Terfens
Terfens is located in the surroundings of Innsbruck at the foot of the Karwendel mountain chain.
Altitude: 591 m asl
The municipality of Terfens with its numerous component localities is located in the Unterinntal valley, about 20 km from Innsbruck, and is known as calm holiday resort. The name of the village has Celtic origins and means “oak wood”, the village itself has already been mentioned as “Tervenes” in the 11th century. Also the emblem of the village illustrating five paired golden acorns refers to the Celtic origins of the name.
The Karwendel Alpine Park and its unique mountains can be best explored on foot. Also numerous climbing routes and cycling paths take you across this fabulous natural landscape of the Karwendel mountain chain. In the surroundings of Terfens there are two educational trails of particular interest: the “Planetary Trail” (Planetenweg) starts in the village of Vomperbach, taking promenaders across the so-called “Forchat”, the one and only large forest at the bottom of the Oberinntal valley. This one-hours’ walk makes you experience the planetary system true to scale and provides interesting information. A rather contemplative path snakes at Hochpillberg, taking promenaders past several sculptures. This trail has been established in accordance with nature…
Another place of interest is the pilgrimage church Maria Larch dating back to the 17th century and its medical spring which is supposed to have healed a mute girl in 1718. In 1994 the chapel has been renovated. For those who love arts, there is the Angerer arts gallery, which is the oldest private gallery of Tyrol. In winter, however, there is everything a winter sports fan might desire: beside the numerous skiing areas in the region of Innsbruck and surroundings as well as the Silver Region Karwendel and the Zillertal valley, all within easy reach, there are also several offers at Terfens, such as winter hiking trails, cross-country ski trails and the possibility to do curling and horse-drawn sleigh rides.
Our recommendation: Lake Weisslahn, perfect for swimming, is an artificial bathing lake offering an adventure world for kids as well as an island and is therefore a really popular facility for families!
