Would you like to go exploring the beautiful mountains in Tirol, Austria? St Johann is the perfect place to base yourself in Tirol for fantastic hikes and outdoors activities. From short walks to full-day hikes, and for the adventurous there is paragliding and mountain carts so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
St. Johann (Sankt Johann) is located in the Kitzbüheler Alps, between Salzberg and Innsbruck, and close to the border of Germany. It’s a stunning location with mountains for miles in every direction, including the highest mountain in Austria, Großglockner, (3,798 m/12,461 ft). This is located in the Hohe Tauern range in the Central Eastern Alps and during my hike to the Kitzbüheler Horn, my guide pointed out Großglockner.
Here I will share my 4-day itinerary for my St Johann trip, the hiking routes I did, plus other ideas for hikes I didn’t have time to do! And, if you’ve found me via Instagram (@beckythetraveller), you can see me paragliding for the first time from the Kitzbühbler Horn. I’ll also include details to help you plan your trip to St Johann in Tirol, Austria, from how to get there, where to stay and the best places to eat whilst you are visiting.
Please note this was a hosted trip with Visit Austria and Tourismusverband St. Johann in Tirol. All thoughts and opinions about the trip were my own.
If you’d like to know more information about my St Johann trip please pop any questions in the comments section or message me via Instagram @beckythetraveller. You can also view all my Stories from this trip via my ‘Highlights’ on Instagram.
A summer hiking trip to St Johann
I’ll start with all the details for planning your trip, from how to get to the Tirol region, where to stay, the best places to eat and drink, plus other things to do in and around St Johann.
How do you travel to St Johann?
I flew from one of my local airports Manchester with Lufthansa. The flight was booked in two parts, stage one was a flight from Manchester to Munich, then the second part was from Munich to Innsbrook (however, as I realised later this was a Lufthansa bus and not a flight). From Innsbrook, I had a transfer via Four Seasons to St Johann. My outbound route added an extra stage (Munich to Innsbrook) that you can skip, which is what I did on my return journey. Take note, this is not the way I’d recommend for travelling to St Johann!
Here’s what to book instead…
I’d recommend booking a direct flight to either Innsbrook (100 km south-west) or Salzberg (60 km north-east). Or you can book a direct flight to Munich (155 km north) and use the Four Seasons transfer service. The transfer times are approximately 2 hours from Munich to St Johann and from Innsbrook, it is about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Where did I stay in St Johann?
My accommodation, Landhaus Schwarzinger, is a family-owned guest house. It’s a traditional Austrian Alpine-style building with a wide roof, designed for when snow falls on the small town over the winter months. It has the most beautiful artwork on the outside of the building, and the inside didn’t disappoint. Landhaus Schwarzinger is situated in the centre of St Johann, a couple of minutes walk to the main square with bars and restaurants so an ideal place for a short trip.
My room at Landhaus Schwarzinger had traditional Austrian furniture, including the bed and wardrobe, it was akin to something I would see in a museum so it’s wonderful to see it still in use. The breakfast room had a wooden theme, from the clock to the breakfast bar, with large window frames with beautiful orchids flowering. The view from this side of the house looked up to the impressive Wilder Kaiser, which I’ll share more about later.
Breakfast was a selection of bread, cold meat and cheeses, plus jams and honey. There was also cereal and milk as another option.
There is Wi-Fi in the room, also a hairdryer, towels, a small table and chair, plus a small balcony area.
Exploring St Johann in Tirol
The wonderful thing about St Johann (Sankt Johann) is that it’s a small town. It’s home to approximately 10,000 people so you’ll easily find your way around and if big cities aren’t your thing then you’ll love it here as it is impossible to get lost.
I’d recommend joining the local historical tour of the town which leaves from the Tourist Information, where you’ll learn fascinating facts and some interesting history about the town. There’s a quaint main square, complete with local shops, bars and restaurants. There’s also a World War memorial and a tall maypole that shows off the coat of arms of St Johann.
Four towns make up the region of the Kitzbühel Alps, they include St Johann (the largest of the four), Oberndorf, Kirchdof and Erpfendrof. By using the Kitzbühler Alpen Card.
The highlights and must-see places to visit in St Johann are:
Hotel & Wirtshaus Post
Saint John the Baptist Church, a prominent landmark in the town, which can be seen from afar as you explore, is a great landmark to ensure you can find your bearings when you’re out exploring. The church is known for its impressive Baroque architecture, featuring ornate decorations, and intricate woodwork. The current structure was built in the early 18th century, replacing the older church which suffered from flooding. If you look carefully you’ll see the slopping ground leading to the entrance and the old street level of the town is much lower. Check out the bank opposite which still has the old street level (now with steps leading to the bank).
The Beer Tower – a brewery, but also a bar and restaurant with stunning views of the town, including the famous Kitzbuhler Horn, Niederkaiser and Wilder Kaiser, which the area is well known for.
