Heinfels Castle, the Loacker World of Indulgence and mountain trails each offer a different reason to visit Heinfels. The castle was restored and opened to the public between 2016 and 2020. If you are planning a visit, check the latest visitor information. The different planning considerations can help you choose what to do: booking details for the hands-on pastry workshop, difficulty ratings for the via ferrata, and the starting and end points of the mountain trails.
Castle, Indulgence and Hands-On Activities
The Loacker World of Indulgence is nestled in the East Tyrolean mountains, surrounded by fields, farms, forests and Heinfels Castle. The interactive exhibition focuses on Loacker specialties. The hands-on pastry workshop complements it by giving visitors the chance to prepare and personalize their own wafer creations. This offers two ways to explore the same subject: through the exhibition and by creating something yourself. If you plan to visit the workshop, check the booking details in advance, as they may change; you should also check other operating information before making specific plans to visit.
Via Ferrata and Mountain Trails
The Heinfels Castle via ferrata offers a family-friendly option rated B, as well as an option rated E for experienced mountain enthusiasts.
The bike-and-hike route to Lake Tessenberg starts in Heinfels-Tessenberg at an elevation of 1,320 metres and ends at the lake at 2,124 metres. The elevation difference between the start and finish is 804 metres. Mountain conditions vary with the seasons, so plan your tour accordingly. The ascent to Tessenberger Alm offers panoramic views of the Carnic Main Ridge and the Lienz and Sexten Dolomites. The names indicate different destinations: the bike-and-hike route ends at Lake Tessenberg; the panoramic views are associated with the ascent to Tessenberger Alm.
The outdoor activities also differ in the information they provide for planning: the via ferrata has a specified difficulty rating and target group, the bike-and-hike route gives its starting point, destination and elevation, and the ascent to the alpine pasture offers panoramic views. This comparison can help you first choose the type of activity you want and then select the corresponding route description.
Choose Your Travel Route Based on Your Destination
The Heinfels bus stop is 0.5 kilometres from the castle. Regional trains from the direction of Innichen (San Candido) and from Lienz in East Tyrol serve the stop. Check the timetable and stop regulations before travelling. For the route to Lake Tessenberg, however, the journey information lists the “Panzendorf Gemeindeamt Heinfels” stop: the route can be reached by bus from there, and parking is available at Heinfels municipal offices. These access details may vary seasonally, so check them before your tour. The two sets of information relate to different destinations: the train connection concerns the stop near the castle, while the bus and parking information concerns the route to the lake. Plan your journey based on the destination you intend to visit.
Discover more destinations: St. Veit in Defereggen, St. Jakob in Defereggen, Amlach, Untertilliach, Ainet, Kartitsch, Erlsbach, Arnbach.
Back to the regional travel overview: Lienz.
