Silz

Altitude: 654 m a.s.l.

Silz is located in the Inn Valley between Telfs and Imst, only a few km from the Oetztal valley. In the 19th century, several inhabitants emigrated to Peru and founded the village Pozuzo at the Rio Huancabamba. Still today, both villages are partner localities and keep in touch. Today, the most powerful generating station of the Eastern Alps is located at Silz, the generating station group Sellrain-Silz. Part of it is the generating station Silz-Kühtai, which offers interesting guided tours.

The summer season boasts a wide range of adventurous activities such as raft rides and rafting trips on the Inn river - including the family rafting tour between Haiming and Silz - as well as climbing. Moreover, there is a playground with miniature golf course, tennis courts, and the keep-fit trail called Fit-2000 in the Silzer Pirchet forest. In winter, however, a part of the municipality transforms into a real winter sports paradise: Kühtai is a small but mighty mountain village at an altitude of 2,000 m, and the lift facilities even take you to 2,520 m a.s.l. where the ski slopes start.

A particular attraction are the Silzer Innau meadows in the west of the village. The protected area is habitat for several rare bird species such as the sandpiper bird, the nightingale and the short-toed tree-creeper. St. Petersberg Castle, however, is the symbol of Silz: It was constructed by the House of Welf as support point in order to administer the properties of Tyrol. At the end of the 19th century, Franz Joseph I of Austria acquired the castle. For a certain period of time, it also served as recreation centre and base hospital. In 1965, it was transformed into a monastery.