Fritzens: Archaeology, Village History and Winter Hiking

Fritzens combines archaeological traces with the village’s religious history and a winter hike to Maria Larch. When planning your trip, this mix is useful if you want to choose between cultural history and outdoor activity. Local points of interest range from archaeological finds at Pirchboden to the parish church, the village nativity scene and the Rochelt distillery.

Archaeological Traces in Fritzens

Excavated finds from a Raetian settlement on Pirchboden above Fritzens have been dated to the 6th century BC. Another trace comes from Pirchboden, also known as “Müller-Eben”: a stag’s antlers were found there in 2001. Archaeologists suspected that parts of the antlers belonged to a Raetian angular harp dating back around 2,500 years. The settlement finds and the possible identification of the instrument raise different archaeological questions: one concerns the dating of a settlement, the other the interpretation of an artefact.

Fragments of the Raetian angular harp were partially reconstructed into a unique instrument. The harp is on display at the Fritzens municipal office. If you would like to see it there, check in advance whether the municipal office is open to visitors.

A clay bowl is also among the archaeological finds: it was found in Fritzens and assigned to an era known as the “Fritzner-Sanzeno culture” on the basis of its characteristic herringbone patterns and stamped eyes. In the case of this find, the patterns and stamped eyes are the features used for the identification; “Fritzner-Sanzeno culture” is the name of the era.

Parish Church and Village History

The parish church of St John the Baptist in Fritzens is protected as a historic monument under a decree. The Tyrolean Register of Monuments dated 23 June 2026 lists the church accordingly. The history of the parish church also includes the “Fritzner Haupt,” a devotional object that fishermen salvaged from the Inn in 1637 and later transferred to the church. Its recovery and subsequent transfer give the object a specific local history.

The village nativity scene offers a different cultural perspective: academic sculptor Georg Eigentler created it in the Rococo style. The history of the “Fritzner Haupt” is shaped by its recovery and transfer; in the case of the nativity scene, the specific points of reference are the named artist and the style. Together, they offer a look at two different aspects of village history: the story of a devotional object and the artistic design of the nativity scene.

Distillery and Winter Hike

The Rochelt distillery in Fritzens is open to visitors. The business lists opening hours for tours and asks visitors to arrange a tour within those times. If you are planning a tour, check the stated opening hours and make your arrangements accordingly.

The winter hike to Maria Larch starts in the village centre of Fritzens. This gives the route a clearly defined starting point. When planning your trip, you can distinguish this outdoor activity from the cultural history topics: the hike leads to Maria Larch, while the historical topics relate to settlement finds, the parish church and local objects.

Discover more destinations: Municipality in Tyrol, Gschnitz, Matrei am Brenner, Rinn, Sankt Sigmund im Sellrain, Unterperfuss, Mühltal, Kematen in Tyrol.

For the main travel overview: Innsbruck-Land.