Walking on the Gschwandtkopf
Description: Gschwandtkopf
Location: Reith-Seefeld-Mösern area
Time: 2½-3 hours
Difficulty: Easy
This relatively gentle introduction to the area provides good views over Seefeld and down into the Inn Valley. The Gschwandtkopf hill is used as a ski area in the winter, with ski runs and lifts leading down three sides of it. For less mobile holidaymakers, the Gschwandtkopf chairlift (open in summer) gives the opportunity to appreciate the views and then take a gentle amble back down to the plateau.
From the centre of Seefeld, take the road leading out past the Wildsee, the lake at the southern entrance to the village. (Rather than taking the path around the back of the lake, this route will take you across the Reither Moor at the end of the lake - a small and very rare example of a high alpine moor.) Just past the open air swimming pool buildings turn right onto path 4, which crosses the moor. At the end of the small moor area turn south until you reach a road crossing the path. Signs for the Café Englhof (pass it on the left) will take you down to the hamlet of Auland and past deer-feeding areas.
Once you reach the road at the bottom of the trail turn right and follow the road through the car park of the Hotel Alpenkönig before it turns into a trail climbing the hillside. After about 15 minutes, the trail splits. Take route 86 to the Ötzihütte. The path now winds and climbs up the side of the Gschwandtkopf, sometimes quite steeply, before emerging onto the ski run down to Reith and some lovely views across to Seefeld's other main ski area in the winter - the Rosshütte.
From here it is a short walk to the top (about 1½-2 hours from the start of the walk) and the refreshments of the Ötzihütte. The restaurant is named after the Ice Age man discovered in the Tirolean glaciers a few years ago, and there is an interesting exhibition of the find up the stairs in the building.
Across from the Ötzihütte, the top station of the Gschwandtkopf chairlift provides views back down to Seefeld and further across to Giessenbach and Scharnitz. In good weather, paraglider training may be taking place on the slopes below you.
Cross the top of the hill on path 85 in the direction of Mösern, again winding down across ski runs, this time with views of the Hohe Munde and reach the bottom after about 2-2½ hours. Turn right onto the Sommerweg and back to Seefeld on path number 4, entering past the Casino Arena (used for winter events).
