Tyrol · Drone filming

Drone filming in the Zillertal

Drone filming in the Zillertal means a registered drone operator who takes aerial photos and video of chalets, hotels, events, weddings and landscapes in the valley and, before every flight, checks what is permitted at that exact place. From the air the long valley floor, the villages strung along the Ziller and the side valleys reaching towards the glaciers fit into a single frame, which is why aerials open so many hotel and property films here.

The local constraint that matters most is nature protection at the head of the valley. The Tyrolean provincial government declared the Ruhegebiet Zillertaler Hauptkamm in 1998 (LGBl. Nr. 44/1998), a rest area of about 372 km² in the municipalities of Mayrhofen, Brandberg and Finkenberg; its regulation prohibits any considerable noise and off-airfield take-offs and landings of motor-powered aircraft, with listed exceptions for purposes such as supplying huts or moving livestock. The rest area is the core of the high-mountain nature park, which has been protected since 1991. Whether a particular drone flight falls under those rules is for the operator to clarify with the nature-protection authority before flying, not on the day. On top of that, the EU open category applies everywhere: under 25 kg, within 120 metres of the closest point of the ground — on a steep slope that is measured from the terrain, not the take-off point — in visual line of sight and never over gatherings of people. Austria shows its UAS geographical zones in the Austro Control Dronespace map, and drones of 250 g or more or with a camera must be registered.

Green valley of the Zillertal between high mountains — Illustrative photo

Location ideas in Zillertal

01
Villages on the valley floor
Mayrhofen, Zell am Ziller or Fügen from above, with the river and the railway line leading the eye down the valley.
02
Chalets on the slopes
A rising shot reveals a property, its position on the hillside and its distance to the lifts in one movement.
03
Gerlos Alpine Road hairpins
Curves and traffic on the year-round pass road above Zell am Ziller, filmed from a safe distance off the carriageway.

Good to know

Send exact coordinates at least ten days ahead so the operator can check Dronespace and, at the head of the valley, the rest-area regulation.
Leave two or three days of weather buffer; foehn wind and low cloud over the main ridge often decide whether the drone can fly.
At weddings and events, plan aerials before guests gather or of the venue alone, since flying over a crowd is not allowed.

Photographers in Zillertal

We are onboarding photographers here

Profiles for this area are not online yet. Send a request with your date and we personally check which local photographers are available — no obligation.

You tell us the date, place and kind of shoot.
We check which independent photographers working there are free and email you their details and a quote.
You compare portfolios and book directly with the photographer you choose. Asking costs nothing.

Send a free request

Frequently asked questions

Can a drone fly in the Zillertal Alps nature park?

Not without checking first. Parts of the nature park lie in the Ruhegebiet Zillertaler Hauptkamm, whose regulation restricts noise and motor-powered aircraft take-offs and landings. A drone operator in the Zillertal clarifies this with the authority before any flight there.

Can we have drone footage of our wedding in the Zillertal?

Yes, within the rules: the drone may not fly over the assembled guests. A drone operator films the venue, the valley and the couple from a safe distance, usually before or after the ceremony in the Zillertal.

Do the cable car companies allow drones on their terrain?

Beyond the EU rules and the Dronespace zones, the operators decide about flights over their lifts and slopes. For drone filming above a Zillertal ski area or glacier, the operator asks the cable car company before the shoot.

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