Attractions & Landmarks In Hall in Tirol
Discover the fascinating appeal of Hall in Tirol, where a rich tapestry of sites and monuments chronicles a timeless narrative. With its Gothic architecture and cobblestone alleys, which vividly recall the town’s historic legacy, the Old Town radiates medieval appeal.
The Hasegg Castle, a powerful and timeless fortification with amazing views of the Tyrolean landscape, is one of the main attractions. Medieval majesty is created by the amazing towers and minute details.
An amazing architectural marvel, the Münzerturm Tower is evidence of Hall’s long medieval legacy in currency minting. Ascending the spiraling steps will provide a panoramic perspective of the exquisitely red-roofed town buildings.
Discover Hall’s historic salt mining past at the Saline Museum, a major sector that profoundly affected the economic future of the town. Featuring a great variety of objects and interactive displays, the museum’s exhibitions provide a complete study of history.
Offering a calm and motivating environment, the St. Nicholas Parish Church is an amazing illustration of Gothic architecture. The elegant interiors and tall spires produce a mesmerizing environment that invites close contemplation.
Spend some time exploring the vibrant Marktplatz, where the Mint Tower and charming market booths coexist, so really savoring the core of the local culture. Here the town radiates refinement, and the mix of Gothic and Baroque façade creates a delightful image.
Every monument and attraction in Hall in Tirol vividly depicts history, inviting guests to embrace the present vitality of an Austrian jewel while entering a bygone age.
Hasegg Castle
One of the most significant historical sites in the area, Hasegg Castle is a mediaeval castle with views over Tirol’s town of Hall. Built in the 13th century, the castle housed the lords of Hasegg, who oversaw the minting business in Hall and the salt mines. Numerous historical events also took place at the castle, including the peasant revolt of 1525, the siege of 1703, and the Napoleonic wars of 1805 and 1809. Restored and rebuilt in the 20th century, the castle is today a cultural attraction and museum.
History of Hasegg Castle
Although Hasegg Castle first appears in a record in 1232, its beginnings are in the 11th century, as a wooden stronghold. Built by the lords of Hasegg, Tyrol’s vassals with rights to the salt mines and the minting business in Hall, the fortress was Over the ages, the castle grew and strengthened until it was a strong fortification shielding the town and the area from invaders. The castle was also the scene of several historical events, including the peasant revolt of 1525, when the rebels besieged and plundered the castle, the siege of 1703, when the Tyrolean hero Josef Speckbacher defended the castle against the Bavarian army, and the Napoleonic wars of 1805 and 1809, when the French army occupied and damaged the castle. Restored and rebuilt in the 20th century, the castle is today a cultural site and museum.
Architecture and Design
Typical for a medieval castle, Hasegg Castle boasts a rectangular design, a moat, a drawbridge, a courtyard, and a keep. Several architectural elements of the castle indicate its purpose and history:
- The most conspicuous and unique aspect of the castle is the mint tower. Built in the fifteenth century, the tower housed the production site for the renowned silver coins known as Guldengroschen. The tower has a diameter of twelve meters and forty meters in height. Designed by engineer Marx Schwab in 1567, the tower also features the first automated coining machine in the world and the biggest silver medal, weighing more than 20 kg and struck 2003 to mark the 500th anniversary of the Guldengroschen.
- Comprising the oldest section of the castle, the chapel dates back to the eleventh century. Dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the town and the minters, the chapel Romanesque in design, the chapel features a barrel vault, a semicircular apse, and a fresco illustrating the Last Judgment. Along with a wooden monument of St. Nicholas from the 15th century, the chapel boasts the burials of several of the lords of Hasegg.
- Originating in the 16th century, the hall is the biggest and most representative room in the castle. Receptions, banquets, celebrations, and meetings among other events took place in the hall. The Renaissance hall features a tiled stove, a coffered ceiling, and a mural illustrating the history of the castle and the town on top of which Along with some of the instruments and machinery used in the minting process, the hall features some of the original coins and medals struck in the castle.
Tours and Visiting Information
From Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 17:00, Hasegg Castle is open to the public April to October. Adults pay 8 euros; pensioners and students pay 6 euros; children pay 4 euros. Along with a visit to the mint museum, which highlights the history and technology of the minting business in Hall, the admission cost include a guided tour of the castle spanning roughly one hour. Along with audio guides in many languages, the castle provides unique excursions for families, businesses, and schools. Visitors may purchase mementos, literature, and reproductions of the coins and medals struck in the castle from the gift store inside the castle.
