Mieming Range

The Mieminger Gebirge is a compact limestone range in the Northern Limestone Alps, entirely within Austrian Tyrol. It lies south of the Wetterstein and north of the Inn valley, forming a quiet ridge between busy valleys. The highest point is Hohe Munde, a popular ski-touring peak in the east. In the west the lakes Seebensee and Drachensee draw walkers, while the central area remains little visited. Public transport reaches Ehrwald on the western flank and Leutasch on the southern side. The range sits in a geological crossroads where three major rock units meet. Almost all its rocks started as seabed sediments during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, later piled into nappes by Alpine folding. Wetterstein limestone, bright white and resistant, forms the striking summits such as Sonnenspitze and Igelskopf. Lead-zinc ore was once mined at Silberleithe. The last ice age left deep cirques and thick moraines, while the Fern Pass landslide dammed the valley 200 metres deep. A visitor walks through varied landscapes shaped by ice and rock. Wetterstein limestone screes above the tree line show bare white slopes, while cols like Biberwierer Scharte and Tajatörl cut through softer layers. Dark Alpine muschelkalk layers with hornfels nodules and green tuffs mark former shallow seas. Below, moors up to 70 metres deep contain peat once used in local smelting. Waterfalls and mountain torrents carry debris down to the valleys, keeping the scenery alive.