Tyrol · around 65 kilometres · five municipalities
Where is the Ötztal?
A valley that begins a few minutes off the motorway and ends at a glacier — and why it makes a difference where in it you stay.
The short answer: the Ötztal lies in western Austria, in the state of Tyrol. It branches off the Inn Valley to the south at Ötztal Bahnhof and runs around 65 kilometres into the Alps. Five municipalities lie in the valley — Sautens, Oetz, Umhausen, Längenfeld and Sölden. The Ötztal Alps rise to the west, the Stubai Alps to the east.
We are writing this as hosts in Oetz, the second village in the valley. This page explains how the valley is laid out, what you will find in each section — and the question guests ask us most often before booking: where in the valley you are best off staying, depending on what you have planned.
The valley from front to back
The Ötztal is not one steady ramp but a sequence of five steps: flat basins with the Ötztaler Ache river cutting through steep rock barriers in between. That is why each step feels like a small world of its own — wide and mild at the front, high alpine and rugged at the back.
Signposts and brochures use three names for this that nobody ever explains: the Vorderes Ötztal (front) is the basin around Oetz, the Mittleres Ötztal (middle) that of Umhausen and Längenfeld, the Hinteres Ötztal (back) that of Sölden and Zwieselstein. So we live, quite officially, at the front of the valley.
The distances below are road kilometres from Oetz, measured rather than estimated:
| Village | Altitude | From Oetz | What it stands for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sautens | 812 m | towards the valley mouth | The first village after the valley entrance, right behind the motorway exit.Smallest of the five municipalities |
| Oetz | 820 m | — | Sunny plateau at 820 m, cable car in the middle of the village, Lake Piburg within walking distance.The most practical base for exploring the whole valley |
| Umhausen | 1,031 m | 9.5 km | Ötzi-Dorf open-air museum with birds of prey park, and the Stuibenfall, Tyrol's highest waterfall.Plus the high valley of Niederthai |
| Längenfeld | 1,179 m | 25 km | The Aqua Dome thermal spa — the valley's rainy-day programme.Wide, mild basin |
| Sölden | 1,368 m | 32 km | The big ski area with two glaciers, après-ski and the James Bond location on the Gaislachkogl.Largest municipality in the valley by area |
| Vent | 1,890 m | 49 km | Mountaineering village in a side valley, base for high tours and ski touring.Quiet, high alpine, no crowds |
| Obergurgl & Hochgurgl | 1,907 · 2,150 m | head of the valley | Snow-sure into spring; beyond them the Timmelsjoch road crosses into South Tyrol.Among the highest inhabited places in Austria |
Altitudes in metres above sea level, as of August 2026. For Oetz we use the figure published by Ötztal Tourismus (820 m); for the other villages, the official municipal value.
Worth knowing: Sölden is not the Ötztal — it is one of five villages in it. Because Sölden is the best known internationally, its name is often used for the whole region.
How high is the Ötztal?
Over its roughly 65 kilometres the valley climbs about 1,450 metres. At the valley entrance near Ötztal Bahnhof the floor lies at 704 metres; the highest settlement inhabited all year — Hochgurgl — sits at 2,150 metres. It does not rise evenly, but in the five steps from the table above.
For a holiday this is the most important difference in the valley. Down here in Oetz at 820 metres spring arrives early and summer is pleasantly warm; back in Obergurgl at just over 1,900 metres the winter is snow-sure well into spring. If you want blossom in May, stay at the front; if you want snow in May, go to the back.
What defines the valley
The Ötztal is ringed by three-thousand-metre peaks, among them the Wildspitze at 3,768 metres — the highest mountain in North Tyrol and, after the Großglockner, the second highest in Austria. The Ötztal Nature Park includes extensive glaciers; they make up roughly a fifth of the protected area and are retreating as the climate warms.
The climate is a special case: the valley belongs to the dry inner-alpine zone, so it sees comparatively little rainfall. The weather station at Umhausen records around 750 millimetres a year (1991–2020 average). How dry that is for the mouth of an alpine valley shows best in what grows here — Sautens and Oetz have orchards, vines and sweet chestnuts. For a holiday that means more sunny days than you would expect in the mountains — and pleasant summer temperatures as soon as you gain a little height.
People have been here for more than 9,000 years. One of them made the valley famous: the glacier mummy Ötzi, found in 1991 on the main alpine ridge above Vent. The Ötzi-Dorf in Umhausen shows how life looked back then.
- Wildspitze 3,768 m — highest mountain in North Tyrol
- Ötztal Nature Park, around 20 % of it glaciers
- Dry inner-alpine zone: little rainfall
- Ötzi discovery site on the main ridge above Vent
- Timmelsjoch high alpine road into South Tyrol
How to get here
By car via the A12 Inn Valley motorway to the Ötztal exit, then along the valley road. There is no mountain pass and no toll inside the valley — you only need the Austrian vignette for the motorway itself.
By train to Ötztal Bahnhof, then onwards by local bus. One warning, because it catches people out every year: the station carries the valley's name but sits in the municipality of Haiming at the valley entrance — not in Oetz. The nearest airport is Innsbruck, around 56 road kilometres away.
Everything else — parking, winter tyres, the last stretch from the station — is in our guide on getting to Oetz.
