Village Hike Waidring

Historic Waidring - a living tradition

In those days, the historic "post town“ Waidring was an important crossroads for carters and stagecoach travellers, because it was located on the Salzburg-Tiroler-Reichsstraße number one. Having one of the most beautiful, scenic settings in the Bavarian-Tyrolean Alps, located at the foot of the Steinberge mountains and directly next to the Hochwald, Waidring is one of the most popular summer resorts in Tyrol. Famous and noble personalities, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Kaiser Franz Josef stayed in the tourist destination at the Gasthof Post in Waidring. Waidring is still a popular holiday resort today with its diverse tourist infrastructure and historic buildings, which are embedded in the modern townscape.

Village tour through Waidring - leisurely walk around the village's places of interest, which simply shouldn't be missed | pictured: Gasthof Post
Village tour through Waidring - leisurely walk around the village's places of interest, which simply shouldn't be missed | pictured: Diechtler
Village tour through Waidring - leisurely walk around the village's places of interest, which simply shouldn't be missed | pictured: Ritzerhof
View of Waidring with the parish church and Steinplatte
View of Waidring with the parish church, Steinplatte and the Loferer Steinberge
Panoramic view of Waidring in autumn

Data & Facts

Town: Waidring
Starting Point: Village centre
Car Parks: ski lift Hausberg (free of charge)
Difficulty level: easy
Walking time: approx. 1.5 hours
Child- and family-friendly: Yes
Accessible with pushchairs: Yes (up until the stretch between the Schäferaukapelle and Hackenschmiede)

Restaurants

Glückshotel Waidringer Hof

Hotel Restaurant Sendlhof

Pizzeria Alte Schmiede

Café-Restaurant Schneidermann

The Stops at a glance

➀ Parish church of Saint Vitus & Saint Nikolaus

The Roman Catholic parish church in Waidring was consecrated on 15th August 1764 by the Bishop of Chiemsee, Franz Karl Eusebius Graf Waldburg-Trauchburg. In the 9th Century, a wooden chapel, and then later, a brick chapel, is likely to have stood on this spot. After the Gothic chapel became too narrow and dilapidated, the Kitzbüheler architect Kassian Singer, son of a family of construction workers from Götzens, began the construction of the new Waidring parish church in 1757 in the late baroque style. After his death in 1759, his site supervisor Andrä Hueber finished the construction in 1764. The magnificent and harmonious interior is characterised by monumental ceiling frescoes, elaborate statues and a sublime Baldachin altar from the Rococo period, which is extraordinary in a parish church.

➁ Gasthof Post

A “Tavern of Waidring” was documented in as early as 1416, by the owner Peter Sachs. This “tavern” served, above all, as a place to sleep and a descent opportunity for carters and stagecoach travellers. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his father Leopold Mozart stopped here on a trip from Salzburg to Verona (1771). An overnight stay by Kaiser Franz Josef was also recorded - the room was named the “Kaiserzimmer” after his stay. The oldest visual image of Waidring, in around 1840, shows the Gasthof with a shingle-covered gable roof. The barn was destroyed during a fire in 1845, the building was then expanded by one floor and the traditional hipped roof was built.

➂ Hasslerhaus

The Niggl- or Hasslerhaus, colloquially known as the Laubehaus, is, in essence, one of buildings that has seen the least amount of changes in the village centre of Waidring. The Gothic house stone portal with an ogee arch and master's mark is particulary striking, as well as the archway, which clearly shows the years 1553 and 1851, and the pyramid-shaped hipped roof, which is rather rare in the Lower Inn Valley. From 1611 to 1889, the Nigglhaus belonged to the Gasthaus Post and served as a “tavern” (inn) for the many travellers passing through at the time. Excursion Tip: The wildly romantic Hassler Gorge, which was discovered by the Hassler family.

➃ Geislgut - Intersport Kienpointner

In 1891, Josef Clemens Kienpointner bought the Geislgut with general store from Josef Dagn. In the early 20s, his son Josef, who also worked as a photographer, took over the shop. After the Second World War, Sepp jr. managed the general store ans its petrol station. In 1988, a sports shop was built in the former sheep shelter by his son Heinz. In 1989 he joined the purchasing cooperative Intersport. Heinz took over the department store in 1991 and leased the grocery section to SPAR until 2002. Afterwards he remodelled the establishment as a sports shop, which was opened as “Intersport Kienpointner” in November 2002. His son Andreas, has been running the establishment as a partner since 2011.

