The dominant amphibolite-facies Variscan event in the Austroalpine Otztal basement can best be studied in the northwestern part of the Otztal block. Further to the southeast it is overprinted by Alpine metamorphism. Metapelites with the assemblage garnet-staurolite-kyanite-sillimanite±andalusite-biotite-muscovite-plagioclase were used to reconstruct pressure and temperature conditions with exchange thermometry, net transfer equilibria and multi-equilibrium methods. Assuming kyanite as equilibrium Al2SiO5 polymorph, conditions of 570–640°C and 5.8–7.5kbar are derived using garnet rim compositions. Typical nonequilibrium textures are (1) continuous chemical zoning of garnets, (2) inclusions of kyanite and fibrolite in andalusite porphyroblasts and (3) the spectacular replacement of garnet by fibrolite and biotite. The latter two textures were used to decipher the retrograde part of the P-T path. Application of the differential thermodynamics approach (Gibbs method) indicates prograde garnet growth during pressure release. Addition of CaO to the KFASH-system allows the garnet breakdown within the staurolite stability field and its quantification, using the quartz-garnet-aluminosilicate-muscovite geothermobarometer, revealed temperatures of 530–630°C and 3.5–5.7kbar. Andalusite formation is thought to constrain the final stage of the P-T path. Textural and chemical data clearly indicate a continuous pre-Alpine metamorphic evolution.