Autumn tour on a border mountain between North and South Tyrol: On the Sattelberg on the Brenner | mountain tours | Mountains
Gries am Brenner is still in the shade when we start in the morning. It’s fresh here at an altitude of 1200 meters. An enchanted path leads up through the forest. It’s about 1,000 vertical meters to the summit of the Sattelberg – 1,000 vertical meters that practically belong to you, because the Sattelberg is not overcrowded.
Blueberries everywhere
Berries and mushrooms along the way have not been picked. As you can see, nobody has been here for a long time, although the Sattelberg is not far from the Brenner motorway. In general, the mountains on the Brenner Pass are little known, and most hikers are drawn straight to South Tyrol. But the stopover on the way south is worth it! Instead of driving over the Brenner Pass, stop at the Brenner Pass to climb the gentle summit of the Sattelberg. Below, the path leads through spruce forests, then up over alpine meadows to the summit, which now change color in autumn and resemble dark red-green-brown carpets – warm colors under the autumn sun in the middle of the main Alpine ridge!
Former border installations at the summit of the Sattelberg Austria Italian border
The hiking trail on the Sattelberg always leads along the border and is therefore also known as the “smugglers’ trail”. Whole herds of cattle were once brought across the border here, as well as butter and sugar. Today you can only see some ruins of the border posts at the top of the mountain. In between, peaceful cows graze. Mountain enthusiasts cycle where the customs officers used to be. The Sattelberg is also popular with e-bikers. You can also spend the night on the Sattelbergalm.
Summit view south to Italy
The tour is worth a 360° panorama. It ranges from the Stubai Alps in the west to the Karwendel in the north and the Tux and Zillertal Alps in the east and far into South Tyrol in the south. With a bit of luck you can even see the Dolomites. The descent through the mountain forest to the Brenner Pass is steep. You can hear the rushing of the cars and the trains more and more loudly – a great contrast after the peace and solitude at the summit, when after about five hours at the Brenner Pass you dive back into the world of shops, petrol stations, cafés and pizzerias. It is quickly forgotten that the Brenner has been a place steeped in history since Roman times. The German Emperor makes a stop on his way to Rome, and 500 years ago a stagecoach connection was established across the Brenner Pass. The Brenner has always been the gateway to the south. So it’s no wonder that we’re still thinking about it at the train station. whether we should really take the train back to the starting point in Gries or rather take the express train towards the sea…