➄ Heigenhauser Bakery

In 1917 Josef Heigenhauser bought the Heigenhaus property and its bakery. Josef was a farmer, livestock dealer and horse and cart driver. The bakery was taken over by various leaseholders. From 1949, his son Josef "Pepp“ Heigenhauser managed the bakery until 1997. His colleague Christian Decker took over the business on a short-term lease basis until 2002. Then the company Ellmauer from Unken ran the bakery business for another 4 years. In 2005, Josef Heigenhauser jr. took over a bakery in Kössen and has been supplying the bakery in Waidring since July 2006.

➅ Diechtler

Magnificent single-roof housebarn with semi-low floor and attached farm buildings. The ground floor was built in stone masonry, the kitchen was covered by a barrel vault. The stone house portal, as well as the hall window, are encased by Gothic window jambs with the date “1532”. In 1930, the two upper floors were rebuilt. Behind the house, you can find an old threshing floor, which dates back to “1395”. Owner: Blasius Wimmer

➆ Alte Schmiede

The former village blacksmiths “Alte Schmiede” was built in 1565. As a farrier and wagon maker, it was an important part of rural life. Due to the important transport link between Vienna and Innsbruck, the Reichsstraße number 1, there were up to six blacksmiths in Waidring at any one time during the 16th Century. The Alte Schmiede was first mentioned in a document of 1565/66, when Christian and Brigitha Entgrueber sold it to Hans Müntzacher. The entrance portal, which still exists today is furnished with a “ogee arch”, typical of the 16th and 17th Centuries. In 1972, the rural building with its attached blacksmiths was converted into a restaurant and tourist accommodation. In the wine cellar, the old chimney and the anvil of the old blacksmiths can still be seen.

➈ Schäferaukapelle Chapel

Small Christian memorials such as chapel shrines, roadside crosses and wayside shrines shape the landscape in and around Waidring. These places of faith were mainly established as gratitude for surviving disasters and for answering prayers. Among them is the legend of the Schäferau chapel: A shepherd lost his way on the Steinberge and couldn't find the way home. Suddenly, he saw a green spot in the forest far below him. The shepherd promised to build a chapel on this green meadow, as thanks for his lucky rescue. Hence the name “Schäferau” (Shepherd's meadow). After its establishment, the chapel was rebuilt four times during the year. Initially, the chapel was built without a tower. The building was only expanded by a tower, after its third transformation (1953). The bell tower, as it appears today, was created in 1982. As a result of moisture damage, in 2008/09, it was decided that improvements would be made to the walls and that the arch would be restored. Today the chapel belongs to the Waidring parish.

➉ Ritzerhof

In the old urbarium, you can find the name of the current "Ritzer” farmstead, as a so-called Söllhäusl with the name "Jägergut”. Söll houses were small properties, which had little ground and floor space, and whose owners were employed as miners or coalmen. A special feature of these houses is the asymmetric design, which is also known as a “Seitenflur” house. In contrast to the “Mittelflur” house, the left half of the house is only designed to be a hallway and staircase. In the right half of the house, you can find the living rooms. On the ground floor, only the rooms that had an open fireplace were bricked. During the French wars, the Jägergut was destroyed by a fire. In 1809 is was rebuilt again. Today, the property is the “Ritzer” farm. Owner: Maria Kaufmann

⑪ Gasteig

A two-story single roof housebarn in the “Mittelflur” design, with attached farm buildings. The ground floor was built in stone masonry, the kitchen features a barrel vault to this day. The upper floors are built in a square block construction, the beautiful entrance portal with the two-piece front doors features a Gothic round arch from Nagelfluh (conglomerate). Behind the house, you can find a threshing floor dating back to “1639”. The house was first mentioned in 1343. The roof inscription comes from the year 1757, which indicates, that a new roof truss was fitted during this year. Owner: Wolfgang Winkler

The farms in our area are characterised by the Bavarian colonisation. Harvests such as hay, straw and grains had to be stored in closed barns due to climatic conditions. The interior rooms mainly include the kitchen and living room at the front, as well as dining rooms and bedrooms, also known as chambers, at the rear of the house. The hallway usually ends with a door to the barn. On the upper floor there are predominantly bedrooms.