Autumn is the ideal season for the hike from Tirolo village up to the Muta Farms (Muthöfe). The five-kilometre route first leads us from the valley station of the Alta Muta Cable Car to the Farmerkreuz and Tiroler Kreuz. This is where the actual ascent begins: Path no. 23 winds its way in a zigzag course up the southern slopes of the Texel Group.

Chestnut and spruce forests, bright yellow aspen trees, oaks, and reddish-brown beeches create a colourful autumn atmosphere. The old "Muter Weg" trail crosses the road, merging with it again slightly higher up, before we reach the Talbauer mountain inn. It is situated in a panoramic location on the Merano High Route and also provides the first opportunity for a refreshment stop. Perched on the mountainside at an altitude of 1,200 metres, it resembles an eagle's nest.

We then continue upwards for another kilometre across sunny meadows until we come to the Hochmuth inn near the mountain station of the cable car. Its panoramic terrace is arguably one of the most beautiful in South Tyrol: The view stretches from the entrance to the Val Passiria with the Picco Ivigna and Punta Cervina peaks to Scena and Tirolo village, down into the Merano basin and as far as the Dolomites and the Lake Garda mountains.

The history of the Muta Farms dates back to the Middle Ages, when Meinhard, Duke of Carinthia, ordered the steep slopes of the Cima Muta to be cultivated. Today, the beautifully preserved farms on the sunny slope are a popular destination for hikers on the Merano High Route and a starting point for tours in the Texel Group. For the descent, we choose the Alta Muta Cable Car.

It travels from the Alta Muta (Hochmuth) to Tirolo village and also shows you the Earth Pyramids near Tyrol Castle. For anyone who prefers to walk, there is a leisurely alternative to path no. 23: the unpaved, traffic-calmed road to Tirolo village (an approximate 70 to 90-minute descent).

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Author: AT

Experienced: October 2015
Last updated: 2026

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