Pertisau - village in Tyrol, Austria

Pertisau is a holiday resort town on the shores of Achensee Lake in Tyrol, Austria.

Understand

Pertisau is a modern town completely dependent on tourism, and much of the historic centre has been sacrificed to make space for restaurants, bars and nightclubs. What's left has been converted into hotels, chalets, and other accommodation for rent, so don't expect the authentic Tyrolean atmosphere you'll find in neighbouring Achenkirch, for example.

During winter months, Pertisau enjoys fewer hours of sunshine than Maurach or Achenkirch because the sun is blocked by mountains from the early afternoon. That makes Pertisau colder than other towns in the Achen Valley, with snow lasting longer and a higher chance of ski runs being operated.

Tourist Information Office (Infobüro Pertisau), Karwendelstraße 10 (bus stop ), 47.44162°, 11.70079°, +43 59 530 060. M-F 09:00-12:00, 14:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-12:00. Information on attractions, public transport, accommodation, etc. Sells hiking and cross-country ski trail maps. Also doubles as post office. Free 2020-01-03

History

The history of Pertisau dates back over 6 centuries, when the town was first mentioned in a document from the St. Georgenberg-Fiecht Abbey in the 14th century. It grew to a place of national importance due to the Habsburgs, who ruled the area around Pertisau from the 15th century until the end of the World War I in 1918. The mountains were used as hunting grounds and the crystal clear waters of Achensee Lake for fishing.

Tourism became important around the middle of the 19th century, and the town evolved into a rather posh holiday resort.

Get in

Pertisau doesn't have a railway station, the closest station is Seespitz 📍 which is the terminus station of the Achen Lake Railway, unfortunately only operating during summer months. In winter, the closest railway station is Jenbach station. Bus 8332 travels between Jenbach and Pertisau. Alternatively, take bus 8040 in Jenbach and transfer to bus 9550 in Maurach.

Get around

Pertisau is very small and it's easy getting around by foot. Alternatively, bus 8332 circles around the town centre but schedules are irregular (1 bus per hour or fewer) so walking is almost always faster.

See

• Shale Oil Museum (Vitalberg Steinöl Museum), Pertisau 56, 47.44175°, 11.70232°, +43 52435877. May-Nov 09:00-17:30 daily, Dec-Apr 10:00-16.30 daily. Museum dedicated to the history of essential oil extraction from stone and shale in the region. The museum is set up with interactive exhibits, detailing the discovery of oil shales and the machinery used for its extraction and purification. Tickets must be purchased in the gift shop, and come with an audio guide. A complete visit takes ca. 1 hour. Adults €8.50 (€7.50 with AchenseeCard), Children €4.30, under 5 free entrance 2020-01-03
  • Gift shop, 47.44175°, 11.70248°. Gift shop selling various souvenirs (minerals, fossils, curiosities) and the full range of shale oil based products (shampoo etc.), which make for excellent atypical gifts to take back home. 2020-01-01
  • Vitalberg Cafe, 47.44172°, 11.70217°. Cafe housed in the impressive glass structure on the first floor of the Vitalberg, offering a near 360° view of the Achen Lake and surrounding mountains. One can love or hate the modern glass architecture in its context, but the views from inside are nonetheless magnificent. They also serve excellent hot chocolate! The wifi network is "Vitalberg-cafe" and password is "alpenrose". 2020-01-01
• Church of the Holy Trinity (Dreifaltigkeitskirche), Kirchstrasse 20, 47.4399°, 11.6963°. An example of modern Christian architecture, constructed in 1970 after a design of Prof. Clemens Holzmeister. Its bell tower plays the Ave Maria daily at noon and at 18:00. Free 2019-12-20
• St. Anna Chapel (Annakapelle), 47.43805°, 11.69750°. A small chapel near the cable car base station, built in 1804 and decorated by Josef Arnolf. 2019-12-20
• Achen Lake viewing platform, Seepromenade (bus stop ), 47.43477°, 11.70570°. 24/7. A wooden tower with viewing platform on the top, on the shore of Achen Lake. Access is free, so it's worth the climb. No wheelchair access. Free 2020-01-01

Do

• Golf Club Achensee, Kirchstraße 13, 47.4356°, 11.6847°, +43 5243 5377, info@golfclub-achensee.at. 08:00-18:00 daily. One of the most scenic golf courses in the Alps with 18 holes. €89 2019-12-20
• Pertisau Beach, Seepromenade, 47.44390°, 11.70200°. 24/7. Pebble stone beach with swim and diving infrastructure (including jump). Only open during summer months, water level in winter is too low for diving. Worth a walk. Free 2020-01-01
• Horse cart ride, 47.44178°, 11.70348°. A ride in a horse drawn open cart is a great way to explore Pertisau and its surroundings. The ride takes ca. 2 hours. The cart is equipped with wheels and skis, but is open so make sure to dress warmly if the weather so requires. €20 for adults and €10 for kids 2020-01-01

Winter sports

Maurach has a relatively small ski resort in the mighty Rofan mountains east of the Achensee Lake. The resort is tailored to experienced skiers, with mostly intermediate and difficult downhill runs. For those who desire variety, there is a bus connection to the larger Achenkirch ski resort (ca. 30 min).

