See
- Not to be confused with the Holy See, also known as Vatican City.
See is a town in the Paznaun Valley in Tyrol, Austria, roughly halfway between Kappl and Landeck, to which it administratively belongs. It is the largest town in the valley, with a population of ca. 1260 at an elevation of 1050 m.
Understand edit
The name See literally means lake, a reference to the 1 Badesee, a small lake around which the town evolved.
History edit
See was founded at the beginning of the 15th century by farmers, a small settlement first documented in 1433 as "by the lake in Paznaun".
During the Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809, See was the scene of an intense battle between Tyrolean rebels and the invading Bavarian troops. Although outnumbered 800 against 1500, superior knowledge of the terrain and guerrilla tactics were successful in preventing the Bavarian invasion of the Paznaun valley. Among the best documented counter attacks were stone avalanches unleashed by the defenders.
In the 20th century, See gradually lost its agricultural character and reoriented its economy towards tourism.
Get in edit
See does not have a train station, and can only be reached from Landeck by bus. Up to 2 x per hour, bus 260 connects See to the other towns and villages in the Paznaun Valley, and to 1 Landeck-Zams 
. At the station, take bus 260 on platform C right across the station entrance. The journey to See takes ca. 24 minutes and doesn't require transfers, making it convenient when carrying luggage such as skis. A ticket costs €3.60 when purchased in advance online. Get off at 2 See Postambt.
For long distance travel options, see Paznaun Valley.
Get around edit
See edit
- 1 Saint Sebastian Church (Pfarrkirche hl. Sebastian). A late Baroque Roman-Catholic church built in 1445, and underwent renovations in 1758, 1770, and finally in 1891 when it was inaugurated as the parish church of See.
- 2 Cemetery Chapel (Friedhofskapelle). Chapel opposite of the church, known for its crucifix from the hand of Andreas Thamasch from 1675. The Pieta is a mid-18th-century creation from sculptor Johann Ladner. It underwent renovations in 1964 to restore the frescoes on the walls.
- 3 Wiesberg Castle (Schloss Wiesberg), Wiesberg 68. on request. Where the Paznaun Valley and Stanzer Valley meet, Wiesberg Castle was built as a monastery in the 13th century, but later took on a defensive function. At the end of the 14th century, the castle was owned by the Counts of Tyrol and passed on to the Rottenburgers, after which it changed hands numerous times. The castle became the scene of an intense battle between Tyrolean troops and Bavarian invaders during the 1809 Tyrolean Rebellion. After changing hands a few more times, the castle eventually lost its strategic role and fell into disrepair. The by then dilapidated area was acquired by the Austrian State Railways with the intent to construct a railway bridge nearby. The castle's chapel, built at the end of the 16th century, was execrated and demolished to prepare for the construction. The castle was eventually purchased by the Landfried family which started a much needed renovation. It played an important role in the Second World War, when the German Wehrmacht moved into the castle and began ceasefire negotiations with the Allied troops pursuing retreating German forces.
- 4 Trisanna Bridge (Trisannabrücke). Part of the Arlberg Railway, with Wiesberg Castle at is eastern bridgehead. The bridge spans the Paznaun Valley at an altitude of 87 m, crossing the Trisanna river as well as the Paznaun Valley's only access road. With a length of 230 m, the bridge has 3 and 4 stone arches at the sides with a span of 9 m, and a steel arch bridge in the middle which spans 120 m. It was constructed in 1883 as part of the Arlberg Railway construction. The electric lighting installed for the construction was a sensation at the time. Heavier trains required reinforcements in 1923, and eventually the entire steel middle structure needed replacement in 1964. A stronger copy was constructed next to the existing arch resting on temporary scaffolding, and then pushed in place in the night of 15 and 16 November 1964, a process that only took 10 hours. The final push of the 1600-ton bridge was registered by earthquake sensors in Switzerland.
- 5 Landeck Castle.
Do edit
Winter sports edit
See has relatively new and growing ski infrastructure in close proximity of the town. The 8-person 1 Versing gondola lift opened in 2014 and gives skiers access to the Ascherhüttenkessel, an area known for good powder snow and free ride skiing. A day pass costs €41.50 for adults and €26 for children, and most of the slopes are open from mid-December until mid-April from 08:30-16:00.
Name Tel. Altitude 
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See in Tyrol +43 50 990 100 1040 - 2456 m 7 Lifts: 2 / 2 / 3 41 km Pistes: 8 / 25 / 8
