Seefeld

Seefeld sits on a plateau at about twelve hundred metres between the Karwendel and the Wetterstein, reached from the Inn valley by a steep road from Zirl or by the Mittenwaldbahn, a railway of 1912 that climbs out of Innsbruck on viaducts and through tunnels and is a scenic route in its own right. The plateau is broad, gently rolling and snow-holding, which made it the venue for the nordic events of the 1964 and 1976 Innsbruck Olympics and for world championships since, with a large cross-country network and ski jumps. In summer the same terrain is walking and cycling country. The town itself is a resort with a pedestrianised centre, a late Gothic parish church, hotels and a casino, and is expensive in season.

What you actually see

• A nordic Olympic venue - the cross-country and jumping site for 1964 and 1976.
• A snow-holding plateau - broad rolling ground at twelve hundred metres.
• The Mittenwaldbahn - the 1912 mountain railway climbing from Innsbruck.
• A resort centre - pedestrianised, with hotels, casino and a Gothic church.

When to go

December to March for skiing; June to September for walking. Two days.

Honest expectations

It is a resort town, priced accordingly, with limited character outside the sport. Snow at 1,200 metres is less reliable than it was. The plateau is busy with day traffic from Innsbruck.

Nearby

Innsbruck is twenty-five kilometres south; the Leutasch gorge is west.