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Dreaming of wildflower meadows and alpine pastures, world-class ski resorts, glacial views, and Neolithic history? Then your mind has transported you to the Otztal Valley in the Tirol region of Austria, in the Eastern Alps.

From via ferattas to canyoning, getting shot out of a canon to crazy water slides, and down hill mountain biking to freaky high ropes courses – this is the place to go for outdoor activities in the Oetztal Alps.

I hadn’t had such thrilling adventures in a very long time.

My body was bruised and sore after each one, but it felt so good to be pushing my body and boundaries to new limits.

I’d go back to this region in a heartbeat, hopefully with my thrill seeking brave daughter with me!

If you’re wondering what adventures to have in the Ötztal Valley, here are the top things to do in Otztal, Austria!

Things To Do In The Otztal Valley

1. Go e-biking to Piburger See Lake

I want an e-bike, especially if I’m doing any uphill riding.

In case you didn’t know, an e-bike is an electric bike – it doesn’t do all the work for you, it still requires peddling and a little puffing, but it makes getting up steep Austrian mountains pretty easy.

Make friends with the Turbo Boost!

We rode up the mountain to pretty views over Piburger See Lake and then down to the lake for some photos.

The water is meant to get to around 24 degree celsius in the summer. It would be a magical place to do stand up paddle boarding.

Piburger See Lake is also a 30 minute walk from the town of Oetz.

2. Splash around at Area 47, an extreme water park

Area 47 in Otztal is actually several adventure activities rolled in one. I had a ball here.

At first, I was worried about being here when the outside temperature was around 15 degrees! But, with our thick wetsuits on, we barely even noticed it.

The water was actually quite refreshing and we were having way too much fun to care.

It’s the Disneyland for adult thrill seekers and water adventurers, with climbing walls, slack lines, catapults, jumps, and crazy waterslides.

You know you’ve had a great time when you end up with a bruise the entire length of your back right thigh.

Man was that a story to tell shooting down a steep waterslide doing 80km/hr to be hurtled up in the air and come crashing down side belly flop style into the water. I wasn’t expecting that when I volunteered to go first before all the slightly nervous young ones!

There’s also white water rafting, wake boarding, zip lining, and very scary high ropes courses.

I so want to return here. It’s not to be missed when you visit the Tirol region in Austria.

Here’s a video of my experience:

3. Mountain biking at Bike Republic Sölden

Downhill mountain biking is probably one of the most intense and insane things I have ever done. I still can’t believe I did it and chuckle at the crazy memories.

I should have backed out once I was handed the full frontal helmet.

After rigorous training at the bike pump we hit one of the 30 natural trails on the Bike Republic and 12 shaped lines, consisting of steep curves, wallrides, scooters, and also spirals.

Labelled like ski runs, the trails range from blue to black, the blue being the easy “family” trail.

I didn’t get much of a chance to really test the family friendliness of it. The first two minutes involved me flying over the handle bars.

I handled the next part of the trail okay until my friend fell off her bike and then another. I decided to pull out and enjoy the scenery from one of the mountain huts instead.

And the varied landscapes of the alpine scenery was spectacular.

Bike Republic Solden is an epic adventure and if you have the skills, stamina, and fearlessness, then I highly recommend you do it. I’d love to give it another go to be honest.

It’s only open in the summer from early June until early October, after that it becomes a popular skiing area and mountain bikers are trading bikes for snowboards and skis.

We rode and were guided by a crew from Bike School Ride On. They have various bike programs and prices and their guides were fantastic. I definitely recommend lessons. Check here for more.

4. Relax at Aqua Dome

After the physical and mental strain of the adventurous activities in Otztal, it was wonderful to end our trip at the Aqua Dome .

The Aqua Dome is one of the best thermal baths and spar resorts in the Ötzal Alps. It has twelve indoor and outdoor pools with water temperatures ranging from 93 – 97°F as well as saunas and quiet places to relax.

The most special aspect of it, like everything in Austria, is the accompanying views. You won’t want to get out of the water. Seriously. It’s so cold outside!!

