Churches, castles and museums in Tyrol

Anras castle in the mountain village of the same name is an historical cultural gem that used to be an administration building and the former summer residence of the bishops of Brixen. Today the castle houses the court museum with a penal system exhibition.

The Romanesque village church of St. Jakob was mentioned for the first time in official records in 1299 – today the cemetery chapel still reminds us of the former parish church, which has been replaced by a Classicist building.

A stone building in St. Jakob's town centre dates back to the time of copper mining in the 17th century in Defereggen Valley. Today a permanent exhibition about the Oberhauser Swiss stone pine forest is housed here. Finds on the theme of mining can on the other hand be seen at the "Zeitreise Defereggental" museum that opened in 2005. 

A Gothic gem in Defereggen Valley from the 15th century that stands almost unchanged today in the St. Leonhard district. Inside the church you can find frescoes by the South Tyrolean painter Simon von Taisten, a scholar of Michael Pacher, and a valuable Renaissance drawing.

Rattling mills and high Alpine mines in Blindis. An impressive hike to impressive places in the high mountain ranges. The ruins of miners' houses at just under 2,500 metres and associated mining tunnel are records of the past and also show tunnels today.

The monumental castle is among one of THE sights in East Tyrol. The museum houses the most extensive collection of works by the painter Albin Egger-Lienz and provides information about the well preserved Medieval fortress. Modern art is also exhibited in the castle's west wing.

The Roman town was built under Emperor Claudius and is one of the region's most important archaeological sites today. The museum provides information on the archaeological digs and interesting finds at the so-called "Dwarven city".

The Matrei national park centre informs you about the fascinating world in the nature conservation area and about the history of Austria's first national park. Finds from places of worship and hunting locations from the Stone Age are also on display.

Swiss stone pine is one of the most important resources in Defereggen Valley. You can find out all kinds of interesting things at the St. Jakob trading house, the national park's information centre.