Of summit happiness and big silver coins

The Hall-Wattens region is picturesquely situated between the Tux Alps and the Karwendel mountains near the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck. The charming little town of Hall and the ten neighboring villages boast an idyllic mountain setting and an old town where world history was written

The church flags on the onion dome of the parish church of St. Nicholas blow cheerfully in the wind, next door the town coat of arms on the impressive medieval town hall gleams in the sun and the old town streets are bustling with activity. The first heralds of summer are shining in the flower stores, the smell of aromatic bread wafts from the bakeries and people are enjoying a cool beer on the terrace in the pubs in the warm temperatures. Hall in Tirol is a small town of 12,000 inhabitants in the "second row" and stands in the shadow of the beautiful provincial capital of Innsbruck, just ten kilometers away. But that wasn't always the case, which is why Hall still has the largest old town in western Austria. More on this in a moment ... A little further on, Wattens beckons with the famous Swarovski Crystal Worlds and nine other idyllic villages with beautiful farm stores such as the Tuxer Bauer in Telfs, where you can buy everything from Tyrolean bacon and cheese to homemade fruit syrup, as well as small hotels and cozy vacation apartments.

On the trail of the dollar

An enjoyable break in Hall starts with a snack, for example with hearty cheese dumplings at Gasthaus Bretze or the long-established Goldener Löwen. If you prefer pasta and Italian starters, head to Bar Centrale or Umbra - both in the old town. Strengthened in this way, we "travel" back a few centuries and find out why Hall has such a magnificent old town and was more important than Innsbruck. The Mint Tower towers above Hasegg Castle and inside is the fascinating Hall Mint Museum. Here you can learn that little Hall became enormously rich in the Middle Ages with mountain salt (sole), silver mining and the minting of coins after Archduke Sigmund moved the mint from Meran to Hall in 1477. The Hall mint masters were so good at their job in the following decades and also had the latest machines to produce the new large silver taler in series that they were "on assembly" all over Europe. The Haller silver taler was so well received everywhere that countries such as Denmark and England introduced it as their currency. And because Emperor Charles V was also ruler of Spain and the Spanish overseas territories, the taler even traveled to Mexico, where it was called the dollar and became the forerunner of the US dollar. Who would have thought that little Hall would have turned the big wheel of world history in earlier centuries?

Tour through the fragrant stone pine forest

Of course, all hiking enthusiasts will also get their money's worth in Hall-Wattens. On the Tux Alps side, you can take a leisurely and scenic tour between Tulfes and Innsbruck on the Swiss stone pine trail and walk through one of the oldest and largest Swiss stone pine forests - a fragrant delight. On the rougher Karwendel side, my tip is to walk through the Halltal valley with certified hiking guide Susi Vianello, past the brine mine and the "Lädhütten", which were once used to load the brine, up to the Magdalenenhütte, where you can stop for a bite to eat with home-style cooking (information: www.hall-wattens.at). A final tip: If you set off on the tour early in the morning, you will almost certainly see chamois and some ibex. Hall-Wattens - a beautiful vacation oasis!

The Swiss stone pine - Queen of the Alps

The annual Stone Pine Days in July on the Glungezer celebrate the tree that is known as the Queen of the Alps and has been said to have beneficial effects for centuries. At the Swiss stone pine market, you can buy everything from Swiss stone pine cushions to liqueurs.

Hotel tip for Hall

The Hotel Kontor in Hall's old town is located in a listed old trading house and was transformed into a charming boutique hotel by the owners themselves over the course of several months. The five rooms are tastefully decorated in a contemporary style. Modern designer furniture contrasts with old wooden floors and stucco ceilings. The breakfast is excellent and the hotel has parking spaces on the doorstep.

Info: www.hotel-kontor.at

The trip in March 2024 was supported by the Hall-Wattens Tourist Board.

Photo credit: Petra Kirsch