Tux Alps
Mountains Alpine range in Tyrol popular for hiking and skiing
Tyrol’s Tux Alps offer hut-to-hut hiking, alpine skiing and the Hintertux Glacier; visitors expect mountain trails, summer wildflower meadows and winter lifts around ski villages like Mayrhofen.
The Tux Alps (Tuxer Alpen) are a mid-sized mountain group in Tyrol, Austria, forming a natural barrier between the Zillertal and the Inn Valley. The range is known for its alpine terrain, summer hiking and winter ski opportunities, including a prominent glacier ski area.
The range’s highest summit is the Lizumer Reckner at 2,886 metres, and the area includes the year-round Hintertux Glacier ski area on its slopes. Visitors use marked trails, alpine huts and lift infrastructure for both summer hiking and winter sports.
The Tux Alps developed as part of the Northern Limestone and crystalline ranges of Tyrol and have long been used for alpine grazing, mountaineering and winter tourism; infrastructure for skiing and mountain huts expanded during the 20th century.
Geographically the Tux Alps lie in the Austrian state of Tyrol, occupying an area between the Zillertal to the south and the Inn Valley to the north, within driving distance of regional centres such as Innsbruck.
- Glacier skiing: A year-round glacier ski area offers summer skiing and a reliable snowpack in winter, making it one of the few places in Austria with glacier skiing.
- Safety and route conditions: Alpine huts provide multi-day route options; weather changes rapidly at high elevation so standard alpine gear and experience are recommended for traverses.
What to See #
- Lizumer Reckner (highest peak): A prominent summit at 2,886 metres that is the highest point of the Tux Alps and a common objective for hikers and ski tourers.
- Hintertux Glacier ski area: A year-round glacier and skiing area with lift-served slopes, providing summer glacier skiing and winter alpine skiing facilities on the range's eastern side.
- Tux Valley and village of Tux: Valleys and alpine pasture areas that contain the village of Tux and approaches used for summer hiking and winter ski access.
- Mountain hut and trail network: A network of alpine huts and marked trails operated by alpine clubs, used for multi-day traverses across the range.
How to Get to Tux Alps #
The Tux Alps (Tuxer Alpen) are reached most easily via the Tux Valley (Tuxertal). From Innsbruck drive east on the Inntal Autobahn/A12 and follow signs for the Zillertal/Tux valley, then continue into the Tuxertal on the B169 (Tuxer Straße); driving time to Hintertux is roughly 40-60 minutes depending on traffic.
By public transport, take an ÖBB regional train from Innsbruck to Jenbach, change to the Zillertalbahn toward Mayrhofen and then take the regional bus or a short taxi ride up the B169 into the Tux valley; walking distances from valley bus stops to trailheads or mountain huts are typically a few minutes to a half-hour depending on the destination.
Tips for Visiting Tux Alps #
- For skiing or glacier sightseeing, use the cable‑car access at Hintertux - it provides year‑round glacier lifts and is the most reliable entry point to high alpine routes in the Tux Alps.
- For summer hiking, aim for early starts (before 8:00) to reach ridgelines before valley heat and day‑trippers arrive; plan routes from Tux village/Hintertux to access less crowded alpine meadows and high‑altitude trails.
- Many visitors limit themselves to the main resorts - take a map and head for side valleys and high‑alpine huts beyond the lifts to find quieter panoramic ridges and alpine flora displays.
Best Time to Visit Tux Alps #
Visit in summer for hiking and scenery, or in winter for reliable snow and skiing.
Weather & Climate near Tux Alps #
Tux Alps's climate is classified as Warm-Summer Continental - Warm-Summer Continental climate with cool summers (peaking in August) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -8°C to 18°C. Abundant rainfall (1114 mm/year), wettest in July.
January
January is the coldest month with highs of -1°C and lows of -8°C. Moderate rainfall (49 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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February
February is freezing with highs of 0°C and lows of -7°C. Moderate rainfall (47 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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March
March is freezing with highs of 3°C and lows of -4°C. Moderate rainfall (70 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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April
April is cold with highs of 6°C and lows of -2°C. Moderate rainfall (79 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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May
May is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 3°C. Significant rainfall (108 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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June
June is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 6°C. Significant rainfall (146 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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July
July is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 8°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (156 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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August
August is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 8°C. Significant rainfall (140 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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September
September is cool with highs of 15°C and lows of 5°C. Significant rainfall (103 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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October
October is cold with highs of 10°C and lows of 2°C. Regular rainfall (80 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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November
November is cold with highs of 3°C and lows of -3°C. Moderate rainfall (78 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
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December
December is freezing with highs of 0°C and lows of -6°C. Moderate rainfall (58 mm) and mostly overcast skies.
