Tyrol is one of the largest federal states in Austria. It borders the regions of Vorarlberg and Salzburg in Austria., Karinthie en Salzburgerland. North of here, in Germany, you can go to Bavaria. At the border with Switzerland, you are in Graubünden. In that respect, cycling in Tyrol offers plenty of possibilities. We have already written about this before. Innsbruck and about the possibilities around Kufstein. Now I'm focusing a little more towards the west, towards the village. Imst. I remember this from back then. In 1998, when I was 14 myself, we were here on holiday with my family. It seems like I do have some homesickness for that time anyway. See the previous post about Germany. But by then I was already impressed by the surroundings. I had never really seen high mountains. Then the peaks of 2700 meters and higher are truly impressive. Also in my memory: the highest post station on the Kaunertal glacier! I’ll take you back to Imst and the surrounding area again. Would you like to join me?
By: Sander Kolsloot
Imst Crossroads
The town of Imst is geographically located between Landeck and Innsbruck. You can find the famous Rosengartenschlucht there, although it is not necessarily a very impressive stream. I have kept the name in my memory for 25 years, mainly because of its scrabble value. However, it still ranks high on the list of ‘things to do in Imst and its surroundings’. Not by bike. IMst is an ideal hub for exploring the entire area. From here, various beautiful routes are available for choosing. Even the Kuhtai is accessible from here, as are the aforementioned Kaunertaler Glacier and the Pitztal as well as many more. You can never get bored.
Calm start
If you think, I would like to start quietly, then you can quite well take the Inntalradweg. You can do that in both directions to Landeck and Innsbruck. A pleasant route, with beautiful views, good asphalt and not immediately steep climbs in the area. It’s good to get into the rhythm of it and it’s really much nicer than the polder road in the Netherlands. The Inntalradweg runs all the way to the borders of Germany (near Kufstein) and Switzerland (it ends near St. Moritz!). These kind of warm-ups are no joke. YOU see that you can cover 1100 meters of altitude in just 110 kilometers. Welcome to ‘flat’ Tyrol!
Painful warm-up
From Imst you can drive to the higher-lying Hochimst. This ‘warm-up’ is only two kilometers long; you have to have more than 12(!)% before you reach the pedals. So try to take it slowly at first, otherwise you’ll be lying with your tongue on the steering wheel before you’ve really started. It’s also more of a climb towards the end of the ride, because it’s a dead end road. You might as well start the northern loop towards Germany towards Reutte and back again, tackling the climb from the Hahntenjoch. With 1890 meters it’s a significant hill and a real challenge from both sides. The distance on this route is 14 kilometers at 6.3%. With peaks above 13%, it is a steep climb. The variant from the direction of Imst is even steeper. With 16 kilometers at an average of 7% and peaks up to 14%, this is also a popular route for motorcyclists.
Kaunertal
The climb of the region is the route to the Kaunertal glacier. The Gletscherstrasse is one of the most famous, but also notorious climbs in all of Austria. Not only because of the length, but also the changing conditions, the altitude and the turns. Beautiful for the climb, but certainly also a challenge (dangerous) for the descent. You start from Putz quite calmly on the nearly 38-kilometer-long climb. The first 18 kilometers are quite smooth, after which you suddenly break the painful 10% -kilometer mark in two kilometers. That is at the Patsch Dam. Then the climb levels off to 0% (you have to go around it briefly) to get the last 11 kilometers up the hill without having to pedal up more than 10%. You ride up through beautiful hairpin bends and slowly you climb out over the tree line. Painful and beautiful at the same time. Once you reach the top you can enjoy the view. Fun fact: this is also the highest post station in Austria. Just send a postcard to the family, please.
Imster road marathon
The event in the region is the Imster Radmarathon. As an event, this is definitely recommended. In 110 kilometers, you get to experience the most beautiful highlights from the region in 2300 meters of elevation gain. We have plotted the route of the 2022 edition for you, so you can have a look for yourself.
Lots of gravel
The fact that you can also get around in this area by gravel bike is no surprise. In a subsequent article, we will take a closer look at the most important and beautiful gravel trails in the area. Here’s a little teaser.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.