Through the valley of 1000 tales
A trip through the Wildschönau Valley in Tyrol.
A winter walk on the Path of Reflection and on the trail of an historical freedom fighter!
On a winter walk through the Wildschönau all the valley#s secrets will be revealed. The Path of Reflection dedicated to St Francis of Assisi, on the trail of historical vigilante groups from two centuries ago, the smallest school in Austria, wonderful cure-all schnapps and any amount of tradition and history.
The secluded valley in the Kitzbühel Alps has 4200 inhabitants living in four villages and on 260 working farms. The Wildschönau has been a well kept secret for ski fans for over 50 years. A trip through the 15 km long Wildschönau Valley is one full of fascinating tales.
The first noteworthy feature is the Path of Reflection dedicated to the Canticles of Francis of Assisi, which winds its way for three kilometres from Niederau to Oberau, through beautiful winter scenery. Sculptor Hubert Flörl who lives in the Wildschönau has erected nine monuments in bronze to Love, Mother Earth, Fire and the Universe. And why here of all places? " Because your heart lifts when you come to this place and you let nature's wonders work their magic on you.
A stop in the Z'Bach Mountain Farmer's Museum on the way, takes you not quite so far back in time as the Path of Reflection. The quaint old farmhouse named Z'Bach houses 1200 exhibits of farming life in the Alps and tells a tale of the sometimes hard life of the Wildschönau mountain farmers over the last 200 years.
The wooden forms for washing butter, the huge pan for preparing the family meals, the comb for gathering berries, you don't need too much imagination to picture the simple but often arduous life these people led.
The local elixir - Krautinger Schnapps needs no imagination at all for you to feel the benefit. Made from locally grown white beet, it has been distilled uniquely in the Wildschönau and only in the Wildschönau by royal decree from Empress Maria Theresia since the middle of the 18th century. These days only 15 of the original farming families still make Krautinger which is a famous cure-all and culinary speciality. One of these farmers is Josef Thaler who brews the schnapps in ancient family tradition and provides a taste of it for those following the Path of Reflection from Niederau to Oberau.
After leaving the Krautinger behind, you continue on another few hundred yards to the village of Oberau, dominated by the breathtakingly beautiful St Margarethe Church otherwise known as the Wildschönau Cathedral. The baroque church has an onion tower which soars to a height of 52 metres and can be seen from far and wide. Opposite the church is the Kellerwirt Hotel, run by the same family for 11 generations. Since 1750 in fact when the 12th century building where local farmers were obliged to deliver a 10th of their crops to the Abbott, was turned into a public house. A perfect place to wait for the Wildschönau's Leisure Train that will transport you the 7 km to Thierbach, at 1200 m altitude, the highest village in the Kitzbühel Alps.
While dyed-in-the wool hikers take about 90 minutes past the quaint mountain huts through the beautiful winter landscape to Thierbach, this little train will take you to the very end of the valley in a quarter of an hour. It doesn#t matter how you get here, when you get here there a story book world opens up. The smallest school in Austria with only 8 pupils is here in Thierbach, as well as a church, the graveyard and a few scattered farmhouses. First you have to stop and absorb the atmosphere, then it's on the Hörbiger Hof once home to a famous Austrian acting dynasty. The present owners will provide hearty Austrian specialities and snacks. The terrific view can be had for free.
Just another 2 km and the end of our tour is in sight. The claim to fame of the Sollererwirt in the heart of the hamlet is the Speckbacher stube where 200 years ago Andreas Hofer - local freedom fighter against Napoleon, called his men to arms. The room has been kept exactly as it was in 1809. The ancient freedom troop known as the "Sturmloada" still presents arms today on special occasions armed now as then only with pitchforks and staffs.
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