The Sixenhof Local History Museum, the Tyrolean Mountain Christmas and the Christlum ski area showcase different sides of Achenkirch: local history, Advent culture and winter sports. The hiking trails can also be distinguished by their starting points and routes. Its location on the northern shore of Lake Achensee provides the geographical setting for these discoveries.
Achenkirch between Lake Achensee and mountain scenery
Achenkirch stretches across the entire northern part of Lake Achensee. The Rofan Mountains shape the mountain scenery to the east, while the Karwendel Nature Park lies to the west. This east-west orientation helps visitors to get their bearings. For a close-up view of the lake and village, visit the Kaiser Maximilian Rast in Achenkirch: a larger-than-life imperial throne dating from 2019 stands there, offering views of both.
Sixenhof, the parish church and Annakircherl
The Sixenhof Local History Museum features exhibits on hunting and fishing, shipping on Lake Achensee and the timber industry. The building took on its present appearance in 1810, after a fire destroyed its predecessor. Every year during Advent, the Tyrolean Mountain Christmas is held there. This tradition tells the Achental version of the Nativity of Christ with life-size figures and live animals. A visit therefore combines insights into the museum’s themes with a distinctive Advent tradition at the same location.
The parish church of St John the Baptist also tells the story of Achenkirch’s architecture: it was built between 1748 and 1750 to plans by Jakob Singer. The Annakircherl, also known as the Annen Chapel, is located on Dollenbühel near the Dollnhof. It was built in 1666/67 and remains a popular venue for weddings and church concerts. The church and chapel complement a museum visit with two distinct sacred sites and their respective architectural histories.
Hiking trails and outdoor activities
Achensee Adventure Park offers archery and gold panning by the waterfall. The Achenkirch–Seehof Waterfall route also starts at the park’s car park. It is 0.9 kilometres long and takes 30 minutes. This makes it possible to distinguish this route by its duration from longer tours, without attributing that duration to other trails.
The summit hike to Juifen in the Karwendel starts and ends at the Falkenmoos car park in Achenkirch. The Achenkirch panoramic hike offers a different kind of route, circling the entire village. The difference lies in the destination and route: the Juifen hike focuses on the summit, while the panoramic hike forms a loop around Achenkirch.
The “Around Lake Achensee” route starts at the car park by the Sixenhof Local History Museum. Alternatively, it can be shortened or ended early by taking the boat. If you plan to do so, check the boat timetable in advance. This lets you make a specific decision about your route without conflating the circular trail and its boat option with the other hiking trails.
Christlum in winter
For winter sports, the Christlum ski area in Achenkirch is a clearly designated destination. It offers slopes of varying difficulty at elevations between 950 and 1,800 metres. The difficulty levels and elevation provide two concrete points of reference for assessing the range of slopes. Together with its cultural sites and hiking trails with different routes, Christlum represents another distinct focus of a stay in Achenkirch.
Discover more destinations: Jenbach, Schlitters, Burgstall, Hollenzen, Mayrhofen, Stummerberg, Pertisau, Ried Im Zillertal.
Go to the main travel overview: Schwaz.
