From Planol to the Malga Planol: We discover the diverse natural landscape of one of the westernmost high valleys in the Oetztal Alps
Image gallery: Circular hike to the Planol Mountain Hut
Planol, the Planol Hut, and back to the village along the valley trail: This loop is perfect for this early June day. The mountain village of Planol in the municipality of Malles is our starting point. In the village centre, we follow trail no. 10 uphill through a steep valley towards the north. Here, the route runs through a larch forest as a forest track, before turning into a path that leads to the Planol Hut.
As we reach vast alpine meadows, the path flattens out and joins a cart track that leads to the alpine pasture. The Planol Hut at 2,203 metres is also known as Furgles Hut and provides wide panoramic views of the Punte Valbella peaks in the Oetztal Alps, alongside delicious dishes made with local produce. To the west, we can see as far as the mountains in the Swiss Val Müstair.
The hike up took us two hours, so it is time for a culinary break. For the descent, we choose the alpine path that leads downhill and slightly deeper into the Valle di Planol. We reach the Petasettes biotope, a protected fen with outstanding biodiversity.
Now we head back to Planol. Lush wildflower meadows, a rare sight nowadays, line our path back. Although the descent is almost twice as long as the ascent in terms of distance, we only need an hour and a half, as it follows a wide and easy alpine road the entire way.
Author: AT
Experienced: June 2020
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- village centre of Planol (1,591 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 03:30 h
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- Total route length:
- 9,7 km
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- Altitude:
- from 1.591 m to 2.203 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +607 m | -607 m
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- Route:
- Planol - Planol Mountain Hut - Petasettes biotope in the Planol Valley - Planol
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- Signposts:
- no. 10, "Planeiler Almweg", 6 (Planol)
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- Destination:
- Planol Mountain Hut (2,203 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Planol Mountain Hut (May to October)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Circular hike to the Planol Mountain Hut
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the walking time only, not including breaks or stops.
If you want to undertake this hike, we recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this hike!
