Tux is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
Schwaz
Schwaz () is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative center of the Schwaz district. Schwaz is located in the lower Inn valley.
Location
Schwaz lies in the middle of the Lower Inn Valley at the foot of the Kellerjoch a ...
district in the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n state of
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
.
Geography
The parish of Tux covers the higher and largest part of the
Tuxertal
The Tuxertal is a valley located in Tyrol, Austria. A side valley of the Zillertal, from which it branches at Mayrhofen, the Tuxertal is about 13 km long and accessible on the Tuxer Straße (Tux Road). From Mayrhofen () to Hintertux (1500&n ...
, a
side valley
Side valleys and tributary valleys are valleys whose brooks or rivers flow into greater ones.
Upstream, the valleys can be classified in an increasing order which is equivalent to the usual orographic order: the tributaries are ordered from th ...
of the
Zillertal
The Ziller Valley (german: Zillertal) is a valley in Tyrol, Austria that is drained by the Ziller River. It is the widest valley south of the Inn Valley (german: Inntal) and lends its name to the Zillertal Alps, the strongly glaciated section of t ...
that branches off at
Mayrhofen
Mayrhofen is a town in the Zillertal (Ziller river valley) in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is located approximately an hour from the Tyrolean capital city of Innsbruck.
Population
Tourism
The town offers a variety of summer and winter sports ...
. The territory of the parish extends to the glaciated peak of
Olperer
The Olperer is a mountain in the Zillertal Alps in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. It is the main summit on the Tux Crest (''Tuxer Kamm'') and is often crossed in the summer as climbers transit from the Olperer Hut to the Geraer Hut. It was ...
(3,476 m) and the 2,338 m high saddle of the
Tuxer Joch
The Tuxer Joch is a mountain pass in the Zillertal Alps at a height of that links the lower Zillertal valley with the Brenner route just north of the Brenner Pass. To the northeast just below the summit lies the Tuxer Joch-Haus.
History
In ...
, a crossing between the Zillertal and
Wipptal
The Wipp Valley (german: Wipptal) is an Alpine valley in Tyrol, Austria and in South Tyrol, Italy, running between Innsbruck and Franzensfeste. The Brenner Pass (1,374 m) at the Austro-Italian border divides it into the northern, Austrian Lower ...
valleys that was heavily used even in the
protohistoric
Protohistory is a period between prehistory and history during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, but other cultures have already noted the existence of those pre-literate groups in their own writings. For example, in ...
period. Other prominent peaks within the municipality are the 3,288 m high
Gefrorene Wand Spitze and the 3,231 m high
Hoher Riffler. The highest farmsteads lie at a height of 1,630 m.
Tux consists of the five villages of Tux-Vorderlanersbach (former Vorderlanersbach), Tux-Lanersbach (former Lanersbach), Juns, Madseit, and Hintertux.
On 25 January 2005 the state government renamed Lanersbach to Tux-Lanersbach and Vorderlanersbach to Tux-Vorderlanersbach because, although the municipality as a whole was called Tux, there was no actual village with the name.
Tux-Vorderlanersbach () is the first village along the road from Finkenberg. On the mountainside above lie the hamlets of Schöneben and Gemais. The farming settlement of Gemais at 1,450 m was placed under conservation protection as it has a historical coherence and unity of architectural style that date back to the 17th century. It developed from a former ''Schwaighof'' - a type of livestock farm typical of the Alpine region. The 2,292 m high hamlet of Geiseljoch lies on the way into the
Inn valley
The Inn ( la, Aenus; rm, En) is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. The river is long. It is a right tributary of the Danube and it is the third largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The highest point of its drainage basin is ...
that was once a busy trading route to the markets in
Hall in Tirol
Hall in Tyrol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km (3 mi) east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 13,000 (Jan 2013).
History ...
and
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
.
From Vorderlanersbach there is a single-cable
gondola lift
A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supp ...
to the Rastkogel skiing area, which in turn is linked to the nearby skiing areas of
Penken The Penken is a mountain area in the Ziller Valley located in the Austrian Tyrol.
The Penken can be reached by modern cable car from the village of Mayrhofen
Mayrhofen is a town in the Zillertal (Ziller river valley) in the Austrian state of Tyr ...
and Eggalm.
Tux-Lanersbach () lies about two kilometres beyond Vorderlanersbach and forms the cultural and business heart of the Tuxertal. Tux-Lanersbach is both the seat of the municipality of Tux as well as a church parish that has existed since 1891. The parish church in Tux-Lanersbach was built in 1686 in place of an older Gothic church and was converted to the baroque style in 1750.
In the south of the village at the Höllenstein Hut (about 1,800 m), a small farm museum has been established.
A cable lift leads to the Eggalm ski and hiking area.
