01 - Overview
The Ötztal Cycle Trail (no. 11) follows the Ötztaler Ache for some 50 kilometres from the glacier resort of Sölden down into the Inn valley at Haiming. Heading down the valley it is mostly downhill, from the high valley at around 1,350 metres to just under 670 metres where it meets the Inn. Along the way come the Stuibenfall near Umhausen, Tyrol’s highest waterfall, the AQUA DOME thermal spa in Längenfeld and the painted old centre of Oetz. The valley drops in steps, so even this way it rolls gently rather than running straight down; at Haiming the route meets the Inn Cycle Path.
The Ötztal Cycle Trail runs the length of one of Tyrol’s best-known high valleys, from the glacier country around Sölden to the point where the Ötztaler Ache joins the Inn. In the direction described here it is ridden down the valley, so mostly downhill. It opens at Sölden, the large resort below the Gaislachkogl and Rettenbachferner; the high-mountain attractions above it, such as 007 ELEMENTS on the Gaislachkogl or the glacier road to the Rettenbachferner, sit above the valley and are reached only by cable car or toll road, not by the cycle trail. From Sölden the path rolls via Huben to Längenfeld, where the AQUA DOME thermal spa invites a swim. Further down lies Umhausen with the Stuibenfall, at around 159 metres the highest waterfall in Tyrol, and the Ötzi-Dorf archaeological open-air park, both reached by a short climb up from the valley floor. Via Tumpen and Habichen with the little Habicher See the route reaches Oetz, with its painted old centre and the Piburger See nature reserve above the village. Finally the valley drops via Sautens and Brunau to the valley floor, passing the AREA 47 adventure park near Ötztal-Bahnhof, before the path joins the Inn Cycle Path at Haiming. The route runs on cycle paths, secondary roads and dedicated bridges over the Ötztaler Ache; the surface alternates between asphalt, gravel and natural forest tracks, and a few short stretches share the B186 main road, which road-bike riders usually take on the carriageway. The valley climbs in several steps, so even ridden downhill it rolls rather than falling away evenly.
- Regions
- Tyrol
- Start
- Sölden
- Finish
- Haiming
- Surface
- Paved · Fine gravel · Gravel · Compacted
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- May - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
87 % comfortably ridable, but a 1.8 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
4 stages · 50 km
01Sölden - LängenfeldSölden · Aschbach · Bruggen · Huben · Längenfeld15 km
Setting off in Sölden, the large resort below the Gaislachkogl and Rettenbachferner. Down the valley the path rolls along the Ötztaler Ache via Bruggen and Huben to Längenfeld. The upper valley floor opens out wide; the route loses height steadily without ever getting steep. At Längenfeld the AQUA DOME thermal spa, with its pools set in the valley basin, makes a good first stop.
- Ascent
- 83 m
- Descent
- 260 m
- Duration
- approx. 1 h
- Surface
- Cycle path and secondary roads, paved with short gravel stretches
Surface (measured): paved 60 % · gravel 23 % · fine gravel 17 %
02Längenfeld - UmhausenLängenfeld · Oberried · Au · Köfels · Umhausen12 km
From Längenfeld the path follows the Ache on down the valley via Oberried and Au to Umhausen. Here a short climb is well worth it to the Stuibenfall, at around 159 metres the highest waterfall in Tyrol, and to the neighbouring Ötzi-Dorf, an archaeological open-air park. On this section the surface alternates between asphalt and natural tracks.
- Ascent
- 94 m
- Descent
- 226 m
- Duration
- approx. 50 min
- Surface
- Cycle path and secondary roads, partly gravel and forest track
Surface (measured): paved 65 % · fine gravel 20 % · gravel 15 %
03Umhausen - OetzUmhausen · Tumpen · Habichen · Oetz10 km
The steepest valley step: between Umhausen and Oetz the valley drops over a clear terrace, in this direction an almost continuous descent. Via Tumpen and Habichen with the little Habicher See the route reaches Oetz, with its painted old centre. Above the village lies the Piburger See nature reserve, a short detour uphill.
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 277 m
- Duration
- approx. 40 min
- Surface
- Cycle path and secondary roads, mostly paved
Surface (measured): paved
04Oetz - HaimingOetz · Sautens · Brunau · Ötztal-Bahnhof · Haiming14 km
The final section runs via Sautens and Brunau down to the valley floor. Near Ötztal-Bahnhof, where the Ötztaler Ache joins the Inn, lies the AREA 47 adventure park. At Haiming the Ötztal trail joins the Inn Cycle Path - the ideal link on toward Innsbruck or upstream toward Landeck. Ötztal-Bahnhof is also the rail hub for getting to and from the valley.
- Ascent
- 101 m
- Descent
- 196 m
- Duration
- approx. 1 h
- Surface
- Cycle path and secondary roads, paved; short stretches along the B186
Surface (measured): paved 77 % · fine gravel 23 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 50 km. Ascent 278 m, descent 959 m. Lowest point 667 m, highest point 1348 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Sölden (Gaislachkogl, 007 ELEMENTS, Rettenbachferner)
- AQUA DOME - Tirol Therme thermal spa, Längenfeld
- Stuibenfall (at around 159 m the highest waterfall in Tyrol)
- Ötzi-Dorf (archaeological open-air park)
- Habicher See
- Piburger See (nature reserve)
- Oetz - painted old centre (Gasthof zum Stern)
- AREA 47 (adventure park), junction with the Inn Cycle Path
Services along the route
- Bike serviceCycle shops, rental and repair stations in Sölden, Längenfeld and Oetz; pump stations along the valley.
- E-bikeCharging and rental stations in every larger village from Sölden to Ötztal-Bahnhof; the Ötztal is well set up for e-bikes.
- Drinking waterFountains, inns and alpine huts in the towns; well supplied along the Ötztaler Ache.
- Food & drinkInns, alpine huts and cafes in the valley towns; at Längenfeld the AQUA DOME thermal spa is right on the route.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water54
- Repair station3
- Bike shop3
- Charging station18
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Sölden at the upper end of the Ötztal Cycle Trail, the start of the valley descent.Photo: Sölden im Ötztal · Tiia Monto · CC BY 4.0 The Stuibenfall near Umhausen, at around 159 metres the highest waterfall in Tyrol, a short detour from the valley route.Photo: Stuibenfall bei Umhausen · BernhardNeuner · CC BY-SA 4.0 View over Oetz and the green Ötztal valley near the lower end of the cycle route.Photo: Oetz im Ötztal · Tiia Monto · CC BY 4.0
06 - Public transit
- ÖBB (Innsbruck - Bregenz/Arlberg) - Ötztal-BahnhofÖtztal-Bahnhof at the mouth of the valley is on the Arlberg line, reached by the S5 suburban train from Innsbruck in about 45 minutes as well as by regional and long-distance trains - the most convenient point to arrive or leave, and right on the Inn Cycle Path.
- Ötztal cycle bus (line 4194)The regional bus run by the Ötztaler Verkehrsbetriebe goes from Ötztal-Bahnhof up the valley to Sölden (and on to Obergurgl). Bikes ride free on dedicated bike trailers, loaded and unloaded at marked stops - an easy way to get uphill to the start.
- Cable cars above the valleyThe high-mountain attractions above Sölden (Gaislachkogl, Rettenbachferner) are reached by cable car or toll road; they are not part of the valley cycle trail.
The easiest approach is to take the train to Ötztal-Bahnhof and put the bike on the Ötztal cycle bus up the valley to Sölden for free - then ride the route back down in the direction described here. At the valley mouth in Haiming the Ötztal trail joins the Inn Cycle Path.
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (4)
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.