Austria: Town of Vent in the Ötztal Alps

The town of Vent is located in the mouth of Venter Tal valley on the river Venter Ache. You can there by several ways of travel. The fastest is aircraft. The nearest airport is at Vente Innsbruck (approx. 85 km) or another in more distant Salzburg (about 265 km). From there it is necessary to move by train or bus directly to the ski resort. For those who like their own transportation, the resort is also easily accessible. Before you travel, you just need to find out about road closures in individual Alpine passes and having you car winter-proofed. Several alpine cottages are located in the area of Vent such as Breslauer Hütte, Martin - Busch – Haus, or Vernagthütte - there you have to book your room upfront. Tourism I what many visitors will do there. Either they go to the highest peak of the Ötztal Alps - Wildspitze or to the memorial of Ötzi the Ice Man discovery. But first things first, lets start in the “village” of Vent.

Family ski town

Vent is a picturesque Tyrol village surrounded by virgin nature of the Ötzal National Park. The Venter Ache, a blue crystal clear river flows there. The village has a typical architectural panorama consisting of hotels and pesions. There is a ski resort of the same name above the village. It has snow cover for the longest time apart from glacier areas.The resort has 15 kilometers of well-maintained ski slopes of easy difficulty. Also skiers and snowboarders will enjoy here for they do not have to wait for long or in extra long queues at the ski tows. So they can enjoy the place to the fullest. The ski area is very suitable to families with children. Farther waiting for winter sports enthusiasts other nearly 305 km of slopes with 76 ski tows, which takes you up to an altitude of 3340 meters! All of this offer ski resorts in the Ötztal Alps. Also worth a visit is Sölden , Obergurgl / Hochgurgl or Ötz .

Vent lives not only from skiing! It is well-known for night life that is not sleepy. You can experience here unusual atmosphere, culinary experiences in cozy pubs. Or you can experience here adventure along 5-kilometertoboggan run. More experienced can explore the Ötztal Alps on snow shoes. Cross-country skiers can use 2 kilometers of cross-country tracks..

The Ötztal Alps

After a while of active rest in Vent we continue to the surrounding mountains. The Ötztal Alps offer several interesting routes. It is an important Alpine mountain range spreading into two countries - Austria and Italy. It is interesting that the mountains are the most iced mountains of the East Alps . Glaciers cover the area of more than 350 square kilometers. Altogether there are 130 peaks that surpass altitude of 3000 meters. The highest of them is Wildspitze (3 770 meters). Wildspitze is also the second highest peak of the Austrian Alps, right next to Grossglockner.

And here we end our trip. Next week we will tell you about a hike to the memorial of a human mummy from the year 3 300 BC. It was discovered on September 19, 1991 on the glacier in the Ötztal Alps at an altitude of 3 210 meters.

Text: Oskár Mažgút

Photo: Beáta Firicová