Lienz: Discover the Castle, Culture and Trails

Bruck Castle has stood high above Lienz for more than 750 years. Built by the Counts of Gorizia, the castle provides a striking link to the city’s history. It is also a venue for exhibitions and concerts. So anyone exploring Lienz will find both a historic building and a place for cultural events here.

Discover the city’s history through its buildings

Another eye-catching landmark with a history of its own is Liebburg. The Counts of Wolkenstein had it built as a residential palace between 1605 and 1608. Since 1988, it has served as Lienz’s town hall. Its transition from a princely residence to a civic building brings the different chapters of its history to life, without confusing the period in which it was built with its present-day function.

The history of the site of the parish church of St. Andrew also reaches far back: archaeological excavations show that a sacred building already stood there in the 5th century. The Isel Tower offers a glimpse into another aspect of the city’s history. The tower is part of the partially preserved city wall; the medieval fortifications date back to 1311 and resulted from an expansion of Lienz. Together, these sites trace a path from early sacred buildings through medieval fortifications to the city’s later development.

If you prefer to explore historic sites as part of a broader theme, you can follow the cultural and historical trail, which has 56 points of interest. This puts individual buildings in context: they can be seen as stops on a wider exploration of Lienz’s cultural history.

Trails, nature and a range of outings

The Iseltrail connects Lienz with the glacier gate at the Umbalkees glacier in Hohe Tauern National Park. The first stage can be reached from Lienz main station by train or bus, followed by a short walk. Check the connections before setting off if you plan to use this route. The trail offers a different focus from the city’s cultural and historical sites: here, the emphasis is on a named route between Lienz and a destination in the national park.

Another hiking destination is the Märchensteig trail. It leads partly through dense forest to the Hochsteinhütte mountain hut at an altitude of 2,023 metres. In Family Park, meanwhile, 15 activity and play stations line the family hiking trail. When choosing a route, you can therefore distinguish between a trail with a named mountain hut as its destination and a family hiking trail with several play stations.

The Galitzen Gorge offers something different: it lies where the Galitzenbach stream flows into the Drau. Activities include the “Water Experience Trail” and several via ferrata routes. If you plan to tackle the via ferratas, check the routes locally. Lake Tristach is considered the only natural swimming lake in East Tyrol. The nature attractions thus offer a range of options: a gorge at a confluence, an adventure trail, via ferrata routes and a natural swimming lake.

The market and more ways to explore

A visit to Lienz can also include the “Stadtmarkt Lienz” farmers’ market. It takes place every Friday and Saturday in the historic artisan street, Messinggasse. As the market is held on specific days of the week, check the date before your visit. Visiting the market also gives you a chance to discover historic Messinggasse.

Aguntum is another destination in its own right: the museum is located on the Drau Cycle Path, but outside the city limits of Lienz. This distinction is useful if you are using Lienz as a starting point for your trip and do not want to assume that every destination lies within the city. Overall, the options range from architectural and urban history to a market, hiking trails and natural attractions.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Sankt Jakob in Defereggen, Matrei in Osttirol, Kartitsch, Kals am Großglockner, Anras, Nußdorf-Debant, Innervillgraten, Strassen, Virgen, Lienz, Arnbach, Raneburg, Bichl, Dölsach, Iselsberg-Stronach, Untertilliach, Sillian, Außervillgraten, Moos, Prägraten am Großvenediger, Gaimberg, Tristach, Assling, Schlaiten, Huben im Ötztal, Sankt Leonhard, Hopfgarten in Defereggen, Lavant, Heinfels, Niedermauern, Gsaritzen, Nikolsdorf, Oberrotte, St. Veit in Defereggen, Abfaltersbach, St. Johann im Walde, Thurn, Leisach, Erlsbach, Obertilliach, Hinterbichl, Ainet, Oberlienz, Amlach, Bruggen, Innergschlöß.

View the main travel overview: Tyrol.