Unfortunately, Becki and I could not go into the saunas due to our visits to the doctor and injuries sustained from the mountain biking earlier we were advised not to go in the sauna – and the must be naked rule made me feel okay with that.

You can stay at the Aqua Dome as well.

5. Admire Stuibenfall, Tyrol’s highest waterfall

Stuibenfall is Tirol’s highest waterfall with a drop of 159 meters.

It’s estimated that it has an average flow of 610 liters per second, but can flow up to 2,000 liters per second on peak days – that’s a lot of water! Can you imagine the power of it?

It’s also unique in that it was formed by an avalanche, which changed the course of the Horlachbach river.

It’s accessible from the town of Umhausen and “Ötzidorf” Oetzi Village.

From these points, there is a hike up to viewing platforms at the top and bottom of the falls, which requires walking up around 700 steps.

It takes around 30-60 minutes to hike to the falls.

Time your visit for Wednesday evening from May to October, when the waterfall it floodlit in the evening.

6. Get acquainted with Ötzi, The Iceman

Ötzi, also known as The Iceman, is a natural mummy of a man from the Neolithic era (3350 – 3105 BC) who’s remains were discovered in 1991 in the Similaun glaciers of the Ötztal Alps, on the border between Austria and Italy.

He is Europe’s oldest known natural human mummy, and has been preserved in ice for millenia.

It’s believed he died after being killed by another person, due to an arrowhead embedded in his left shoulder and various other wounds.

Little is known about his life, but there is a lot of speculation. You hike up to where he was found on the Similaun glacier, or if you fancy crossing the border into Italy, you can see his remains and personal belongings at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.

7. Go skiing and snowboarding in Obergurgl-Hochgurgl

Obergurgl-Hochgurgl is one of Otztal’s premier ski areas, located at the end of the valley with 112 kilometers of slopes.

Here the slopes have an ascent of 1,800 – 3,030 meters, and skiiers visiting from November to April can guarantee perfect conditions.

With 25 modern lifts, 13 mountain huts, and 12 restaurants, it’s a paradise for winter sport enthusiasts.

8. Go mountaineering up Wildspitze

If you’re in need of a holiday that offers more adventure than what I’ve shared so far, then consider mountaineering up Wildspitze, the highest mountain in the Ötztal Alps, and second highest in Austria.

Wildspitze is one of the major peaks in the Alps, ranking 4^th highest in the Alps mountain region.

There are two summits, north (approx 3765) and south (3768 meters) summit. The north summit is topped with a big snowcap, which is inaccessible and is losing height due to global warming, so most hiking groups take you to the south summit.

Climbing Wildspitze is no easy feat. It requires experience, ice axes, crampons, harnesses and rope, plus a guide for non-experienced climbers.

The start to climbing Wildspitze is normally from one of the huts nearby, such as Breslauer Hut, Braunschweiger Hut or Vernagthutte, and takes two days to get there and back.

Alternatively, you can take the Pitzaler Glacier cableway up to over 3000 meters, and climb Wildspitze in one day.

Check out climbing tours with ES Adventure Guides Austria if you think you’re brave enough!

Where To Stay In Otztal: Feelfree Nature Resort

How does a wooded cabin surrounded by mountains sound?

Feelfree Nature Resort is dedicated to health and wellness giving you serenity, good food and sauna, which I never found the time to experience, but others in our group did and enjoyed them.

The resort is in the style of a small Alpine village overlooking scenic mountains at the entrance of the Ötz Valley.

I had a comfortable room in a wood cabin and the food we ate at the restaurant was delicious.

It’s close to all amenities and in Oetz village centre, although it feels like you are very rural.

Final Thoughts

This is what travel is about – pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to try new things, feel alive, and create memories that stand out above all the rest.

It was my first time to Austria and I was left wondering why it took me so long to visit.

I toured Western Europe in a mini van 20 years ago with my girlfriends, but Austria wasn’t even on my horizon.

Now, my heart and soul longs more for the mountains and alpine living.

It’s a dominating landscape that grabs your attention and reaches into your core to bring out strength, longevity and connection.

And adventure!

So if you want an adventurous time in Austria, I highly recommend these adventure activities in Otztal, Tirol.

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