Similaun

Description of mountain:
Similaun, at 3,606 m (3,599 m according to some sources), is an important and popular peak located in the Schnalskamm group in the southern part of the Ötztal Alps. This border mountain, separating Austrian Tyrol from Italian South Tyrol, became known to a wider audience especially after 1991, when German hikers discovered an excellently preserved natural mummy on its slopes, eventually named Ötzi. It is worth noting that, strictly speaking, the discovery site is directly below the Fineilspitze summit and quite distant from Similaun, but greater tourist and geographical exposure has contributed to the general perception of Similaun as "Ötzi's mountain".

Although it is the seventh highest peak in Austria (fifth in the Ötztal Alps) and features attractive geographical elements, with the normal route often requiring full glacier gear, Similaun is rightly considered one of the easiest accessible peaks in the Eastern Alps exceeding 3,500 m. This is aided by the comfortable high-alpine hut Similaunhütte (Rifugio Similaun), located about two hours below the summit, and the lack of significant technical difficulty. Consequently, Similaun offers a favorable introductory tour into the high-altitude glacier world, reflected in the high number of visitors.

In fine weather, the view from the summit is expansive, encompassing most of the key peaks of the Ötztal Alps led by Wildspitze, Weißkugel, and Hintere Schwärze, prominent summits of the Ortler Alps and Bernina group, the western foothills of the Stubai Alps, and the vast plains of South Tyrol.

Mountains in the vicinity 0.5 1 1.5 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 15 20 30 km:

Webcams in the vicinity 2 3 5 7 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50 60 km:

Grawand (Schnalstaler Gletscherbahn), Hintere Hintereisspitze, Rifugio Lazaunhutte, Schnals (Kurzras - Maso Corto), Schnalstal, Schnalstal - Val Senales, Schnalstaler Gletscher, Tisenjoch - Giogo di Tisa, Vent, Weißkugel in Langtaufererspitze