tips for excursions

A wild water adventure in Tyrol

Go on a wild water rafting or canyoning trip with an experienced guide.

"Feet together and cross your arms against your chest!" The directions from your guide are easy to follow. After a moment of hesitation, you launch yourself off and take your first jump into the wild river with its crystal clear water. Although your neoprene rubber suit can protect you against the coldest of waters, the first jump into the water will certainly wake you up. This is called canyoning. You wander down a gorge, jumping into pools, hurtling down rock slides and abseiling down the Stuibenfälle cascades. Those brave enough can jump off high rocks down into the deepest parts of the water. But if that's a bit wild for you, you can avoid these high jumps by just walking round them. The price per person for a four-hour trip, which includes the cost for the guide and gear hire, can be found here. You should wear sports shoes that are able to get wet. The trip starts at 9:00 or 14:00 at the station. A shuttle bus drives you to the starting point.

Whereas canyoning is often about overcoming one's inhibitions, rafting puts teamwork at the forefront. Your guide instructs you on how to manoeuvre the sturdy dinghy through the thundering rapids of the river Lech. But in between you also glide smoothly across the calmer parts of the river and can enjoy the views of the craggy peaks of the Lechtal Alps. At lunch time you sit on the riverbank and tuck into an invigorating outdoor buffet, to give you stamina for the second leg. For the 7-hour trip you'll need to bring swimming clothes, a towel and a second pair of sturdy shoes (all prices here).

Once you arrive back in Reutte, you'll realise how hungry you've become during your wild water adventure. You could go to the restaurant Zum Mohren – just a five-minute walk from the station – which serves scrumptious regional dishes, such as "Tiroler Gröstl" and "Backhender" with potato and gherkin salad.

Directions: Take the train to Reutte station, where you'll be picked up by your guide. To get to "Zum Mohren" from the station, go straight up the "Bahnhofstraße", then turn left down "Untermarkt". After 200 metres, you'll see the restaurant on the left-hand side.

Hi! It's me, Bruno the dachshund. I'm usually not scared of anything. But even I felt a bit nervous thinking about the big rapids you encounter when you're canyoning. Luckily, there's a version for families who want to explore a mountain river together: the Stuibenfälle waterfall. The route is specially laid out for kids aged 7 and over, so they were perfect for me as well.