Juns () is a long drawn out village about 2 km up the valley from Tux-Lanersbach. It comprises several small hotels and private homes. There is a show mill worth seeing here that used to grind the barley corn grown here right up until just a few decades ago. Two toboggan runs descend from the Höhlenstein Hut and the alpine pasture of Grieralm, both roughly 5 km long, ending in Juns. The runs are lit and can be used in the evening.
Madseit () lies beyond the village of Juns and is a small settlement with several hotels, boarding houses and private homes. The valley narrows then behind the little hamlet, at the confluence of the Madseitbach and the Tuxerbach.
Hintertux () lies furthest up the valley at the foot of the
Hintertux Glacier
The Hintertux Glacier (german: Hintertuxer Gletscher) is the tourist name for the glaciers of the Gefrorene-Wand-Kees, also called the Tuxer Ferner, and the nearby Riepenkees at the top of the Tuxertal, a side valley of the Zillertal in the Austr ...
(one of the most popular summer skiing regions in Austria), and is surrounded by mountains and glaciers. It consists of hotels, guest houses and scattered farmhouses. The Church of the Assumption (''Kirche Maria Himmelfahrt'') was completed in 1952 on the site of a previous one that had been blown up in 1941.
In Hintertux are the highest thermal baths in Europe, with their various mineral springs. In the immediate vicinity of the Spannagelhaus lies the
Spannagel Cave
The Spannagel Cave (german: Spannagelhöhle) is a show cave near Hintertux, in the Zillertal Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Currently about 10 kilometres of cave have been discovered; guided tours enable access to 500 metres of the cave. It ...
, that is over 10 km long and the largest natural cave in the
Austrian Central Alps
The Central Eastern Alps (german: Zentralalpen or Zentrale Ostalpen), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps (german: Österreichische Zentralalpen) or just Central Alps, comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent ...
. The cave is under a preservation order and may only be visited as part of a guided tour.
At the Tuxer Ferner glacier is an all-season skiing area with a large number of lifts. The place is the base for many walks and high Alpine tours. The Hintertux Glacier Ski Region (''Skigebiet Hintertuxer Gletscher'') belongs to the
Zillertal 3000 ski region and is a popular with skiers in summer as well as winter.
Hintertux has a population of 178 (as at: 2006). Until 1926 it belonged to the parish of
Schmirn
Schmirn is a municipality in the District Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
Schmirn is located southeast of Innsbruck, situated in the homonymous valley that branches off from Wipptal
The Wipp Valley (german: Wipptal ...
am Brenner.
Neighbouring parishes
Finkenberg
Finkenberg is a municipality in the Schwaz district in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
Finkenberg lies about 3 km southwest of Mayrhofen at the entrance to the Tuxer valley.
Sightseeing
* Garnet Chapel near the Penken The Penken is a mo ...
,
Hippach
Hippach is a municipality in the Schwaz district in the Austrian state of Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historic ...
,
Kolsassberg
Kolsassberg is a municipality in the district Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol located about 19 km east of Innsbruck and 2 km above Kolsass. The location was founded around 1196.
Population
References
Ex ...
,
Navis
Navis is a municipality in the district Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol located 19 km southeast of Innsbruck in a valley with the same name which is a side valley of the Wipptal. The extensive territory of this municipality run ...
,
Schmirn
Schmirn is a municipality in the District Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
Schmirn is located southeast of Innsbruck, situated in the homonymous valley that branches off from Wipptal
The Wipp Valley (german: Wipptal ...
,
Schwendau
Schwendau (Pronunciation:''shven-dau'') is a municipality in the Schwaz district in the Austrian state of Tyrol. First mentioned in 1200 as “''Swentowe''” (clearing of a pasture). The original meaning of this name is also illustrated on the emb ...
,
Wattenberg,
Weerberg
Weerberg is a municipality in the Schwaz district in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
Important peaks in the parish territory are the 2,762 m high Rastkogel and the 2,506 m high Gilfert
The Gilfert is a peak in the Tux Alps. It is the m ...
History
The Tuxer valley was first mentioned in the records in 1280.
The Tuxer valley was discovered in
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
times as evinced by various finds from the middle
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
. The first settlers in the valley were probably
Breuni
The Raeti (spelling variants: ''Rhaeti'', ''Rheti'' or ''Rhaetii'') were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture was related to those of the Etruscans. Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austria, ...
, who came from the
Raeti
The Raeti (spelling variants: ''Rhaeti'', ''Rheti'' or ''Rhaetii'') were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture was related to those of the Etruscans. Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austria, ...
tribe and settled in the
Wipptal
The Wipp Valley (german: Wipptal) is an Alpine valley in Tyrol, Austria and in South Tyrol, Italy, running between Innsbruck and Franzensfeste. The Brenner Pass (1,374 m) at the Austro-Italian border divides it into the northern, Austrian Lower ...
