Ischgl is known as an international party town in winter. Stars and starlets come from all over to get the winter guests in the mood at unique music events and to sweeten their vacations. But also in summer Ischgl is a popular address, because up here you can find a real mountain bike paradise.
by Rolf Fleckenstein
When you think of Ischgl, the first thing that comes to mind is the well-known party town in the Tyrolean mountains. Especially the outdoor rock concerts in winter have made the small town in Paznaunertal famous. Music stars such as Elton John, Tina Turner, Deep Purple Bon Jovi or Katy Perry and Rihanna in the recent past, who have performed at these concerts, have created a great atmosphere and international awareness. The term "Top of the Mountain Concert" is already almost legendary. Today, people automatically associate Ischgl with skiing vacations and good entertainment. What many people don't even know: Ischgl has a lot to offer mountain bikers in summer.
From Yscla to Ischgl
Ischgl would not exist today if the Rhaeto-Romans who came from the Engadine had not settled in this corner of the world about 1000 years ago. The name Ischgl is derived from the Rhaeto-Romanic term "Yscla", which means "island". In the course of the centuries it became the name Ischgl. At the end of the 19th century, tourism was discovered as a source of income - winter tourism was invented in St. Moritz in 1864, so the legend goes - and with the construction of the Silvretta cable car in 1964, the success as a tourist region was finally sealed. A great showcased Gaudi and entertainment culture with international show and music stars in recent decades have made Ischgl famous worldwide.
Nature like in the Lower Engadine
If you want to get a first picture of Ischgl in your mind's eye, it's best to think of the Lower Engadine. Wild, free, pure nature! Lush meadows alternate with mighty, shady fir forests, where it is pleasantly cool even in summer. It goes past rushing brooks to well-trodden paths that stretch over the ridges of the hills at the top and open up a unique panorama, until you roll from the top back down into the valley, past mighty boulders from a past avalanche, with a view down into the valley or of impressive mountain ranges that jut out of the landscape as you head back up into the heights. A truly impressive and beautiful alpine landscape awaits the trail-hungry biker in the region around this village of 1600 people (not counting tourists), which lies at 1377 meters above sea level. On the other side of the Silvrettaberg chain lies the Lower Engadine and with it the Lower Engadine border village of Samnaun (Romanic Samigun), which is known for its duty-free goods traffic among tourists. Those who like the Lower Engadine or Graubünden will therefore feel quite at home in Ischgl, encountering very similar topography and nature, simply on the Austrian side.
Bike tours without end
From the hotel in Ischgl, it's easy to cycle to the valley station and, bang, you're off in the gondolas of the Silvretta lift, including your bike. From the top station at an altitude of around 2,300 m, the chairlifts take you up to the top of the mountain at over 2,800 m, including your bike. Even in summer, it can get a bit chilly, especially in the early morning, when 10 degrees is a lot. So don't forget your sweater or jacket! If the reached mountain station is still not enough for you or if you want to conquer areas that are not yet accessible by the cable cars, here you go, you can push or carry your bike wherever you want to go in order to start the descent from there. There are also countless tours up here: one speaks of a bike area with over 1,100 km of MTB routes in Ischgl and Paznaun. The region itself offers a lot of hand. On the homepage of Ischgl (www.ischgl.com) you will find numerous tours divided into "classic tours" for connoisseurs and beginners, "enduro" tours,...
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