Schwaz

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). Travel time from Innsbruck is about 18 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).

See

The stone bridge over the Inn river

• 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. (updated Sep 2018)

A historic water wheel in the silver mine

• 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. (updated Jan 2020)

In nearby Stans:

• 4 Schloss Tratzberg, A-6200 Jenbach, ☏ +43 5242 63566. Adult €13.50, 13-17 years €9.50, up to 12 years €8.00, 2 adults + 2 children €37.00. (updated Oct 2020)
• 5 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. (updated Sep 2018)
• 6 Rabalderhaus, Martin-Wintersteller-Gasse 9, ☏ +43 650 8704184, info@rabalderhaus.at. On request by appointment. Museum for religious art. Visits must be booked by telephone in advance. €5. (updated Sep 2018)
• 7 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. (updated Sep 2018)

Do

The Karwendel region offers many activities for hikers, mountain bikers and tourists wanting to see the countryside. In 2019, and for 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. (updated Jan 2020)
• 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. (updated Jan 2020)

Winter sports

Schwaz has a few ski lifts on the southern Kellerjoch mountain. It has a relatively low altitude, so skiing is only possible during winter months immediately after intense snowfall. The only lift up is the 1 Kellerjochbahn. Get off at bus stop 1 Schwaz Schwimmbad. There is also a large parking right next to the lift. Ski equipment can be rented in the valley station.

Name	Tel.	Altitude	/ /	/ /
Kellerjoch	+43 5242 623 23-0	1352 - 1887 m	3 Lifts: 0 / 1 / 2	10 km Pistes: 6 / 2 / 2

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. (updated Sep 2018)
• 2 Tonis Eiscafe, Winterstellergasse 1, ☏ +43 5242 71264. 10:00-21:00 daily. The best ice cream in town, and very affordable. (updated Sep 2018)
• 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. (updated Sep 2018)

Drink

There are two lovely places right in the centre in Schwaz close to the intersection Burggasse and Innsbruckerstraße in the pedestrian area. One is called "Radio" and is the only young, up to date pub in Schwaz; the other is nice and located towards the Pfundsplatz in front of the town hall, called "Luce".

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