When the sun doesn't shine in Zillertal

Nature's Ice Palace at the Hintertux Glacier is a worldwide unique natural gem and an ideal day trip destination for the whole family.

Nature's Ice Palace at the Hintertux Glacier is a natural gem, unique worldwide and an ideal year round day trip destination for the whole family. The entrance to this ice cave is only a 3 to 4 minute walk from the top station o the Gletscherbus 3 cable car. On guided tours, visitors are asked to „Step inside!“ to this wonderful world deep beneath the ski slopes and discover a glacial crevasse with magical ice stalactites, giant sparkling ice crystals,frozen waterfalls and even a glacial lake. Nature's Ice Palace has a constant temperature of 0° degrees 365 days of the year. Warm clothing and sturdy shoes are required for the tour, which is easy to negotiate - even wearing ski boots. A visit to Nature's Ice Palace can be easily combined with a ski day on the Hintertux Glacier or with a trip to enjoy the views from the Panorama Terrace. The ice cave is open all year round and can be visited in any weather. www.natureispalast.info

The Spannagel Caves at Hintertux Glacier are an ideal day trip destination for all you daring adventurers out there. The entrance to these natural caves can be found at the Spannagel House.

Only 10 minutes away from Section 2 of the Zillertal Glacier Lifts, the caves are an incredible 10 km in length, making them the largest natural caves in Tirol. Wearing protective jackets and helmets, tours with a state-certified cave guide are a very special experience. 

It is already well known that the main Alpine Ridge consists mainly of prehistoric rock. One particularly special geological feature, however, is a marble seam (crystalline limestone) that leads from Hintertux in a southerly direction to the Spannagel House. It is in this marble layer that the Spannagel Cave system and its many natural wonders can be found. www.spannagelhoehle.at

The BrauKunstHaus offers Tyrolean beer culture for all senses. As part of an exciting multimedia tour, you can discover how the country and its people shape the Zillertal Bier specialties and learn a lot about the region's secrets. The final highlight is the tasting of the fresh beer specialties in the modern Bräustüberl. There is a lot to discover in the BrauKunstHaus. During a multimedia tour through the 5000 m² visitor centre of Zillertal Bier, guests receive interesting and entertaining insights into the past, present and future of Tyrol's oldest private brewery. The reason why the beer specialties from Zillertal Bier taste so particularly fine is the special quality of the ingredients, the art of brewing and a unique region that has always shaped the brewery. Every visitor can experience the result of this combination influences during the beer tasting at the end of the tour. www.braukunsthaus.at

Take part in one of the greatest adventures of bygone centuries. Feel how "alive" the insides of a mountain are and learn more about 350 years of mining history and an almost forgotten industry in an impressive multimedia presentation. Get a glimpse of the underground working conditions, the modest lifestyle of the miners and their social environment. You will also learn about the political conflicts between Salzburg and Tirol, the economic background and the powerful influence the church had back then. The excursion starts at the cheese factory next to the zoo at Hainzenberg. The tour takes around 2 hours with a visit to the historical sites and mines. The priceincludes a tour of the gold mine, transport with the Zillertaler Gold Express (novelty train), cheese tasting at the factory and a visit to the zoo. www.goldschaubergwerk.com

Discover wood with all your senses. Visitors not only have the opportunity to take a look at the fascinating technical facilities at one of the most modern and economic combined biomass heat and power plant in Europe; They are also invited to use wood to heighten their senses.

The forecourt designed by Lois and Franziska Weinberger leads into the reception hall, where visitors receive a video-guide and the guided tour through the combined biomass heat and power plant begins. The presentation of the award winning film “HolzLeben (life of wood) in the cinema is followed by an innovative and instructive exhibition of the history of wood. Visitors then move on to the centre of the technical section, through the impressive turbine and generator hall to the boiler section, where the purification of used air takes place. 16 fixed screens inform the visitors about carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. The tour moves on into the section where pellets are produced, which includes devices for drying, pressing and silos. The tour ends in the "Garden of Air" - where stunning panoramic views of the Zillertal Mountains can be enjoyed. Guests then have the opportunity to order some welcome refreshments at the SichtBAR  Restaurant. Von hier geht es in das Zentrum der Technik: durch den beeindruckenden Generator- und Turbinenraum in das Kesselhaus und in die Abluftreinigung. Auf 16 Screens erhälst du wichtige Informationen über Co2-Emissionen, Klimaveränderung, etc. www.binderholz-feuerwerk.com

Between Innsbruck and Kufstein - in the Tyrolean lake region - the Tyrolean Farming Museum was founded in 1974. These quiet grounds can be found just off the main road from Kramsach to Breitenbach, to the east of Lake Reintaler.  

The idea originally came from Heinz Mantl from Kramsach. To this day, the Tyrolean Farming Museum is supported by his society. With the help of many volunteers and dedicated staff, fourteen farms from various valleys in Tyrol have been relocated to the museum and carefully integrated into the new environment.

The objective of this museum is to document the rural culture that has shaped this country and the great economic changes that have threatened it. Traditional farming practices, architecture, farming equipment and fencing show a way of life that has been largely supressed and gradually fallen into oblivion. www.museum-tb.at