Inn River

Location: West of Innsbruck in Tirol, Austria

The Inn River flows out of Switzerland into Austria’s Tyrolean Alps, gathering the waters of the Ötz River near Imst. Most whitewater rafting companies that run trips on the Inn River in Austria have meeting places in Landeck, Haiming, or Imst.

Level of Difficulty: Class III or Class V / Beginner or Advanced

The Inn River can be broken into two separate sections:

Landeck Gorge: Class IV-V, 8 km

Also known as the “Consumer” section of the Inn River, this run begins with 2 kilometers of near-continuous Class V, then mellows out to class IV+ for the remaining 6 kilometers.

Imst Gorge: Class III+, 14—17 km

With the high volume of water flowing through the gorge’s walls, “Imster Schlucht” (German) is like a fun rollercoaster ride, with breaks in between to enjoy the scenery or go for a swim.

The Canyon: Swiss Alps, Evergreen Forests, and Huge Waves

The Inn River originates from Lake Lughino in Switzerland and keeps gathering more and more speed as it travels through the snowy Swiss Alps down to Austria, taking in water from tributaries as it tumbles east. Once it enters the dark, evergreen-clad, and steep walls of the Landeck Gorge, the Inn is already a relatively large and powerful river. Strong currents combine with the confines of narrow walls to make Landeck Gorge a challenging and very exciting stretch of river.

In Imst, the Inn River acquires all the waters of the mighty Ötz. At this point it becomes a truly high-volume river, with huge waves, non-stop current, and an absence of any obstructing rocks. The Imst Gorge itself is a little more open than the Landeck, as the powerful currents form a wider valley with mountains rising on both sides.

Season: May through September

The best months to book a rafting trip on the Inn are during the heat of Austria’s summer, from June through August.