Page 252 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

250  A USTRIA REGION b y REGION

the Napoleonic wars, when
the Tyrolean highlanders fought
for their independence from
the Bavarians and the French.
A monument commemorating
the battle now stands in front
of St Lawrence’s church. This
church, built in 1748, is Baroque
in style and has interesting
stucco decorations, vault
paintings, a main altar with
Baroque sculptures and an
attractive medieval statue of
the Madonna.
Wörgl’s location between
the two popular tourist regions
of Kaisergebirge and the
Kitzbühel Alps makes it a
Charming flower displays outside the Alpine houses in Alpbach convenient base for winter
and summer expeditions.
8 Alpbach 9 Wörgl
Road map C4. * 2,600. Road map C4. * 13,000. 0 Söll
Tel (05337) 21200-30. ∑ alpbach.at n Bahnhofstrasse 4a (05332) 76007.
Road map C4. * 3,500.
In a high mountain valley on the The industrial town of Wörgl, Tel 050509-210.
Alpbach river lies the town of at the fork of Inn river and
the same name that once a year Brixentaler Ache (a stream), is Söll, a small town in the foothills
becomes the intellectual capital an important road and rail hub. of the Hohe Salve, part of the
of Europe. Every year since The earliest settlement on the Wilder Kaiser (Wild Emperor)
1945, delegates representing site, revealed by archaeological massif, grew around the Church
the worlds of science, politics, finds on the northeastern of St Peter and St Paul. Built
economics and culture have outskirts of town, date from in 1361 but completely altered
gathered here to discuss the the Bronze Age. In later years in the Baroque style in 1768 by
future of the world. this was the site of a Roman Franz Bock of Kufstein, it con tains
Before the fall of settlement, and in the beautiful vault paintings by
communism in 4th century a Christian Christoph Anton Mayr and, by
the Eastern bloc community was the same artist, a picture of the
countries in 1989, founded in the area. Madonna in the main altarpiece.
Austria’s central In the 13th century The town has many attractive
position in Europe Wörgl belonged to houses with picturesque façades.
made this the most Bavaria; during the The greatest attraction of
appropriate place reign of Maximilian I Söll, however, is the Hohe Salve
for people from it finally became mountain, rising to 1,828 m
East and West to Monument to the Battle of incorporated into (5,997 ft) and visible from every
meet. Today their 1809 in Wörgl Tyrol. Wörgl and its point in the town. Two gondolas
discussions are environs were the provide transport to the summit.
rather more academic, yet scene of fierce fighting during There is a small chapel here, and
Alpbach has retained its great the view over Brixental,
importance on Europe’s political the Kitzbühel Alps
and intellectual map. and the High Tauern
The floral displays outside the Mountains
Alpine houses and chalets in in the distance,
Alpbach rank among the best is truly majestic.
in the country. The little town Söll lies at the
also has the interesting Church centre of a large skiing
of St Oswald. Its earliest records region, Skiwelt Wilder
date from 1369, although it was Kaiser-Brixental, in
altered in 1500 and the Baroque the southern part of
interior dates from 1724. The Kaisergebirge, which
naves have ceiling paintings also includes several
by Christoph Anton Mayr (1751); other attractive
the sculptures in the presbytery resorts, such as the
(c.1779) are the work of Franz picturesque town of
Xaver Nissl. Visitors sunbathing on Hohe Salve, near Söll Scheffau nearby.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp298–9 and pp323–4

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm