Hike: The Smuggler Trail

Parking available at the Helmjet Sexten (parking fees apply after 4 hours during peak season).

Coming from the Pustertal valley, turn into the Sexten valley in Innichen. If arriving from the Kreuzberg pass, follow the main road until you reach Sexten. Take the cable car Helmjet Sexten

Line 446, bus stop Sexten Helm;  alternatively, during the high  season, also line  440.

The tour starts at the valley station of the Helmjet Sexten. Take the cable car up to the mountain station, where the hiking experience begins. Behind the Helmrestaurant (2041 m), the "Hüttensteig" (path no. 20) leads left, initially through sparse forest and later along the edge of the woods – always accompanied by wonderful views. Soon, a narrow and scenic path leads to the Hasenköpfl (2226 m), offering a magnificent view of the East Tyrolean Alps to the north. The final section of the path becomes a bit steeper and rockier before you finally reach the Helmgipfel. Once at the top, hikers can expect a 360° panoramic view of the Sexten Dolomites – an unforgettable experience! There are different options for the way back; for the route described, the return follows Variant 1:     Variant 1: For those who want to enjoy nature even longer, you can descend on foot to Moos via the Lärchenhütte hut (1830 m), the Egge, and the Helmhanghütte hut (1605 m).
Variant 2: The return journey leads either steeply over the Helm ridge (no. 3A) or more leisurely via the ridge path no. 20, passing the Hahnspielhütte hut (2150 m), back to the mountain station.     Variant 3: From the peak, the tour can be extended to the Sillianerhütte hut (2447 m), with a descent via the Klammbachalm hut (1644 m) back to Moos – a somewhat more demanding but scenically outstanding circular route.