Hintertux Glacier

The Hintertuxer Gletscher lies at the head of the Tuxertal in the Zillertal Alps and is the only glacier ski area in Austria that operates three hundred and sixty-five days a year, running lifts to around 3,250 metres on the Gefrorene Wand - which makes it the standard summer training ground for ski racing teams and the place people go to ski in August. The Natur Eis Palast is the other reason to come: a crevasse system inside the glacier, found in 2007, opened for guided visits with walkways and a boat on a small underground lake, where you see glacier ice, ice crystals and meltwater channels from inside the ice rather than on it. Non-skiers can take the lifts up for the view over the Zillertal and Hohe Tauern.

What you actually see

• Year-round skiing - the only Austrian area open every day of the year.
• The Natur Eis Palast - a crevasse system entered on foot, with an ice lake.
• Lifts to 3,250 metres - the Gefrorene Wand and the high glacier terrain.
• A high alpine view - across the Zillertal to the Hohe Tauern.

When to go

All year; summer for glacier skiing, winter for the full area. A day.

Honest expectations

It is cold and the air is thin at 3,250 metres - altitude affects some visitors. Ice palace tours are guided and need booking. The glacier has retreated substantially and the season depends on it.

Nearby

Mayrhofen and the Zillertal are down the valley; the Schlegeis reservoir is east.