Because of its low altitude, ski conditions in winter are variable, and natural snow is complemented with snow cannons if necessary. When snow conditions allow, there is an easy and intermediate downhill run back to the base station of the cable car. Both tracks are rarely opened due to lack of snow however, and their lower parts are narrow mountain roads rather than ski slopes.

{| class="wikitable" !Name||Tel.||Altitude|| / / || / / |- |Karwendel Cable Car|| +43 5243 5326 ||960 - 1.560m||7 Lifts: 1 / 4 / 2|| 12 km Pistes: 6 / 6 / 0 |}

The only access point to the ski area is the Karwendel cable car, Naturparkstraße 31, 47.4371°, 11.6967°, +43 5243 5326, info@karwendel-bergbahn.at. . A ski pass costs €29.00 per day for adults and €19.50 for children.

Buy

• Pertisauer Dorfladen, Naturparkstrasse 28 (between tourist office and Vitalberg museum), 47.44182°, 11.70169°, +43 5243 5223. 09:00-17:00 daily. A small grocery store in the centre of town. 2020-01-03

Eat

• Gasthof Dorfwirt, Karwendelstrasse 59, 47.44060°, 11.69359°, +43 5243 5505, info@dorfwirt-pertisau.at. Austrian restaurant with great food in large portions, such as Wiener Schnitzel and Kartoffelsalat. Doesn't look very spectacular from the outside, but it's absolutely worth eating here. It's usually very busy so making a reservation in advance is recommended. 2019-12-31
• EssBar (Hotel Sonnenhof), Karwendelstrasse 83, 47.43999°, 11.68977°, +43 5243 5454, info@hotelsonnenhof.at. Bar and lounge for fine dining. Very posh and rather pricey. 2019-12-31
• Gramaialm, Gramaistraße 23a (7 km west of Pertisau, at the end of the Gramai valley, halfway between Pertisau and Eng), 47.4027237°, 11.616531°, +43 5243 5166, info@gramaialm.at. Upscale mountain chalet and hotel with a great restaurant. Try their spare ribs and schnitzel. 2019-12-31

Drink

• Cafe Erika, Pertisau 21a, 47.438450522680974°, 11.69072551074928°, +43 5243 5856. A cafe that also sells snacks such as pizza. 2020-01-03
• Cafe Restaurant Jausenstuberl, Karwendelstrasse 30, 47.44126856323117°, 11.697639798935825°, +43 5243 5145. 09:00-18:00 daily. A wide selection of drinks and comfort food, including cakes and burgers. 2020-01-03
• Cafe & Konditorei, Pertisau 61, 47.44240°, 11.70216°, +43 4352 435361. Coffee, hot chocolate, and baked goods! 2020-01-03

Sleep

• Sonnenhof Genusshotel, Karwendelstraße 83, 47.43974502268097°, 11.689440904202382°, +43 52435454, info@hotelsonnenhof.at. One of the nicest hotels in Pertisau, also offering private flats for short rentals. 2020-01-03
• Romantik Hotel der Wiesenhof, Naturparkstrasse 20, 47.43812086879726°, 11.69868546541727°, +43 5243 52460, info@wiesenhof.at. Posh hotel in close proximity to the Karwendel ski lift. 2020-01-03
• Hotel Das Rieser, Pertisau 52, 47.44141°, 11.69744°, +43 5243 5251. Hotel with wellness & Spa. 2020-01-03
• Hotel Kristall, Pertisau 51, 47.44206°, 11.69625°, +43 5243 5490. Hotel with wellness & Spa. 2020-01-03

Go next

In the Achen Valley: - Maurach — holiday resort and end point of the Achen Lake Railway - Achenkirch — the largest town and ski resort in the Achen Valley - Steinberg am Rofan — tiny village tucked away in the Rofan mountain range In the Lower Inn Valley: - Jenbach — economic centre between the Achen Valley and the Ziller Valley - Schwaz — historic silver mining town - Innsbruck — state capital city of Tyrol

• Eng — very remote alm settlement in the Karwendel National Park
• Bavaria, Germany
• Ziller Valley