With the advent of alpinism in the middle of the 19th century, tourism increased steadily. The Zillertal became one of the birthplaces of alpine mountaineering – initially with local mountain guides, but soon English and German mountaineers discovered the Zillertal for themselves. The winter tourism development of the Zillertal began in 1949 with the construction of a drag lift in Hintertux and Lanersbach, and then in 1953/54 with the construction of the Penkenbahn in Mayrhofen.
Today the Zillertal is divided into four holiday regions:
“First holiday region in the Zillertal Fügen – Kaltenbach”, with the ski areas Spieljochbahn and Ski Optimal Hochfügen-Hochzillertal,
the Zillertal Arena with the winter sports resorts of Zell am Ziller and Gerlos,
Mayrhofen with the ski areas on the Penken and Ahorn as well
Tux – Finkenberg with the Hintertux glacier ski area and the large ski area Ski Zillertal 3000.
Numerous via ferratas have been set up in the Zillertal. The largest number of routes start from Mayrhofen, where there are via ferratas in the immediate vicinity, which are famous beyond the Zillertal. In addition to the via ferrata, the Zillertal also offers excellent bouldering opportunities.