It is the miller's delight and the best way to enjoy the South Tyrolean mountain nature with all your senses: hiking. It would be a sin to stay at the Oberraindlhof and not go on a mountain tour. A thousand paths lead to summit bliss. My farmhands have written down three particularly beautiful hikes for you here.
A ‘devilish’ pleasure hike
You probably already know this, but just to be on the safe side: the Raffiners not only run my old house, but also the popular Teufelsegghütte. If that's not a good reason to lace up your hiking boots, then I don't know what is. A particularly beautiful trail leads along the new ALPIN TRAIL, which runs parallel to the Larix via ferrata up to the Teufelsegghütte.
People always say that this trail is one of the most beautiful in the entire Schnalstal Valley. Your route starts in an idyllic Swiss stone pine forest and takes you past impressive waterfalls, over a suspension bridge to high plateaus, across stone slabs at the reservoir and past the high moor. You hike along paths and across country through the high alpine nature to the Teufelsegghütte.
After the 1.5-hour hike, the already delicious Kaiserschmarrn tastes even better. Psssst: Tell the friendly hut staff that the Oberraindlhof sent you. I'm almost certain they'll treat you to a schnapps.
To the chamois in the Penaud Valley
A luxury you can treat yourself to more often with me: hiking directly from the hotel into the high mountains. My staff particularly like to send those seeking peace and quiet to the Penaud Valley: it is just as beautiful as the famous Pfossental Valley, but here you will hardly meet a soul.
So get out there and head for the Pitairhof. From there, follow your nose through the Penaud Valley to the Penaud Alm. Accompanied by the stream, the trail climbs steeply at first. And then the valley opens up in all its glory.
You can sit, rest, marvel and enjoy the spectacular view at the end of the valley among grazing goats, sheep, cows and horses. But don't linger too long, there's more to see. Your path leads steadily uphill along a ridge to the next plateau, where you will soon reach the alpine pasture. Please note: it is not always open, so it's a good idea to pack a snack. If you are very quiet and a little lucky, you may see some chamois. You can read more about these enchanting mountain dwellers here.
High alpine gem with a view
Finally, something for the sporty types. You should have some mountain experience and strong calf muscles. Got both? Then look forward to an enchanting tour from the Klosteralm via the Kreuzspitze to the Saxalbsee lake.
You can either start directly from the Oberraindlhof or save yourself the first few kilometres and drive to the car park above Karthaus.
From there, the hiking trail or forest road leads through the idyllic larch forest to the Klosteralm. To keep up the momentum, leave this on your left and take the hiking trail through the impressive alpine terrain above the tree line to the Kreuzspitze. From this fantastic vantage point, you can see the entire front of the Schnalstal valley as far as the lower Vinschgau.
After a short breather, hike along the ridge into the valley basin behind the summit cross. The trail leads you over high alpine terrain to a real gem of the mountain world: the Saxalbsee lake.
It's worth pausing here for a moment and taking a deep breath. This place really is something of a power spot!
Feeling inspired and energised, you then march on to the Klosteralm and treat yourself to a well-deserved stop for refreshments.
And there you are. In front of you: the whole summit panorama. You sit here in a beautiful spot against the impressive mountain backdrop. Leni, the hostess, spoils you with good food – when she's not soaring through the air on her paraglider.
