Schwendau: Art Trail, Culture and Waterfall

Schwendau brings together distinctive routes, cultural history and striking natural features. The approximately 3.7 km-long “Art Trail” runs along the Ziller promenade; the Keilkeller Waterfall cascades down the Horbergbach over several drops and partly bare rock faces. Other highlights include a Neo-Baroque pilgrimage church, a historic distillery that now houses a museum, and the Thun, a former administrative seat. This selection offers different perspectives on the village: a route to the village centre, religious and historical themes, and a hike through mixed woodland.

Art Trail and route to the village centre

The “Art Trail” runs for approximately 3.7 km along the Ziller promenade. The Schwendau Path offers another specific route: it begins on Augasse at the Art Trail and continues to the centre of Schwendau. This lets you take into account both the approximate length of the promenade section and a path with a named starting point and destination. If you like to plan your days around a route, the path offers a clear endpoint, while the Art Trail provides a longer spatial frame of reference.

Church, history and tradition

The Neo-Baroque pilgrimage church “Zu unserem gekreuzigten Heiland” (Our Crucified Saviour) is reached via a short path lined with masonry Stations of the Cross. The church and the stations connect the building with a religious route. For anyone interested in sacred architecture, both the church as a destination and the approach with its Stations of the Cross are part of the experience.

The Thun is a tower-like building dating from the 13th century. It was once the residence of the official and the administrative centre of the Schwendau district. Today it is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. Its former administrative function gives the building its historical context; the fact that it can only be viewed from outside is also important when planning your visit.

A historic distillery has been restored and now serves as a small museum. There, you can learn interesting facts about schnapps distilling. Another local tradition takes place in November at the Three Linden trees: the Leonardiritt, a horse procession with an animal blessing. If you would like to include this tradition in your travel plans, check the specific dates for your travel year.

Waterfall and protected landscape area

At the Keilkeller Waterfall, water cascades down over several drops and partly bare rock faces; the waterfall is on the Horbergbach. The route follows the Hippach–Schwendau forest path, then a partly stony, root-strewn trail through mixed woodland. This trail surface is a specific factor to consider when deciding whether to go on the hike.

Burgschrofen is also among Schwendau’s natural attractions. It is also called Burgstallschrofen and is a protected landscape area. If you come across both names, they refer to the same place.

Experiences to help you choose a holiday apartment

When looking for a holiday apartment in Schwendau, you can first consider what you would like your stay to focus on: cultural sights, the path to the village centre, or a hike through mixed woodland. These interests raise different questions for your travel planning and do not need to be combined into a single itinerary. This way, you can choose your destination based on the experiences in Schwendau that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Zellberg, Weer, Ried im Zillertal, Tux, Achenkirch, Hart im Zillertal, Ramsau im Zillertal, Jenbach.

Go to the main travel overview: Schwaz.