Where to eat and drink in St Johann
During my trip, I tried many of the wonderful restaurants and bars in St Johann (Sankt Johann). There’s a good mix for your taste, from traditional Austrian food to modern dishes.
Here are the places that I dined at, plus a few other places that I was recommended but didn’t have time to try!
Hotel & Wirtshaus Post – The outside of this restaurant can easily draw you in with its impressive decoration, and the meals inside don’t disappoint either. The menu has a mix of traditional and modern dishes. I opted for the famous beef goulash with huge dumplings (they were so big I couldn’t eat both). English menus are available – Visit their website here.
Zum Dampfl Restaurant – A lovely place for an evening meal, located in the main square of the village. I was seated in the bar area and opted for a burger for this meal, mostly as their English menu wasn’t available so I picked the one thing I knew on the menu! It turns out this restaurant has new owners so in the summer months my local guide told me they’d have English menus. Visit their website here.
Cubo Skylounge – A restaurant with epic views and delicious cocktails. From the Skylounge you have mountain views of both the Kitzbuhler Horn and also the Wilder Kaiser, two of the most iconic mountains in the Sankt Johann area. I’d also highly recommend the cocktails here, especially the Expresso Martini. Visit their website here.
Huber Bräu (Beer Tower) – This is the brewery in St Johann, but also has a bar/restaurant at the top of the building, hence the name the Beer Tower. There is outside seating located around the top of the tower which makes a perfect setting for an end-of-the-day beer whilst enjoying the surrounding mountains.
Best hikes from St Johann
During my trip to Tirol in Austria, I did several stunning hikes in the area, all from my accommodation. Here I’ll share my hiking routes plus tips for what to pack for your day hike and other useful information.
Hike to the Maria Blut Hermitage and the Chapel in the Rocks
- Distance: 10 km
- Ascent: 300 m
- Time: 3 hours
- Rating: Medium
This is a wonderful short hike you can do with stunning views over St Johann. I incorporated this into my first longer hike but you could do this as a shorter route on its own. The first stop is the Maria Blut Hermitage and pilgrimage chapel. A beautiful location with a quiet garden overlooking the Kitxbühler District.
Further on (and up) from the hermitage chapel you’ll reach the Chapel in the Rocks is exactly that, a small chapel in a unique setting, also called ‘Gmailkapelle’, and from the viewpoint you have views of St Johann from above.
Ursularblick hike along the Niederkaiser
- Distance: 13.7 km
- Ascent: 749 m
- Time: 5 hours
- Rating: Challenging
From my accommodation, I did a wonderful circular hike along the Niederkaiser, a good amount of ascent, it’s located below Wilder Kaiser so you’ll have some wonderful scenic views as you ascend.
I hiked up from St Johann via the Hermitage Chapel and the Chapel in the Rocks (see hike above), then I continued ascending along the Niederkaiser to the Ursularblick summit, at 1,245 m, before opting to take the challenging route down via the ladders (not for the faint-hearted).
Kitzbüheler Horn (from the cable car station)
- Distance: 6.7 km
- Ascent: 511 m
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Rating: Medium
The Kitzbüheler Horn is one of those must-do hikes in the area and the bonus is that with the cable car station, you don’t need to hike from the base in St Johann! At 1,996 m/6,549 ft high, from bottom to top, it would be a full-day hike, so it’s up to you how tough you make it! The views from the summit (and on the hike up) are incredible. This is one of the most popular hikes to do in the Kitzbühel Alps, mainly because it’s so accessible with multiple options for reaching the summit.
However, the cable car only starts in the morning so if you wanted to see the sunrise from the top then the only option would be to hike all the way! The advantage of this is you get the summit mostly to yourself. The day I hiked up from the station I realised there was a second cable car that went all the way to the top so there were already many people there when I reached the summit.
Erpfandorf to St Johann (Stage 4 of the Koasa Trail)
- Distance: 18.5 km
- Ascent: 865 m
- Time: 6 hours
- Rating: Medium
This route is part of the Koasa Trail and makes up stage 4 of the hike, more details are below. On this hike, there were a couple of mountain huts where you could stop for refreshments. The first one, Angerlalm was closed on the day we hiked so we added a short out and back to Huberalm. ‘Alm’ means Mountain Hut, but it not only refers to the hut but also the surrounding meadows and hills. The other clue is the knife and fork image next to the word on the signposts!
Koasa Trail
This is a lovely long-distance hike you can do, which is broken into 5 stages. During my trip I didn’t hike the full route, however, I did do a couple of sections on my first and last days so I have a good idea of how wonderful it would be to do the full hike.
It’s a linear, long-distance hiking experience, combining physical challenge with the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Tyrolean Alps. You have the option to have your luggage transported along the way which means you only need to carry a day pack. The trail includes a mix of terrains, from gentle paths through meadows to steep, rocky sections so it’s not for beginners.