When to come
The Ötztal works all year round, but very differently. In summer, Lake Piburg reaches up to 24 °C and is one of the warmest bathing lakes in the Alps, while the trails run from valley strolls to high tours. Autumn brings clear views, cattle drives and empty paths. In winter, five ski areas are within reach, from the family slopes of Hochoetz to the glacier at Sölden.
What is worth doing in which month, season by season: summer · autumn · winter.
Where in the valley should you stay?
This is the question guests ask us most often — and the honest answer is: it depends on what you have planned.
If you are after glacier skiing and après-ski, the back of the valley is right: Sölden or Obergurgl. If you want quiet and high mountains, Vent is the place. Both mean a longer journey, higher prices, and another 30 to 50 kilometres down the valley for every other excursion.
If you want to see the whole valley, staying at the front is better. From Oetz it is a few minutes to the motorway, around 45 to Innsbruck and a good 30 to Sölden — and the Acherkogelbahn cable car starts in the middle of the village, so you do not have to drive anywhere first. Add a milder climate than at the back of the valley, and a bathing lake within walking distance.
That is exactly why our five apartments are here: Urlaubsplatzl in Oetz — with the ski bus stopping outside and the guest card included.
Frequently asked questions about the Ötztal
Where exactly is the Ötztal?
The Ötztal lies in western Austria, in the state of Tyrol. It branches off the Inn Valley to the south at Ötztal Bahnhof (municipality of Haiming) and runs around 65 kilometres into the Alps. The Ötztal Alps rise to the west, the Stubai Alps to the east. The entrance to the valley is just a few minutes from the A12 motorway.
How long is the Ötztal?
Around 65 kilometres, from where it joins the Inn Valley to the highest inhabited villages. The valley is divided into five steps: flat basins separated from one another by steep rock barriers. That is why each section feels like a small world of its own.
Which villages are in the Ötztal?
There are five municipalities: Sautens and Oetz at the entrance to the valley, then Umhausen, Längenfeld and Sölden. The municipality of Sölden also includes the high-altitude villages of Vent, Obergurgl and Hochgurgl, which are among the highest inhabited places in Austria.
Is Sölden part of the Ötztal?
Yes. Sölden is the innermost and largest of the five Ötztal municipalities and lies around 32 road kilometres from Oetz. Because Sölden is the best known internationally, its name is often used for the whole valley — but it is only one of five villages.
What is the highest mountain in the Ötztal?
The Wildspitze at 3,768 metres — the highest mountain in North Tyrol and, after the Großglockner (3,798 m), the second-highest in Austria. You cannot see it from the valley floor: it stands in the Weißkamm above the Venter Tal, a side valley beyond Sölden, and its western and northern flanks already form the head of the Pitztal. From Oetz it is around 49 kilometres by road up the valley to Vent.
Which district does the Ötztal belong to?
To the Imst district (Bezirk Imst). All five valley municipalities belong to it — Sautens, Oetz, Umhausen, Längenfeld and Sölden — as does Haiming, which includes the hamlet of Ötztal Bahnhof at the valley entrance. The district capital Imst itself is not in the valley but in the Inn valley to the west.
Which village in the Ötztal is right for me?
It depends on what you are planning. If you are after glacier skiing and après-ski, Sölden or Obergurgl at the end of the valley are the right choice. If you want to explore the whole valley, with a short journey and a milder climate, staying at the front is better: from Oetz, Innsbruck, the motorway and every destination in the valley are quickest to reach, and the cable car starts in the middle of the village.
Which village in the Ötztal is the most beautiful?
There is no honest ranking, and we are biased — we live in Oetz. What can be said is that each village is beautiful for something different. Obergurgl at 1,907 metres is considered Austria's highest parish village and delivers the glacier panorama. Vent is a mountaineering village at the end of a side valley — quiet, high alpine, without the crowds. Umhausen has the Stuibenfall, Tyrol's highest waterfall, and the high valley of Niederthai above it. Längenfeld lies in the widest basin. And the front of the valley is the greenest: in Sautens and Oetz, orchards, vines and sweet chestnuts grow — which works nowhere else in the valley. If you want high mountains, head up the valley; if you want forest, water and mild evenings, stay at the front.
What is the river in the Ötztal called?
The Ötztaler Ache. It forms at Zwieselstein beyond Sölden, where the Gurgler Ache and the Venter Ache meet, and after around 42 kilometres joins the river Inn between Ötztal Bahnhof and Roppen. It cut the valley into its five steps — and still forces its way through the rock barriers between them, for instance at the Wellerbrücke near Oetz.
How do you get to the Ötztal?
By car via the A12 Inn Valley motorway to the Ötztal exit, then along the valley road — with no mountain pass and no toll inside the valley itself. By train to Ötztal Bahnhof and onwards by local bus. The nearest airport is Innsbruck, around 56 road kilometres from Oetz.
Also worth a look: All holiday tips · Hochoetz — the local mountain · Getting to Oetz · Hiking in Oetz — 18 routes · Ski areas around Oetz · Swimming at Lake Piburg · Prices & offers
Image credit: panorama above Oetz © Ötztal Tourismus / Ewald Schmid
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At the front of the valley. In the middle of it all.
Five holiday apartments in Oetz — a short journey, the cable car in the village and Lake Piburg on foot.