Tirol Attractions

Top Tourist Attractions in Tirol
The province of Tirol - which takes its name from the ancestral castle of the Counts of Tirol at Merano in Italy - is bounded on the east by Carinthia and Salzburg provinces, on the south by Italy (Alto Adige), on the west by Vorarlberg and Switzerland and on the north by Germany (Bavaria). The province is divided into two parts, North and East Tirol, separated from one another by the territory ceded to Italy in 1919, which is known there as Alto Adige.

Tirol Mountains

The rock and névé, the beauty and the sublime solitude of the Zillertal and Ötztal Alps, the Stubai Alps, the Grossglockner and the Grossvenediger, with peaks rising above 3,000m/10,000ft and some approaching 4,000m/13,000ft, exert a magical attraction for climbing and walking enthusiasts. The wild and bizarrely fashioned rock landscapes of the Kaisergebirge, the Karwendel, the Lienz Dolomites and the Kalkkögel (Stubai Alps) near Innsbruck are a paradise for rock climbers, but hold equal fascination for those who prefer to enjoy their mountain scenery less strenuously from the valley.

Tirol Lakes

Beautiful lakes - deep blue, emerald green or black - mirror in their crystal clear waters the forms of the rocks, the Alpine meadows and the forests of Tirol. The largest and best known are the Achensee, the Alchsee, the Tristacher See, the warm Schwarzsee at Kitzbühel and the Plansee, but these are only a few of the many lakes which offer excellent bathing in summer.

Plansee

3km/2mi east of Reutte, enclosed by wooded hills, lies the dark green Plansee (976m/3,202ft), the largest lake in Tirol after the Achensee, being 5km/3mi long and 1km/0.75mi wide. It is linked by a short watercourse with the Heiterwanger See (3km/2mi long). From the Plansee there is a 9km/5.5miles long road northeastward to the Ammersattel (1,118m/3,668ft), on the German frontier (open May-Oct. only).

Tristacher See

5km/3mi south of Lienz lies the Tristacher See (826m/2,710ft; bathing), a good base for walks and climbs in the Lienz Dolomites. To the south rears the Rauchkofel (1,911m/6,270ft), and further south still the Lienzer-Dolomiten-Hütte (1,620m/5,315ft), reached by a mountain road from Bad Jungbrunn.

Schwarzsee

2km/1.25mi northwest of Kitzbühel lies the Schwarzsee (779m/2,557ft), a lake very popular with bathers. About 1.5km/1mi further on stands Schloss Münichau (15th C.; hotel).

Ebbs - Autumn Folklore Events

This annual month-long festival runs from mid-September to mid-October.