger each offer a different kind of activity. Maria Rast and the cheese-making museum add pilgrimage, art history and alpine craftsmanship to the mix. You can decide which of these will shape your stay based on your interests.
Discover more destinations: Weer, Ramsau Im Zillertal, Zellbergeben, Gerlosberg, Imming, Weerberg, Steinberg Am Rofan, Tux
Return to the main travel overview: Schwaz.
