Hike to Salfeins

The trail begins next to the Sportplatz in the village of Grinzens, just outside of Innsbruck.

The trail begins as a gravel road, but within a few meters it splits. You can either take route 51 which follows the gravel road or route 52 which cuts through the forest.

We chose to follow route 52 on the way up, as although much steeper, it is shorter in distance than following the gravel road. The two routes intersect at many points so it's easy to switch between them if you want to.

Around 2/3 of the way up, at a point where the forest path crosses the road, you'll find a bench and a natural water spring where you can stop for a break and fill up your water bottle.

At approximately 3/4 of the way up the gravel road ends and only the forest path continues. If you're following the forest path, you'll know you are at this point because you'll come across a small clearing with a little wooden hut.

Keep following the forest path up and out above the tree line. You'll come to a cross where there are stunning views back across the Inn valley. But the trail doesn't end here.

Keep walking up and along the ridge for another 10 minutes and you'll reach a small plateau with a stunning lake and views across to the Kalkkogel mountain range.

To get to this point took us just under 3 hours, but that did include a few photo stops.

The Return Journey

If you're doing the route as a simple "out and back" route you can simply turn around and return the way you came. We decided to take the gravel road route for most of the way down as it was a little easier on the knees than the steeper forest path.

If you're looking to do an even longer hike, from the lake at the top you can follow the signs back down the other side of the mountain towards the Kemater Alm and then take the gravel road from there back along the valley floor to the starting point in the village of Grinzens. 

Insider Tip

This location is magnificent at sunset when the golden light illuminates the mountains and reflects in the water of the lake. If you're planning on waiting for sunset (which is worth it) then bring a flask of tea & some gloves, and a head torch for the descent.