.
Shepherds and miners also settled the valley, migrating over the Tuxer Joch from the
Schmirn
Schmirn is a municipality in the District Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
Schmirn is located southeast of Innsbruck, situated in the homonymous valley that branches off from Wipptal
The Wipp Valley (german: Wipptal ...
valley and cultivating it by clearing forests. In 889 the Tux valley, along with other parts of the Zillertal, went to the
Archdiocese of Salzburg
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg ( la, Archidioecesis Salisburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. The archdiocese is one of two Austrian archdioceses, serving alongside the Archdiocese ...
. In 1280 the name Tux (''Tukkes'') was first mentioned in the records. Originally referring to pure water, the term was adopted as the name of the valley. It is probably derived from the Indo-Germanic root, ''teg'', which means "running, "flowing" or "melting away". The first farms were of the ''Schwaighof'' type and had to pay their taxes in kind e.g. in livestock.
The remotest valley between Lanersbach and Hintertux was, until 1438, a fief of the court of
Matrei am Brenner
Matrei am Brenner is a small municipality in the southern part of the District Innsbruck-Land and is located approximately 17 km south of Innsbruck. Matrei has always been an important station for commerce. On 1 January 2022 the municipalitie ...
and later
Steinach am Brenner
Steinach am Brenner is a market town in the district of Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol located south of Innsbruck in the Wipptal at the Sill River.
Geography
Steinach am Brenner is located in Wipptal, along the Sill River Valley at ...
. Until 1926 Hintertux belonged to the parish of
Schmirn
Schmirn is a municipality in the District Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Geography
Schmirn is located southeast of Innsbruck, situated in the homonymous valley that branches off from Wipptal
The Wipp Valley (german: Wipptal ...
. In 1926 Hintertux merged with Lanersbach and the mining office of Lämperbichl (''Hauptmannschaft Lämperbichl'') to form the parish of Tux.
Economy
Agriculture
The meadows and alpine pastures in the Tux valley continue to be cultivated even today, albeit most farms only provide a secondary source of income.
Tourism
Tourism is the most important branch of the economy in the valley today with numerous hotels, restaurants and accommodation providers being established here. Three ski regions have been opened up for the ski tourism industry: the first was the Eggalm region in 1961; it was joined in 1968 by the Hintertux Glacier and from 1984 by the Rastkogel, which has been linked to the Penken Ski Region since 2001 by a shuttle lift. During the 2000s the capacity of the lift infrastructure was massively increased. The Hintertux Glacier was operated as an all-year skiing area from the outset. Just as important for the region is the merger of the Tux ski regions with those in the direction of Finkenberg and Mayrhofen (Penken). After Mayrhofen, Tux has the second-highest number of overnight guests in the Zillertal.
Magnesite factory
From 1927 to 1976 the Tux Magnesite Mine, about 500 m above Vorderlanersbach, was the highest of its kind in Europe. Using open-cast and underground mining up to 400 workers mined
magnesite
Magnesite is a mineral with the chemical formula (magnesium carbonate). Iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may occur as admixtures, but only in small amounts.
Occurrence
Magnesite occurs as veins in and an alteration product of ultramafic ro ...
. Special cableways for workers and materiel linked the factory with Lanersbach and the loading station in the Zillertal near
Mayrhofen
Mayrhofen is a town in the Zillertal (Ziller river valley) in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is located approximately an hour from the Tyrolean capital city of Innsbruck.
Population
Tourism
The town offers a variety of summer and winter sports ...
. On the Schrofenalm, about 500 m away from the factory, was a small settlement with accommodation, a school, a grocer's shop, a cinema and other facilities for factory employees and their families. When the factory closed in 1976 it was completely demolished and the area renaturalised. All that remains are St. Barbara's Chapel, built in 1947 based on plans by Hubert Prachensky with frescoes by Max Weiler, and two former worker's houses, the ''Schrofenhäuser''.
Transport
Tux is accessible from Mayrhofen by road. From Mayrhofen station on the
Ziller Valley Railway there is a bus service. The nearest Austrian Federal Railway station is at
Jenbach
Jenbach is a municipality in the district of Schwaz in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol.
Etymology
Many inhabitants of Jenbach believe that the name "Jenbach" is derived from "Jenseits des Baches", which means "Beyond the brook", how ...
, which is also the departure station for the Ziller Valley Railway.
Within the Tux valley there is a free bus service - the ''Tuxer Sportbus'' - that runs during the day between Vorderlanersbach and Hintertux. In the winter months there is also a fare-charging ''Nightliner'' bus until 2 a.m.
References
External links
Website of the parish of Tux (German)*
ttp://tux.at/en/ Website of the Tux-Finkenberg Tourist AssociationHintertux ski region website (German)
{{authority control
Cities and towns in Schwaz District