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Region East Tyrol · behind the Felbertauern
Rent a hut in East Tyrol – the quiet side of Tyrol
The Grossglockner and the Grossvenediger, the Hohe Tauern National Park and villages where things still go quietly – East Tyrol is mountain Tyrol without the bustle. Our alpine hut stands in Matrei at 1,880 metres: self-catering, reached on foot, with a view of the Tauern. Anyone taking a hut holiday here wants exactly that.
1,880 METRESOur highest hutThe Zarze Almhütte in Matrei lies in the Hohe Tauern National Park – self-catering, reached on foot in summer and winter.
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NATIONAL PARKThe Hohe Tauern at the doorThe Grossglockner, the Grossvenediger, the Umbal waterfalls and the Europa panorama trail on the Goldried – East Tyrol's great destinations all lie around Matrei.
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TRAIN AND BUSTo Lienz or MatreiBy train to Lienz, or by train and Felbertauern bus to Matrei; on site the regional buses and hiking taxis help.
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QUIETAway from the transit routesEast Tyrol lies behind the Felbertauern – less traffic, fewer beds, more mountain.
Our hut in East Tyrol
In East Tyrol we have so far visited one place in person – the Zarze Almhütte in Matrei. It stands for what we like about East Tyrol: high, quiet, real. We will show more huts as soon as we have seen them ourselves.
The Matrei holiday region has its own page with things to do: the national park, waterfalls, cable cars, rainy-day destinations and farm shops – and below them the hut that stands there.
East Tyrol · Hohe Tauern National Park
Matrei in Osttirol
Zarze Almhütte · 1,880 m
The Hohe Tauern National Park, views of the Grossglockner, the Umbal waterfalls and the Europa panorama trail on the Goldried – our Zarze Almhütte stands here at 1,880 metres.
The Virgental, the Defereggental and the Lienz basin – region pages will follow as soon as we have seen a hut there ourselves. You can already find every place in the hut finder.
Mountains, water, villages and cooking – what East Tyrol stands for
Austria's highest mountains, glacier streams and waterfalls, mountain villages with churches along the way – and in the evening Schlipfkrapfen and alpine cheese. Here, in peace, is what waits around your hut in East Tyrol.
East Tyrol
Mountains and national park
Großglockner · Großvenediger · Nationalpark Hohe Tauern · quiet valleys
The Hohe Tauern National Park and the three-thousanders
East Tyrol has more three-thousand-metre peaks than any other region in Austria: the Grossglockner, the Grossvenediger and the summits between them lie in the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest protected area in the Alps. The classic ascents start from Kals am Grossglockner, and from Matrei in Osttirol you head into the Virgental and on towards the Venediger. If you only want to look, take the panorama trails below the glaciers.
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The Lienz Dolomites – rock above the valley
South of Lienz the Lienz Dolomites stand like a wall above the Drau valley: pale limestone, sharp spires, via ferratas and huts halfway up. The Dolomitenhütte with its view of the Laserzwand is the best-known destination. Between the East Tyrolean Alps to the north and the Dolomites to the south lie two completely different mountain worlds in a single day.
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Quiet valleys: Virgental, Defereggen and Villgraten
East Tyrol lives from its side valleys. In the Virgental the Umbal waterfalls thunder down the steps of the Isel, the Defereggental leads up to the Staller Sattel, and the Villgratental counts as one of the most unspoilt valleys in Tyrol – with mountain hay meadows, timber houses and trails where little is going on. Towards Sillian the road carries on into the Hochpustertal and South Tyrol.
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Lienz, churches and the southern light
Lienz lies where the Isel meets the Drau, with Bruck Castle, its main square and the Aguntum museum from Roman times. Above the valleys, churches and chapels stand along the paths, many of them the goal of a short walk. Because East Tyrol opens to the south, there are more hours of sunshine here than north of the main Tauern ridge – you notice it especially in autumn.
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Schlipfkrapfen, alpine cheese and shopping in the valley
East Tyrolean Schlipfkrapfen with a potato filling, alpine cheese from the working pastures, bacon and farmhouse bread: the cooking is simple and hearty. Matrei and Lienz have farm shops and weekly markets, and there are dairies in the Defereggental. Since you cook for yourselves at the hut, it is worth doing the first shop down in the valley – then you need nothing more up top.
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Winter without the crowds
Kals-Matrei forms one connected ski area as the Grossglockner Resort, with Sillian in the Hochpustertal and the small lifts in the side valleys on top. Above all East Tyrol is ski-touring country: ascents across alpine meadows, toboggan runs with a hut at the end and winter walking trails through snowy valleys. It rarely gets busy here.
All places in East Tyrol
So far one – the Zarze Almhütte in Matrei. With the number of guests, the rooms and what makes it special. Visited in person.
Getting there
How to reach East Tyrol
TRAIN
To Lienz, then the bus
The train brings you via Spittal-Millstättersee to Lienz; the bus runs to Matrei over the Felbertauern, or from Lienz through the Isel valley.
CAR
Over the Felbertauern
From the north through the Felbertauern tunnel, from the south via Lienz. The last stretch to the Zarze Almhütte is on foot – we tell you before you book how far and how steep.
ON SITE
Regional bus and hiking taxi
Regional buses connect the valleys, and hiking taxis bring you to the starting points in the national park.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about a hut holiday in East Tyrol
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What sets East Tyrol apart from the rest of Tyrol?
East Tyrol lies behind the Felbertauern, away from the big transit routes – with Austria's highest mountains, the Hohe Tauern National Park and far less going on than in the Inn valley or the Zillertal.
Which hut can I rent in East Tyrol?
The Zarze Almhütte in Matrei at 1,880 metres – a self-catering hut for four people in the Hohe Tauern National Park, visited in person. Dogs are welcome.
What are the best-known destinations?
The Grossglockner and the Grossvenediger, the Umbal waterfalls in the Virgental, the Europa panorama trail on the Goldried above Matrei, and the sunny town of Lienz with Bruck Castle.
Is East Tyrol good for families?
Yes – with ranger programmes in the national park, the Goldried cable cars, easy walks on the alpine pastures and toboggan runs in winter. Everything is simply a notch quieter than elsewhere. The hut itself lies high and is reached on foot – for families with children used to walking.
Can I travel to East Tyrol without a car?
Yes – by train to Lienz, or by train and Felbertauern bus to Matrei. On site the regional buses and hiking taxis help; the last stretch to the alpine hut is a walk anyway.
Which East Tyrolean dishes should you try?
Schlipfkrapfen – East Tyrol's answer to Carinthian Kasnudeln – East Tyrolean farmhouse bread, alpine cheese and a Brettljause after the walk.
Search by type of accommodation
Alpine and mountain huts, holiday houses, apartments, chalets and farms – in East Tyrol there is one alpine hut so far; the other types are waiting in our remaining regions.
Tell us when you would like to come and how much mountain experience you have. We know the hut and the way up personally and will tell you honestly whether it fits.
East Tyrol · Hohe Tauern National Park
East Tyrol
East Tyrol
East Tyrol
East Tyrol
East Tyrol