Hall in Tirol
The 700‑year‑old town lies 10 km east of Innsbruck and was, in the Middle Ages, the largest and most important town in North Tyrol.
Sightseeing
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Entire Old Town
(about twice the size of Innsbruck’s), with medieval houses - Salt Works Building with the St. John of Nepomuk Chapel on the lower town square
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Town Hall
gifted to the town in 1406 by Duke Leopold IV; considered the most beautiful town hall in Tyrol - Hasegg Castle
- Late Gothic Parish Church of St. Nicholas
- Early Baroque Jesuit Church
- Ladies’ Convent
- Mining Museum (mineral collection)
- Farmers’ Market
- Tratzberg Castle
- Rattenberg
- Schwaz: Historic Old Town
- Freundsberg Castle
- Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary
Information
As early as 1232, the salt works in Hall are mentioned for the first time in historical documents. With the town being granted city rights in 1303, the foundation for its later development was already laid. In 1477, Archduke Sigismund “the Rich in Coin,” Duke of Tyrol and regent of Further Austria, transferred the Habsburg mint from Merano to the important salt‑producing town of Hall. Using silver from Schwaz, he had the world’s first thaler - also known as the guldiner - minted there in 1486. Under Archduke Ferdinand II, the world’s first mechanical coining press went into operation. Around Hall’s Abbey Square today stand the Sacred Heart Basilica, the Sacred Heart Monastery, and the Jesuit Church.
Schwaz
The “silver town” of Schwaz was once one of the largest mining metropolises in Central Europe and the second‑largest town in Austria after Vienna. The Old Town offers a historical walking tour, guided by elegantly designed information panels at key locations. The Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary is the largest Gothic hall church in Tyrol and the only four‑aisled church in Europe. Above the rooftops of Schwaz rises Freundsberg Castle, which houses a castle tavern and the town museum. A guided tour of the Schwaz Silver Mine provides a fascinating journey back into the medieval past of this storied town. Directly opposite is the Planetarium. Another highlight is the Museum of Peoples, the only ethnological museum in western Austria.
Rattenberg
Became part of Tyrol in 1504 under Emperor Maximilian I. The town features a particularly beautiful medieval townscape and numerous art glass workshops. A museum is housed in the former Augustinian monastery.
Tratzberg Castle
Located near Jenbach. The Maximilian Room features the Habsburg family tree.