This excursion to the Zillergrund reservoir was recommended to us by the tourist information office in Mayrhofen, where you can also get very useful maps and brochures for free. Our planned tours to the Schlegeis reservoir and Hike to the Olpererhütte We cannot do this because the roads are closed. The weather is so bad that the ice palace in Hintertux doesn't make sense either, after all we want to enjoy the view there too. So we want to try the insider tip of the Zillergründl reservoir.
The way there:
We drive towards the Zillergrund reservoir and soon come to a toll booth. They charge us €8 for the way. Quite a lot, we think. There is no other way there. We soon notice, however, that the way itself is worth seeing. The heavy rain showers of the last few days have created numerous waterfalls along the valley...but we also pass a rockfall the size of a coach that has left a furrow through the forest and fields. Construction workers are currently dismantling it so that it can be transported away.
The public road ends at the Bärenbad at 1,450 m above sea level. From there, A bus goes to the reservoir approximately every half hour. From here the journey costs €2.60 (although you could also travel directly from Mayrhofen for a bit more). The bus takes you another 3.7km to the lake. We are lucky because it is just around the corner when we arrive.
The Zillergrund reservoir:
At 1,850 m above sea level is one of the five reservoirs in the Zillertal, the Zillergründl reservoir. The view from here is breathtaking... said the woman in the information center. We can't see anything at all. When we arrive, we can hardly see any water for the fog and clouds, we can't even see the end of the dam. We are very disappointed and almost want to take the next bus back, as the weather forecast is not encouraging. More rain is forecast. However, we ask the bus driver for his opinion, who reassures us and says that the weather up here can change at any time. Since we don't have any other plans, we decide to walk along the long side of the reservoir. First you go through a tunnel through the mountain, a truly unique experience.
The stroller is relatively easy to push, even though it is slightly uphill. When we come out on the other side after a few minutes, the fog has already cleared a little. Since it is not raining, we decide to walk to the end of the reservoir. Again and again, the path goes up and down in waves on well-graveled walkways. Even if it is sometimes strenuous, the path is easy to manage even with a stroller. The visibility is getting better and better and we are overjoyed to have made the hike after all.
It takes about 1 hour to reach the end of the lake, but we did make a few photo stops. The view is beautiful, and you keep passing waterfalls that you can admire up close or even on the opposite side of the lake. At the end of the lake we turn around and go back the same way. If you want, you can also go to the Plauener Hut at 2,364 m above sea level.
There are a few other hiking routes, but they are not suitable for a stroller. But that doesn't matter, as the weather is getting better and better and the view is becoming more and more impressive. Now you can finally see the entire dam. Shortly after midday we return to the starting point. The restaurant "Einkehr zum Adler Blick" is also located here.
Restaurant “Stop at the Eagle View”
In good weather you have a fantastic view of the reservoir, because it was built a little higher up on the rock. Because it is still unstable, there are hardly any visitors in the restaurant. We find it extremely comfortably furnished and the view does the rest (although it is now getting dark again).
We order a frittata soup and a Graukas soup. Never heard of it before, but it tastes fantastic and is highly recommended. We later hear that it is a Zillertal speciality.
For the main course we have homemade Schlutzkrapfen Tyrolean style. The waiter recommends them because his mother made them herself. They taste just like that, simply fantastic. The Kaiserschmarren with apple sauce is just as good. The portion is huge too.
At 13:50 we take the bus back to our parking lot after the barrier (the first bus stop)
Another tour, which is only recommended for experienced hikers, leads to the 2,690 meter high Rambachköpfl. In principle, all hikes around the lake offer a fantastic view. In winter, you can even climb the Reichenspitze from the Zillergrund on skis.
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