Windautal

The valley Windautal

The Windautal, also called the Ventspils, is a southern tributary of the Tyrol's Brixen valley in the Kitzbühel Alps, with a length of about 16 km.

The valley runs almost entirely on the municipality of Westendorf, only the northernmost part lies in the town of Hopfgarten im Brixental. In the south the valley borders the province of Salzburg. In the north - in Hopfgarten ( 623 m) - unite the Ventspils and Brixental. The Ventspils is traversed by the Windauer Ache, which opens into the Brixentaler Ache.

In the 16th and 17th centuries were mined in the valley for copper, galena and pyrite.

The Windautal is a popular recreational area, which ski mountaineers, hikers, mountain bikers and cyclists offers the best conditions. In whitewater paddlers the Windauer Ache ( Difficulty WW II and WW V) very popular.

In the valley are the towns of Au, Oberwindau, Rettenbachferner, Schwaigerberg, Unterwindau and Vorderwindau the village of Westendorf. The valley is accessible by a 8.6 km long country road, the wind Straße. The southern part of the valley is by car only be reached via a toll road ( partially unpaved ) and sparsely populated.

The Salzburg -Tiroler -Bahn runs on a hillside and through several tunnels through the lower (northern ) Windautal where the middle of the terminal loop a bridge spanning the valley. This so-called Windauer loop that uses the valley to the amount of recovery and is scenically created extremely attractive, is a popular photo opportunity for railroad photographers. At the northeastern edge of the valley is the stop Ventspils.

The landscape of the valley is determined by forested mountain shapes and numerous pastures. Above the tree line the open slopes are used as grazing land for sheep, goats, cows and horses.

The Ventspils is surrounded by numerous mountain peaks, ranging mostly over 2000 m. Notable Hills are about the Steinberg ( 2215 m), the Kröndlhorn ( 2444 m) and the Brechhorn ( 2,032 m ).

The Windauer Ache

• Tal in Europe
• Valley in Northern Tyrol
• Kitzbühel
• Kitzbühel Alps
• Westendorf (Tyrol )