פֿאַרעפֿנטלעכט: 10.04.2015
Sledding is great fun for young and old. South Tyrol has a lot to offer, a true winter paradise for sledgers. Challenging and easy toboggan runs, routes that can only be reached on foot, others that can be reached without any effort by cable car - South Tyrol offers every kind of toboggan run in winter. The municipality of Weißenbach im Ahrntal has one of these beautiful and unique toboggan runs in South Tyrol, which starts directly from the Wurmtaler Almen. Winter mountain scenery, traditional alpine huts, and a great view at the foot of the Zillertal Alps await you here when sledding in the Ahrntal valley.
From the Pustertal road near Brunico, turn towards the Tauferer Ahrntal. Drive past the villages of Gais and Sand in Taufers until you reach Luttach in the Ahrntal valley. Once you have arrived in Luttach, Weißenbach im Ahrntal is already signposted and can be reached in a few minutes. An alpine village in the Tauferer Ahrntal with around 550 inhabitants. A little further on and you will come to a winter sports area in Weißenbach, which is the starting point for the so-called Wurmtaler Almen.
The Innhofer Alm, the Marxegger Alm, and the Pircheralm are part of the Wurmtaler Almen, located at the foot of the Zillertal Alps. From here, sledding in the Ahrntal valley is possible. As already mentioned, the tour starts from the village of Weißenbach im Ahrntal. It takes approximately 1 hour to reach the first alpine hut, the Innhofer Alm. Along the toboggan run, you hike through the uniquely snow-covered forests of the Tauferer Ahrntal.
During the hike, you will catch the first glimpses of the snow-covered mountains of the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park and its villages, as well as the starting point of the village of Weißenbach im Ahrntal. It's incredible what beauty this Tauferer Ahrntal has to offer in winter. But the real fun, sledding in the Ahrntal valley, comes at the end.
When you arrive at the Innhofer Alm, you can of course take a break, which is not really necessary. Because if you have set your sights on the Marxegger Alm and Pircheralm, it's only a leisurely 20 minutes to get there. I highly recommend taking these 20 minutes to enjoy the view of the unique mountains of the Zillertal Alps. The Schwarzenstein (3368 m), the Großer Möseler (3,478 m), the Hochfernspitze (3,463 m), the Großer Löffler (3,376 m), and the Wilde Kreuzspitze (3,134 m) are some of the mountain massifs that can be admired from the Wurmtaler Almen.
Of course, you cannot see as far as Mount Everest, the Zugspitze, or Paris, as the sign at the Marxegger Alm shows. But you can still get a small impression of where and how far these sights are located. Now you deserve a good meal before the real fun, sledding in the Ahrntal valley, begins.
The toboggan run in Weißenbach im Ahrntal is very well groomed and extremely rarely covered in ice. However, caution is still advised, as people are constantly hiking to the Wurmtaler Almen from early morning until evening. Slow and cautious is the best approach, but you should still enjoy the fun and sometimes let it rip.
Impressive views of the Zillertal Alps and the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park, an area with heavy snowfall, traditional alpine huts, that's what it's called in South Tyrol, Weißenbach im Ahrntal. The hike to the Wurmtaler Almen is hardly strenuous and can be completed in about 1 ½ hours. This adventure in the Tauferer Ahrntal is suitable for all age groups.
For those who would like to go sledding in South Tyrol without going for a hike beforehand, there are also ski areas with toboggan runs that are accessible via cable car. In the Hochpustertal region, the two well-known ski areas in the Sexten Dolomites are particularly suitable, the Haunold ski area and the Rotwand in Sexten. Here, you can ride up on the cable car or chairlift and then sled down. The toboggan run in the Rotwand ski area is, by the way, the second largest in South Tyrol. If you would like to know more about the toboggan runs in the Hochpustertal, you can find this information on the following website:
http://www.hochpustertal.net/skigebiete/rodelbahnen.asp