Schwoich
This cosy holiday resort of Schwoich is considered to be the birthplace of the Austrian cement industry.
Altitude: 584 m asl
Schwoich, located on a high plateau, extends from the Inn riverside to the Walleralm pasture located at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountain chain and from the Locherer chapel to the Häringer waterfall. In other words, great parts of the municipal area consist of alpine pastures, meadows and forests. The name of the village points to a mossy underground, as this is also the reason why in this area plenty of blueberries grow. This abundance made Schwoich famous all over the area.
The emblem of the village shows a white klin on blue background, as in this place already in the mid-19th century cement used to be baked. For this reason Schwoich is considered to be the cradle of Austrian cement industry. To this effect you can also visit the Cement Museum, an open- air museum right at the beginning of the village, exhibiting restored lime ovens. Those who are interested in culture are recommended to visit the S. Ägidius parish church, restored by Clemens Holzmeister, as well as the Locherer chapel, which has been established in order to remind the blocking of Kufstein in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714).
Regarding summer leisure time activities, cycling and mountain-biking come first in this area, thanks not last to the well-maintained network of trails. Also swimming is of course very popular: in 1998 the first biotope swimming lake of Tyrol has been inaugurated in this place, which is also called “banana lake” referable to its form. Ḿoreover you can start right from the village when exploring the breathtaking mountains in the surroundings. Another way of experiencing the landscape is a horse ride, offered e.g. by the Schellhorn riding stable. Both summer and winter Schwoich has got several highlight to offer: Schwoich is home-town of one of the best ice stock teams in Middle Europe as well as of numerous Olympic athletes in cross-country skiing, biathlon and luge. There is also a toboggan run and kilometres of cross-country ski trails, completing the offer of the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental, offering 279 km of well-groomed ski slopes.
Our recommendation: the Hirtlhof tavern, which is by the way famous for its fresh trouts, offers considerable number of minerals gathered in the Alpine area. Moreover this place is a popular starting point for hikes to the Häring waterfall…
