Niederau is a rambling village – in more ways than one. Its streets meander between valley slopes, leading to a bakery here and a flower-bedecked hotel there. Plus, it welcomes those who love to wander, filling their days with alpine strolls. There’s also the chance to step things up a little. Niederau is one of four villages of the Wildschönau valley, where paragliders wheel around in the sky and over 300 kilometres of marked walking and cycling trails zigzag to distant peaks. The excellent bus network makes exploring easy, leading the way to the dairy farms, distilleries, museums and gorges just over the hills.
The Markbachjoch gondola
You could climb the 1,000-plus metres to the Markbachjoch mountain ridge… or you could jump aboard the gondola in Niederau’s village centre that takes you straight to the trails and huts up top. Here, walkers and cyclists weave between tiny chapels, lakeside sculptures and mountain huts, with the peaks of Feldalphorn and Rosskopf always in view. Keep an eye out for eagles above and marmots below… or perhaps that’s not an eagle - paragliders at the Wildschönau flying school also love to launch themselves from the plateaus here.
Farm to fork feasts
The farmers of Niederau have grazed their cows in the Wildschönau valley for centuries, bringing with them the soothing soundtrack of cowbells – and some delicious cuisine. Follow footpaths to dairy farms to stock up on herby krauter-schnitt cheese. Some farms also produce a heady schnapps called krautinger – a digestif and traditional cure-all distilled from white beetroots and made exclusively in this valley since the 18th century. To learn more about farming in this neck of the woods, take the St. Frances Path to the z’Bach Mountain Farm Museum to see how people eked out a living here in the 18th century.
Village hopping by bus in the Wildschönau
Buses weave their way between Niederau, Oberau, Thierbach and Auffach, the four sister villages of the Wildschönau valley. Oberau has an outdoor pool and cathedral-like baroque church. Thierbach is a tiny, picturesque hamlet. And Auffach has a woodcraft museum and a cable car that leads up to some of the highest peaks in the Wildschönau.
But don’t stop there – the Austrian Tyrol lies just beyond the valley, with buses connecting you to the cracking canyon of Kundl Gorge or nearby Wörgl, where trains head off to Innsbruck, Munich and Salzburg.
Family mountain adventures
Niederau is filled with warm welcomes – whether that’s in the alpine hotels or cosy restaurants. The great outdoors welcomes families too, with well-signposted trails designed for kids and prams, e-bike hire, and loads of mountain hut restaurants for strategic refuelling. Surrounding villages also come with outdoor pools, tree top rope walks and farms that reveal how the local dairy delicacies are made. Bands often spring up in the summer evenings too – just follow the foot-tapping sound of horns.
Why book a summer holiday in Niederau with Inghams?
At Inghams, we do walking holidays differently. With no fixed itinerary, you have more time in your destination and the freedom to walk as much or as little as you like, discovering some of the Wildschönau’s best walking routes and activities at your own pace.
With over 85 years of outdoor travel experience, our holiday packages to Niederau include flights, transfers, and accommodation, so you can relax and leave the small details to us. Our experts can help you choose the best holiday for you, and our team in resort can give you the inside scoop on how to spend your time away with us.