Useful information about my hikes
Signposts
The trails that I hiked all had plenty of signposts which help with navigation but I’d always recommend downloading the route via mapping software or taking a map (or both). On my trip, I used the Komoot App to plan my hikes, and I downloaded them for offline use.
The yellow signposts include useful information from location and distance, but they also have a rating system, the red dots are moderate routes and the black dots are extreme/challenging – I only did one black route and I’ll share more about that below.
Facilities on the route
There was a mix of facilities on the trails that I did, from the first day, there were none on the route and also no water sources; however, on the other hikes, there were mountain refuges and even a compostable toilet!
Water on the trails
There were minimal water sources on the trails, once you’re hiking up high it’s mostly rocky trails so you’ll need to carry enough water for the day. If you pick a route that has mountain huts then can buy drinks and top up then.
Flora, fauna and wildlife
I saw plenty of wildflowers on the trails, from the beautiful early purple orchids.
On the Kitzbüheler Horn hike I also saw and heard lots of marmots whistling their warning sound and darting back into their burrows as we hiked towards them.
Mountain huts and refuges
On my hike along the Koasa Trail (Stage 4 section) I enjoyed some time at a mountain hut, called xxx. These huts are a wonderful place to stop, enjoy some traditional Austrian cuisine, and even stay overnight. They are also located in the most picturesque locations and a great place to stop and take everything in!
Other Things to Do in St Johann
Ride the Cable Car up to Kitzbühler Horn
If hiking isn’t for you or you fancy a day off to let your legs recover then there’s a great fast-track option up the Kitzbühler Horn
Join the free walking tour of St Johann
From the Information Centre, there’s a great free walking tour that you can take around the historic town. It focuses on the town centre, stopping off at the Saint John’s Chapel, Museum, Main Square.
Hop on the train and visit the nearby towns
St Johann offers a free travel card which means you can travel to the other nearby towns in the area. On my trip, I didn’t have time to do this but it’s a great way to explore the area further.
Go paragliding
This was one of the highlights of my trip to St Johann. After a cable car ride up to the station at 1600 m, then a wonderful hike up to the Kitzbüheler Horn, I opted for tandem paragliding to get me back down, whilst enjoying stunning scenery on the way!
From the cable car station, there’s a piece of grass which is used to launch the paragliders from, in essence, you simply run and let the parachute (and the instructor) do the rest. The ride down took about 15 minutes, but it can be longer on warmer days as the thermals mean you can also gain height as well as lose it. I’d recommend checking the weather and picking a warmer day so you can have some bonus flying time!
Check out my flight here via my Instagram Reel on @beckythetraveller
View this post on Instagram
Visit the food market
There’s a weekly food market in St Johann, with lots of stalls with delicious Austrian food to sample.
Try out the Mountain Carts
Another way you can descend from the cable car station on the Kitzbühler Horn is via Mountain Cart, this would have been my second option for descending from the top. I opted for the paragliding on this occasion which was a fantastic experience.
My 4-day St Johann Itinerary
If you’d like to see how I planned my trip (with help from Tourismusverband St. Johann in Tirol), here is my itinerary for my 4-day trip, including the 3 hikes that I did.
Day 1
- Arrived at my accommodation Landhaus Schwarzinger at 7.30 pm.
- Dinner at Hotel Post for some traditional Austrian Cuisine (and a chance to see this impressive building and artwork on the outside).
Day 2
- Breakfast at Landhaus Schwarzinger.
- Guided tour of the town from the Tourist Information at 10.00 am.
- Coffee and cake at x Cafe.
- Hike from St Johann to Heritage Chapel, Chapel in the Rocks and Niederkaiser (14 km/749 m).
- Dinner at Zum Dampfl Restaurant.
Day 3
- Breakfast at Landhaus Schwarzinger.
- Full-day hike along the Koasa Trail (Stage 4) with a local guide Elisabeth* (19 km/865 m) with lunch at the Mountain Hut.
- Beer and snacks at The Beer Tower.
- Dinner at Cubo Restaurant and watching the sunset behind the mountains.
*My hiking guide for this route: Lisi @balanceambergtirol
Day 4
- Breakfast at Landhaus Schwarzinger.
- Cable car up to the start of the hike.
- Hike the Kitzbühler Horn Summit Trail (7 km/511 m).
- Lunch at Harschbichlalm (Mountain Hut).
- Paragliding down the valley (booked for 2 pm to meet them at the top).
- St Johann’s weekly market (Friday).
- 4 pm pick up to go to Munich Airport.
For more inspiration for your holiday to St Johann, follow Visit Tirol @visittirol and Kitzbühler Alpen @kitzalpen on Instagram
I hope you’ve found my guide and itinerary for St Johann useful. If you have any more questions about planning your trip then pop a comment below and I’ll answer as soon as I can. Thanks, Becky