Get to know Silz through its distinctive nature and cultural heritage: the Silz Innau is a rare remnant of floodplain forest in the Tyrolean Inn Valley; the mill, parish church and castle complement the natural setting with bread-making traditions, architecture and history. When planning your visit, it is worth distinguishing between the conditions for each attraction: access to the Innau is seasonally restricted, mill tours are available on request, and the castle can only be viewed from the outside. This lets you plan your time in Silz around the actual ways each place can be visited.
The Innau and its birdlife
A rare remnant of floodplain forest in the Tyrolean Inn Valley survives in the Silz Innau. More than 40 bird species have been recorded in the Innau area, around 25 of which breed in the Silz floodplain. Alongside the floodplain forest, birdlife is therefore another distinctive natural feature of the area. Access is via the farm track from Silz to Silzer Pirchet, followed by a walk through the railway embankment underpass. Access is subject to seasonal restrictions. Bear these in mind when planning your visit and check the conditions before setting out.
Bread, the mill museum and the themed trail
The “From Grain to Bread” themed trail in Silz features a range of interactive and informative stations. You can reach the trail by taking bus route 8352 to the “Silz Kirchplatz” stop or the train to “Silz Bahnhof” station. Check the current timetable for your journey. The Silz Mill adds a tangible product to the theme: Silz potato bread is made there using grain and potatoes from local farms.
From March to December, the mill holds bread-baking days on the first Saturday of each month, when various types of bread are sold. Tours of the mill museum, on the other hand, are available on request and offer insights into the history of the municipal mill. The two offerings therefore have different arrangements: the baking days take place monthly, while you need to request a museum tour.
Church, patronal feast and castle
The parish church of St Peter and St Paul is a three-aisled hall church with two bays. The nave contains frescoes created by Heinrich Kluibenschedl and his student Emanuel Raffeiner between 1903 and 1905. The church’s architectural form and its clearly dated decorative scheme are distinct aspects of its character.
Silz celebrates its patronal feast every year on 29 June. It begins at six o’clock with a Tagrebell; this is followed by a mass, a procession and an Agape. If you would like to plan your trip around the feast, check the event details for the relevant date.
Another trace of local history leads to St Petersberg Castle, first mentioned in documents in 1090/97. Originally, it was Welf family property or an imperial fief and the centre of the county in the Upper Inn Valley. The castle is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. Check locally whether any exceptions are possible rather than planning an interior visit.
Getting there and other visits
Silz has an ÖBB rail connection, and the motorway access is at Silz/Mötz. Check current timetables and road conditions before travelling. Advance registration is required for a tour of the Silz Visitor Centre at the Silz power station: TIWAG offers visits there by prior arrangement. This means the visit has different requirements from the mill museum, whose tours are available on request. The municipality of Silz extends as far as Kühtai—a geographical detail that may help when choosing a destination within the municipality.
Discover more destinations: Kühtai, Haiming, Nassereith, Obergurgl, Roppen, Mötz, Imsterberg, Karrösten
For the overarching travel guide: Imst.
