Tyrol

The Austrian state of Tyrol is a historical region in the middle alpine area of Central Europe that has been inhabited for thousands of years. The first settlers date back to around 10,000 BC. The excavations in all parts of Tyrol and the findings of the famous Ice Man “Oetzi” are testimonies of those times. It has been a much-disputed region throughout history and went from Roman to Habsburg rule, each leaving a cultural footprint.

The most significant shift to happen in recent history was after World War I, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of 1919 ceded the southern part of Tyrol to Italy, including present-day South Tyrol with its large German-speaking majority (who still speak German today).

The First Austrian Republic retained the northern part of Tyrol and today is formed by the present-day Austrian state of Tyrol and the Italian provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino. Thus making the region of particular cultural and linguistic interest as you wander from German to Italian speaking pockets.

Tiroler Speckknödel

A real Tyrolean staple, which you will find at most local restaurants. It is a large round boiled bread dumpling with bacon mixed through it. The dish is most commonly served with sauerkraut and salad as sides.

Tiroler Gröstl

Known as Gröstl, which is grated potatoes fried with bacon and onions which is usually served with a fried egg, a real Alpine filler after a long of day of hiking.

Kasspatzln

The direct translation of this dish is  ‘cheese sparrows’, “Kasspatzln” are a thick type of egg noodle cut into small piece with grated cheese, oven-baked and sprinkled with fried onion. A savoury delight!

Kaiserschmarren

This dish is a favourite in the office and we have to admit that “Kaiserschmarren” is an icon of Austrian cuisine, not especially of Tyrol but is so delicious it needs to be mentioned. Kaiserschmarren is a fluffy shredded pancake, which has its name from the Austrian Emperor, Kaiser Franz Joseph I, who was very fond of this kind of dish. Made from a sweet batter using flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and milk, Kaiserschmarren is baked in butter, torn with forks and served with stewed plums.

Macs Adventure has been running self-guided walking holidays in Tyrol since 2012.  Our extensive research and our partnership with our German sister company, lead us to seek out more and more areas where we could help people discover Tyrol on foot. 

From humble beginnings, we now send over 200 walkers to Tyrol every year, each walking the route that excites them the most. We provide the freedom to choose your route, itinerary and travel companions and discover Tyrol at your own pace. 

We know how daunting it can be, setting off on an adventure of this scale, and we quickly realised how important it was to have amazing partners on the ground in Tyrol to deal with any issues you might encounter.  We are proud to say that we work incredibly closely with all our accommodation suppliers and luggage transfer teams, and should you have the slightest issue, they will fall over themselves to help you out. 

We offer hiking experiences that get you comfortable, friendly overnight accommodation in local B&Bs and guesthouses. We carry your bags to lighten your load so you can concentrate on simply putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying Austria's unique culture, food, and scenery. No hostels, no leaky tents, no heavy bags on your back, just a straightforward active holiday that you can book with confidence that we have it all covered for you. 

We want to showcase our expertise by giving you all the resources you will ever need.  We have free guides and a host of staff with their own Tyrolean experiences in the planning stage, waiting to answer your questions. On the route, we use high-quality digital mapping and the best maps and guidebooks to make sure you find your way.  

We love the alpine scenery of walking in Tyrol, and our main aim is to make sure that you do too.