Mayrhofen is one of the most beautifully situated resorts in Austria.

The towering mountains seem to surround the town as you drive up the wide valley. This is not a place one would happen upon by accident and comment, “This would be nice to come back and visit.” The only villages further up the mountain pass lead to dead-end glaciers. If you arrive in Mayrhofen, you probably want to be there. The locals will surely do their best to keep you enjoying life in their valley.

Here is an interactive Mayrhofen town map.

The village, about a 15-minute walk across, could be a Hollywood set. The church steeple towers over wooden façades and balconies on whitewashed mountain houses. Konditorei display tempting pastries. The latest Tyrolean fashions—still harking back to tradition—fill dress shop windows. Bakeries emit mouthwatering smells of fresh bread. Dogs chase each other. Restaurant candles glisten through hazy windows and hearty laughter echoes from gasthausen.

The road south to Hintertux rises steeply through narrow gaps in the mountains. After passing through 10-kilometer-long Tuxertal (connected by lifts with Mayrhofen) you’ll reach the Hintertuxer Glacier. which is isolated at the end of the road. This glacier provides year-round skiing laced with one of Europe’s most modern ski lift systems.

Five main ski regions are connected to Mayrhofen—Penken, Finkenberg, Horberg/Gerent, Rastkogel and Eggalm. They tend to keep their snow longer than most Austrian resorts because of their altitude (about 5,900 to 8,200 feet). However little of the skiable snow reaches down to the town of Mayrhofen lying at an altitude of only 2,067 feet above sea level. This is a resort where the ski runs are high above the town. Skiers normally come back to town by the gondolas or by bus from one of the outlying higher-altitude villages.

English is spoken by most natives, but most visitors to Mayrhofen originate from Germany and the Netherlands, with a strong contingent of Brits and Australians and an occasional American.

In February, Austria is Mayrhofen’s biggest customer, offering a steady flow of visi-tors on holiday. Check before making vacation plans so you don’t hit a busy week.

The other villages of the Tuxertal are in the next valley up the mountain road on the way to the Hintertuxer glacier. They are all cute but without the amenities offered by Mayrhofen. Finkenberg with its steep streets hugs the mountain road connecting Mayrhofen with the Tuxertal.

Of the villages in Tuxertal, Lanersbach is the largest and provides some village atmosphere. If you blink, you will miss Juns and Madseit. Hintertux is far up in the Tux-ertal Valley at the base of one of the best glaciers for summer ski-ing. It makes no pretense of being anything but a glacier ski resort. If it had sidewalks, they would be rolled up when the lifts close. However there are good restaurants and some good bars at the base of the lifts and in the nearby town.

Mayrhofen Tourism, Europahaus in Mayrhofen, Dursterstrasse 225, A-6290 Mayrhofen, Austria
Country code: 0043
Telephone prefix: 05285
Telephone: (05285) 6760
Fax: (05285) 676033
Email: Info@mayrhofen.at
Internet: www.mayrhofen.com

Note: All prices are in Euros unless otherwise noted.

For more information on skiing and staying in the country of Austria, click the map.