Travelling by public transport
For 2000 years, the Brenner Pass has been regarded as one of the easiest and fastest main Alpine ridge crossings. It can be reached by car from Munich in just under two hours in good traffic conditions. However, in this case it is really worth travelling by train: the direct connection from Munich takes 2.5 hours, ticket price from 18.90 euros. In comparison: the toll for the Europabrücke (10 euros) and the 10-day motorway pass in Austria (16.90 euros) are already considerably more expensive. If you then add the cost per kilometre, travelling by train is also worthwhile for several people. And it is also more climate-friendly. A comparison of train fares: www.thetrainline.com
You can download the complete tour guide "Brenner-Grenzkamm-Tour" from EMTB 6/2021 as a PDF in the download area below.
The article costs 1.99 euros. Inside you will find the EMTB web code, which will take you to the download of the free GPS data for these tours.
- Tour 1 West - Sattelberg & Sandjöchl: Distance 29.4 km | uphill 1303 m | downhill 1303 tm | riding time 3 h | battery 1 x 630 Wh | riding technique 80 % easy, 10 % medium, 10 % difficult
- Tour 2 South - Flachjoch & Portjoch: Distance 21.9 km | uphill 1008 m elevation gain | downhill 1008 tm | riding time 2:30 h | battery 1 x 630 Wh | riding technique 70 % easy, 10 % medium, 20 % difficult
- Tour 3 East - Up to the Kreuzjoch: Distance 26 km | uphill 1247 metres | downhill 1247 metres | riding time 3 h | battery 1 x 630 Wh | riding technique 90 % easy, 0 % medium, 10 % difficult
Accommodation
Of course, the Brenner crossing itself is not known for cosy accommodation. If you want to spend several days exploring the Brenner border ridge, the best place to stay is on the North Tyrolean side in the Wipptal valley. The mountain village of Obernberg is located just eight kilometres from the Brenner motorway (exit Nösslach), but in an absolutely idyllic setting at an altitude of 1400 metres. Accommodation tip: Almi's Berghotel. Sun terrace, sauna and great dinner (also vegan). Boss Burgi, her family and her team all have a big heart for mountain bikers with and without E. Info: www.almis-berghotel.at
Gastronomy and nightlife
Various outlets lure tourists tired of travelling from the autostrada into the town of Brenner. But even the new shopping mall and the large supermarket can hardly conceal the morbid post-war odour. If you have to stop, then it's best to stop at Karl's! People have been eating "Brennerwurst" in front of his legendary snack bar at St. Valentinstraße 19 for over 30 years - cult! However, shopping and strolling in the old town of Sterzing (20 minutes by car to the south) is much more enjoyable.
E-biking in the region
The cross-border region from Innsbruck via the Brenner Pass to Brixen is called Wipptal. Those who tackle the Brenner border ridge from the Obernberg Valley on the North Tyrolean side have advantages: The lightning ascent on the brand new piste to the Flachjoch takes just an hour on an e-MTB, and you don't need to worry about illegal trails in the north of the border ridge. In addition to the extensive military roads on the Brenner border ridge, the south-eastern crossings on the Schlüsseljoch (2212 m) and Pfundererjoch (2568 m), which were also built during the mountain war, are worthwhile with perfect e-MTB terrain. The Tuxer Joch (2338 m) and Pfitscher Joch (2246 m) are well-known among Transalp bikers. All mountain warrior tours have one thing in common: the E-MTB-friendly climbs, the amazing views at the top - and the rudimentary infrastructure in terms of food, drink and batteries along the way.
General information
TVB Wipptal/Obernberg, Außertal 34a, A-6157 Obernberg am Brenner. You can also book accommodation on the tourism association's website: www.wipptal.at
