Leisach

At Leisach, an idyllic village, the Pustertal valley high road starts.

Altitude: 710 m asl

Leisach, a village located close to Lienz, extends on an alluvial fan in the direction of the Drau river. The former “Lienzer Klause” and the hamlet of Burgfrieden are part of the municipal area, and so are Gries and Leisach-Dorf. The local mountain of Leisach is the 2,717 m high Spitzkofel, a mountain that belongs to the northern part of the Lienz Dolomites. The emblem of the municipality shows a yellow sword and two black pinnacles, representing the villages of Leisach and Burgfrieden, localities of which the municipality of Leisach developed. The sword also stands for the patron saint St. Michael, and the pinnacles for the fortress at the “Lienzer Klause”.

The holiday resort attaches great importance to family-friendliness! Especially the swimming pool located in the forest is popular with kids, offering a huge lawn with trees as well as a children’s playground and a children’s pool. Also cycling routes along the Drau river are ideal for family day trips. Also in winter there are several activities you can choose from: the natural toboggan run, an ice skating ground and the little ski lift of Leisach provide diversity regarding leisure time activities. To those who are interested in culture we warmly recommend a visit to the “Lienzer Klause”, the most ancient parts of which date back to 1240 AD. This fortress is located along an ancient post road about half an hour from the village, but still belongs to the municipal area. By the way, it also represents the east end of the Pustertal valley. Today only a ruin is left, but it has got much to tell about history…

Also culture and tradition are of utmost importance to Leisach, several customs are still in use. There is e.g. the tradition of chiming the bells if there is a thunder-storm, which is aimed at warding the thunder-storm off. Moreover the carol singers collect donations for charity. The participants of this initiative are dressed like the Three Wise Men.

Our recommendation: at the component locality Gries the Pustertal valley high road (Pustertaler Höhenstrasse) starts, which offers a great view on the Lienz Dolomites and the Dolomites of Sesto. A trip on this road can perfectly be combined with a visit to some cultural sights like Anras Castle, or to some inns offering typical Tyrolean delicacies…