At least 5 vans were leaving as we arrived
mid-morning and all were making a bizarrely and remarkably over-zealous use of
the tiny drain, positioning themselves in the most awkward of angles to dump their
waste water ‘look at me! I’m doing this legally.’ How unusual!
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| Schwaz, at the foot of the Kellerjoch in the Lower Inn Valley |
During the 15th and 16th centuries Schwaz made its name,
and the fortune of a number of local investors, from deep underground in its
silver (and copper) mines.
The town still exudes a well-heeled and cosmopolitan
air, with many young people driving flashy cars or riding roaring motorbikes,
and the old centre is comfortably historic with beautiful patrician houses (the
silver-mining Fuggers’ Palace is now a nunnery), a grand high street and a
simply beautiful church.
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| Pfarrkirche, with its roof covered with 15,000 copper plates |
Surprisingly not a cathedral, the Pfarrkirche is the
largest four-aisle Gothic church in the entire Tyrol. Inside it has carved
wooden pews and very prettily decorated guild poles, the tall decorated candle
holders that feature religious or allegorical scenes.
Locals of five centuries and today alike are
proud of its towering 15,000 copper tiles, now a pretty vermillion green.
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| Burg Freundsberg, high above the town |
We meandered through the open cloisters around a garden
of roses and fountains before finding the walking way up to the Schloss Freundsberg,
a steep climb up out of the town with super views of the valley below.
The Counts of Tyrol guarded Schwaz from this Burg, but today a different type of ceremony was taking place.
Some
sort of Autumn or “Erbst” Festival had just finished so we kept out of the way
of the many traditionally-dressed men and women in lederhosen and petticoats
but were greeted by the presiding minister. From the top of the Schloss the
views across the green and verdantly autumnal valley were gorgeous.
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| Views of the Inn Valley back towards Innsbruck |
Skirting the road we found the old town walls which also
serve as a flood defence against the waters that slew down the mountainside
when the snows melt. Back at river level and a hot, stuffy Bertha we got
chatting to a younger British couple who were six months into their dream tour
of Europe.
Having sold a house and bought a van they had been across to East
Europe and returned via Greece and Italy to the Alps. They were us, six years
ago! It was lovely to swap experiences and memories with them before an
arriving Czech van split us up.
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| Late September evening sunshine at Schwaz stellplatz |
Early the next morning we climbed up again to the Schloss
that, having read about in our guide book, contained 15th century
kitchens. It was positively chilly at
9am as we retraced our steps up the steep and misty mountainside.
When we
reached the top at 10.30am, opening time, we realised with disappointment that
it was ‘ruhetag’ or closing day. Back down in the town centre a half an hour
later for a welcome coffee, locals were peeling off layers in the building heat
and tucking into ice creams and strudel. Ah well.
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| The unreachable Tratzberg Castle |
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| A close up of the imposing fortress walls |
Simon cycled 15kms to get views of the imposing, but unreachable by bike, Tratzberg Castle at Stans. I stayed out of the heat and in Bertha researching how to get back into Germany without the challenge of the steepest mountain passes.
We considered routes through Italy, France and a return
through Switzerland but in the end decided upon the Fern Pass to get us closer
to Bavaria, and hopefully without taxing Bertha’s power steering too much…
