ليينز

June to September is best for hiking and cycling. Winter brings ski days and a calm Christmas market. Lienz is known for more sunshine than much of the Alps. Spring can be wet, and some mountain huts stay closed until June.

• Schloss Bruck is a medieval castle above the town with a museum of local art and history.
• Franziskanerkloster St. Marien is a monastery in the town centre.
• Herz-Jesu-Kirche is a church in the town with modern murals.
• St. Andrä is the old parish church.
• Rathaus Lienz is the town hall on the main square.
• Eisenbahnmuseum Südbahn-Heizhaus is a railway museum in an old locomotive shed.
• Hochstein is a local mountain with a cable car and walking trails.
• Venedigerwarte is a lookout tower over the valley.
• Dolomitenbad Lienz is the town's swimming pool and spa.
• The Lienz Dolomites, to the south, have jagged peaks and long hikes.
• Tristach lake, a small bathing lake, is a short drive away.

• Walk or cycle part of the Drau Cycle Route.
• Visit the castle and see the museum.
• Hike in the Lienz Dolomites.
• Ski at Zettersfeld or Hochstein in winter.
• Drive the Grossglockner High Alpine Road from Heiligenblut.

• Heiligenblut, a village under the Grossglockner, is about 1 hour by car.
• The Lienz Dolomites and Lienz Dolomites cable car are about 15 minutes away.
• Tristach lake is about 10 minutes away.
• Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy is about 1 hour 30 minutes away by car.
• Carinthia's Lake Millstatt is about 1 hour 15 minutes away.

• By air: Innsbruck, Salzburg and Klagenfurt are all about 2 hours or more away.
• By train: Lienz is on the Drau Valley line. Trains from Innsbruck run via Italy or via Salzburg and take about 3 to 4 hours. Check times on ÖBB.
• By car: The B100 road follows the valley. The Felbertauern tunnel links Lienz with Mittersill and Salzburg. It is a toll road.

The centre is small and best on foot. Local buses link nearby villages and the Dolomites cable car. Cycling is easy on the flat valley paths. A car helps for the high roads.

A car is useful for the high alpine roads and the Felbertauern tunnel. Winter tyres or chains are required in snow. Motorways in Austria need a vignette. The Grossglockner road is a toll road and is closed in winter.

East Tyrol cooking is simple and hearty. Try Schlipfkrapfen, pasta pockets filled with potato and herbs, and Tiroler Gröstl, a pan of potatoes and meat. Mountain huts serve warm dishes and cakes. The region is also known for dairy products.

Lienz is very safe. Mountain trails need care: check the weather, carry water and stay on marked paths. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Lienz began as a Roman settlement, Aguntum, close by. The medieval town was ruled by the Counts of Görz, whose castle is now the main museum. It passed to the Habsburgs in 1500. After World War I, East Tyrol was cut off from North Tyrol, and it is still linked to it only through Italy and by the Felbertauern road.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: