When to Visit Tirol – A Month By Month Guide: April (Activities as Varied as the Weather)

Ort: Zirl

“April weather brings rain, snow and sunshine together.“ When it comes to the weather, the fourth month of the year has a reputation here in Tirol for being a mixed bag – and we’ve got the activities to match. The ski season is slowly coming to an end but by no means over, so use the opportunity to hit the slopes one last time and top up your tan. During the Easter period visitors can also look forward to the 31st Easter Festival in Innsbruck and a range of other events throughout Tirol, such as a the Easter highlights at the Tirol Farmstead Museum in Kramsach. Last but certainly not least, in 2019 the ski resort in Sölden will once again put on a performance of its spectacular show “Hannibal” recreating the journey over the Alps by this legendary military leader in his quest to capture Rome.

April Activities

Spring may have sprung, but don’t pack your skis away in the cellar just yet. Tirol has a number of ski resorts which remain open until the end of April and give visitors the chance to round off the season with a flourish as they top up their tan high above the valley floor. One such resort is the famous St. Anton am Arlberg, which will be staying open this year until 28 April. Click here to check out some more of the best places for spring skiing in Tirol. The season concludes in St. Anton am Arlberg with a legendary race known as “Der Weisse Rausch”, which attracts hundreds of skiers and snowboarders every year. Competitors have to complete the course – which includes an uphill section in the middle known as “Pain Mountain“ – in the fastest time possible. Those hoping to beat the current record of 8 minutes and 14 seconds should definitely get their skis serviced before the line up at the start! Der Weisse Rausch will take place this year on 21 April.

April Sightseeing

The Easter period is characterised in Tirol by many customs and traditions. On Palm Sunday (14 April) there are processions through the villages where locals carry intricately decorated wooden boards, while on Good Friday you will hear the sound of “Ratscher” throughout the region – locals with loud wooden rattles swung to replace the church bells which, according to legend, have flown to Rome. Indeed, during the Easter week there are different events and activities going more or less each day.

Another important feature of Easter in Tirol is the Easter Festival in Innsbruck and Hall. It will be taking place for the 31st time this year from 6 until 21 April, bringing together film, music, dance and theatre around the topic of home.world. Music fans should definitely not miss out on the chance to see Bob Dylan live in concert in Innsbruck. The legendary singer and Nobel Prize laureate and will be playing the Olympiahalle on 19 April.

On 14 April the Tirol Farmstead Museum in Kramsach will re-open after its winter break. This open-air museum is home to 37 original farmsteads, some of which date back hundreds of years. Visitors can learn about the life of the peasant population in Tirol centuries ago, while the young – and the young at heart – can look forward to a traditional Easter egg hunt on Easter Monday.

Gwiggen Hof from the year 1625, is a „Einhof“ farm type from Wildschönau; both floors are entirely made of wood.

April Events

Airplanes, helicopters, piste groomers, paragliders, skiers and dancers all play their part in the amazing “Hannibal” show taking place this year on 12 April in the glacier ski resort of Sölden. The high-tech performance recreates the true story of Hannibal, a military leader from Carthage who crossed the Alps together with his army in a quest to capture Rome. Although he was ultimately defeated, his legendary journey across the Alps in just ten days remains the stuff of legends today. Choreographed by a collective known as Lawine Torrèn, “Hannibal” is according to the organisers the “largest contemporary theatre performance in the world.“ With an audience of around 7,500 and 500 people involved in the show, it brings the vast glacier at the end of the Ötztal Valley to life. Tickets in all price categories are available here.

Photo Credit: Ötztal Tourismus, Ernst Lorenzi