Assenhütte in the Hirzer area

The new cable car from Verdins, which is just a few minutes' walk from the Naturhotel Gruberhof, takes you up to 1,450 metres to the small village of Tall. From here you can already enjoy a wonderful hike, but you want to go even higher. In Tall, you take the adjacent chairlift, which takes you to Grube at 1,800 metres. The starting point of the hike is the mountain station of the chairlift in Grube. This is located at an altitude of 1,800 metres and is surrounded by a large wooded area. 

The first destination, however, is the Staffelalm (1970 metres). But before you get there, you first hike through the forest and uphill along hiking trail no. 7, which takes you directly to the Staffelalm. Shortly before reaching the alpine pasture, you leave the forest and can already enjoy a fantastic view of the Merano region. 

A narrow hiking trail soon leads you into a forest. Here you continue along a narrow root path. You will also come across the odd forest dweller, such as deer, stags and goats, but they always keep their distance. After a while, you leave the forest and the path leads you along a mountainside. What you didn't expect before is the incredible beauty of nature here.

You pass a waterfall, hike over scree and enjoy a fantastic view the whole time. Again and again you hike around bends and are as happy as the snow kings about what awaits you around every single bend! And it gets more beautiful with every step. First the wonderful forest hiking trail, then the barren scree path and finally a wider hiking trail across lush green meadows surrounded by the barren peaks of the surrounding mountains over 2000 metres high. An absolute dream! 

Some time and many breathtaking moments later, you arrive at the next refreshment stop: the Assenhütte. This refreshment stop is also in an absolutely marvellous location and offers not only a delicious refreshment stop but also a wonderful view. 

Another look at the hiking map reveals that you now have two options for getting back to the starting point: You can either return the way you came or continue along the hiking trail you were travelling on, as this winds its way back down the mountain into the forest behind the Assenhütte and takes you to another hiking trail that brings you back to the top station of the chairlift in Grube.