Gorges and Waters

At the entrance to the Gurgltal valley, the area around Fernsteinsee in Nassereith, one of the most secluded spots in Tyrol, invites you to linger and enjoy the outdoors. With the former Sigmundsburg castle ruins rising from the middle of the lake, the Fernsteinsee is an impressive eye-catcher.

The romantic ambience is perfect for walks and hikes on Nassereither soil. Those who prefer a more leisurely pace can explore the cool waters on a pedal boat ride on the Fernsteinsee.

Nearby, in the valley basin of the Afrigal, the largest mountain pine forest in Austria rises up with trees up to 25 m long.

Mountain pine forests have their own flair. The dark-stemmed trees with their dark green needles stand in contrast to the light-grey dolomite rock. Scattered among them are red-trunked pines and pointed-crowned spruces. Not far from the Fernpass road, one sees oneself shifted into a forest scenery, which reminds of North America or Scandinavia.

Over a length of 1.5 km, the Schinderbach river digs its way from the Blue Grotto through the rocky ridges of the Imst low mountain range terraces to the Johanneskirche. (difference in altitude 250 m).

For geologists it reflects millions of years of the earth's history, but also all those who are less interested in geology will be amazed by the beauty of the Rosengartenschlucht gorge and the wealth of flowers, animals and stones in this gorge in Imst.

Due to the special conditions in the Rosengartenschlucht, alpine plants and animals climb far deeper than their actual distribution. The humid, cool climate promotes the growth of ferns and mosses, and you will encounter unique vegetation here. Nature has practically been left to its own free dynamics here, you can see its true face.
Remarkable: The entrance is located in the middle of the city centre.

Blue Grotto

The special thing about the Blue Grotto is the history of its creation: 2000 years ago in Roman times, people were already working hard here, looking for silver-containing galena. Geologist Peter Gstrein suspects that mining was already carried out in the first centuries after the birth of Christ using the fire setting method; the rock became brittle due to the heating and could thus be cut off more easily. This is how the Blue Grotto was created, which is probably unique in Tyrol.

Once you arrive in Hoch-Imst, you can either hike back to Imst via the Wetterkreuz, or continue your hike with the Imst Mountain Lifts and the Alpine Coaster in Hoch-Imst.

The Salvesenbach stream carves its narrow path through the Salvesen Gorge down to Gurgltal Valley. He rushes past sintered limestone formations and rocks from different epochs in the Earth's history and allows the geological layers to be identified by the different water conditions. Beautiful folded structures characterise the walls of the gorge and attract the attention of hikers. You cross the gorge over the 'Hoher Übergang' bridge on the way and are rewarded with deep insights into a natural spectacle.

Starting point: Tarrenz Local History Museum
walking time: approx. 2 hours
Good footwear required!