Schwaz
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Schwaz is a city in Tyrol, in Austria. It is the main town of the Schwaz district. The city borders the Karwendel Mountains to the north and the Tux Alps to the south. In the Middle Ages, silver mining made Schwaz, Austria's second largest city after Vienna.
Get in
By train
The Unterinntalbahn passes through Schwaz, making train the most convenient way to get into the heart of the city. The 1 Schwaz Bahnhof (Schwaz station) is on the east side of the Inn, so exit the station and cross the Inn over the 2 Barbarabrücke (Barbara bridge). Tavel time from Innsbruck is ca. 8 min.
By car
The Inntal Autobahn (Inn Valley Highway) A12 passes through Schwaz, offering a direct highway connection to Germany through Wörgl and Kufstein, and to Italy over the Brenner Pass. Get off the highway at 3 Exit 49 Schwaz.
By helicopter
Schwaz does not have an airport, but a public 4 heliport (ICAO: LOXS).
Get around
See
- 1 Old Town (Altstadt). Historic town centre with many architectural gems from the 15th and 16th century when Schwaz was an important silver ore mining town in Tyrol.
- 2 Silver mine (Schwazer Silberbergwerk), Alte Landstraße 3a (bus stop Silberbergwerk), ☏ +43 5242 72372, fax: +43 5242 72372 4, info@silberbergwerk.at. 09:00—17:00 daily in summer, 10:00-16:00 in winter, closed from mid November until Christmas. Silver mine, documenting over 500 years of ore mining in the area. A 90-minute tour takes visitors underground into the depths of the mountain with a miner train, explaining the harsh mining conditions miners faced throughout the centuries, and its importance in Medieval Austria. With a constant temperature of 12° round the year, warm clothes and gloves are recommended. Adults €17, students and seniors €15, children €10.
- 3 Planetarium (Zeiss Planetarium Schwaz), Alte Landstraße 15 (bus stop Silberbergwerk), ☏ +43 5242 72129, info@planetarium.at. W-Sa 11:45-17:15 Su 10:30-18:45. Planetarium with 360° projection cinema, showing documentaries on astronomy and earth sciences. Adults €10, students and seniors €9, children €8.
In nearby Stans:
- Schloss Tratzberg.
- 4 Ethnological Museum (Museum der Völker), St. Martin 16 (bus stop Hirschenkreuz), ☏ +43 5242 66090, info@museumdervoelker.com. Th-Su 10:00-17:00. Among the top ethnological museums in Europe, the Museum der Völker exhibits artistic and religious artefacts collected by famous photographer, journalist and author Gert Chesi. The museum hosts collections of Gert Chesi along with the Schell Collection and Lindner Collection, all illustrated with photographic work by Gert Chesi. Adults €11, elderly and children €6.
- 5 Rabalderhaus, Martin-Wintersteller-Gasse 9, ☏ +43 0650 8704184, info@rabalderhaus.at. On request by appointment. Museum for religious art. Visits must be booked by telephone in advance. €5.
- 6 Firefighting Museum (Feuerwehrmuseum Schwaz), Münchner Straße 21 (bus stop Markstrasse), ☏ +43 5242 62371, office@feuerwehr-schwaz.at. A tribute to firefighters and firefighting, displaying stories of heroism alongside firefighting equipment and antique fire engines. There is a special guided tour for kids.
Do
The Karwendel region offers many activities for hikers, mountain bikers and tourists wanting to see the country side. In 2019, and a few years prior, the Transalp mountain bike race has gone through the Karwendel silver region. You can ride the biking trail from Hinterriss to the Falkenhütte, into the Eng and on to Schwaz, and go to Weerberg via the Geiseljoch. E-biking is also an option. Schwaz has companies offering e-bike rentals for the city and e-mountain bikes for the countryside.
It is also a part of the Nordic Walking routes. The area around Schwaz has the largest Nordic walking network in Tyrol.
- Klangspuren Schwaz Music Festival. Annual new music festival that has established a name for itself in central Europe.
- Four-day Karwendel Loop (Biking). This mountain bike tour covers about 300 km through the Alps and is generally split into four segments - one day per segment. Day 1: Kufstein - Achensee. Day 2: Achensee - Scharnitz. Day 3: Scharnitz - Schwaz. Day 4: Schwaz - Kufstein. The tour is mainly intended for experienced cyclists in good condition.
Buy
More clothes - even in spring the temperatures can fall to zero degrees.
Eat
- 1 Restaurant Silberberg, Alte Landstrasse 1 (bus stop Silberbergwerk), ☏ +43 5242 64518. Tu—Sa 10:00—12:00. Large pizzas for a fair price. Indoor and outdoor seating, conveniently next to the Silver mine. Cosy, well suited for families with kids.
- 2 Tonis Eiscafe, Winterstellergasse 1, ☏ +43 5242 71264. 10:00-21:00 daily. The best ice cream in town, and very affordable.
- 3 Gasthof Knappenkuchl, Alte Landstraße 3a (bus stop Silberbergwerk), ☏ +43 5242 62554, fax: +43 5242 72372 14, info@knappenkuchl.cc. 10:00-18:00 daily. Traditional Austrian restaurant with a cozy atmosphere, serving Tyrolean food.
Drink
There are two lovely places right in the centre in Schwaz close to the intersection Burggasse and Innsbruckerstraße in the pedestrian area. The one is called "Radio" which is the only young, uptodate pub in Schwaz. And the other is utterly nice located towards the Pfundsplatz in front of the town hall, called "Luce".
Sleep
Go next
- 1 Innsbruck — regional capital of Tyrol and largest city in the Inn valley, 5 km east of Hall in Tirol
- 2 Igls — between Innsbruck and the 1 Patscherkofel mountain
- 3 Eng — the largest alm in Europe and one of the most remote settlements in the Alps
- 4 Wattens — home of the Swarovski Crystal Company