Hall Mint
One of the most significant and well-known sites in Hall in Tirol, an Austrian town once a key center of Middle Ages salt commerce and production, is the Hall Mint. Founded in 1477, the Hall Mint became to be the biggest and most sophisticated mint in Europe, manufacturing the first premium silver coins, sometimes known as thalers, which subsequently formed the basis for the US dollar and other currencies. The roller-press coinage technology, which the Hall Mint also instituted, transformed coin production and brought consistency and durability to otherwise disparate currencies. The Great Coinage Reform, which helped to stabilize the Holy Roman Empire’s money and economy in the sixteenth century, also benefited much from the Hall Mint.
Situated atop the ancient fortification Hasegg Castle, which commands a view of the town and the neighboring mountains, the Hall Mint The Burg Fried church, a Gothic church with the earliest stained glass windows in Tyrol, and the Burg Hasegg Tower, a 16th-century watchtower with panoramic views of the town and the mountains, also call for attention in the castle Along with a pond, fountain, and pavilion, the castle boasts a landscaped garden, Burggarten Hall in Tirol with a range of trees, flowers, and plants.
Modern and displaying the history and technique of coin manufacture in Hall, Tirol, the Hall Mint Museum is Along with a collection of coins from several eras and areas, the museum exhibits the actual tools and machinery used in coin minting. In addition, the museum provides interactive displays and activities for guests of all ages as well as guided tours and coin making demos. A unique magnifying glass in the museum lets guests find the coins’ minute features.
Apart from a masterwork of engineering and architecture, the Hall Mint represents the strength and reputation of the town. Representing an example of medieval town-planning and urban development as well as a cultural and financial monument of European history, the Hall Mint is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site. Anyone fascinated in the history, culture, and art of Hall in Tirol and Tyrol must visit the Hall Mint.
St. Nicholas Parish Church
Gothic church St. Nicholas Parish Church in Hall in Tirol was built in the 13th century. It is found on the upper town square of Hall in Tirol, an old town in the Austrian Alps previously a prominent commercial hub because of its salt mines and mint. One of the town’s monuments, the cathedral boasts artistic legacy and rich history.
Originally designed as a Romanesque basilica, the church underwent later expansion and Gothic renovation. Reb rebuilt following an earthquake in 1670, the church boasts a 72-meter-tall tower. The tower boasts a clock chimes every quarter hour and a unique onion-shaped dome. Installated in 1891 to mark the forty-th year of Emperor Franz Joseph I’s rule, the church also features a sizable organ Considered among the best organs in Tyrol, the one has 2,500 pipes.
Mosaics, stained glass windows, frescoes, and sculptures abound inside the church. Completing in 1520, the main altar shows the life of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the town and the church. On his feast day, December 6, the altar also features a relic of St. Nicholas—a bit of his skull. In addition, the church features a side chapel to St. Magdalena including a 15th-century wooden statue of the saint. The Waldauf Chapel, which exhibits a collection of human skulls and bones, is another noteworthy aspect of the chapel. These are the remnants of the plague and other sickness victims who tore throughout the town in years past. Rich businessman Florian Waldauf paid his wealth to the church and the underprivileged, therefore building the chapel in 1513.
The church welcomes guests and provides, upon demand, guided tours. Along with cultural activities, it features frequent concerts and exhibits. The church witnesses Hall in Tirol’s history and culture as well as a place of prayer. For everyone who visits this little town tucked in the heart of the Alps, it is a must-see destination.
Dominican Church and Monastery
Situated on the Stiftsplatz, the town’s main square, the Dominican Church and Monastery in Hall in Tirol is also known as the Collegiate Church or the Stiftskirche. Originally established by the Dominican Order in 1281 following Count Meinhard II of Tyrol’s land grant, Preaching the Gospel and battling heresy—especially the Cathar movement then raging in southern France and northern Italy—the Dominicans were a mendicant order. In Hall, the Dominicans also built a library and a school and added to the town’s intellectual and spiritual life.
The Church
Conceded in 1313, the church’s dedication was to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Originally a single-nave Gothic construction with a polygonal choir and a tower on the south side, it had Reflecting the shifting tastes and styles of the day, the church was enlarged and rebuilt multiple times over the ages. The most important changes occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries as the church was turned into a Baroque masterwork.
Stucco, frescoes, paintings, sculptures, and altars abound in the church’s inside decorating. Johann Georg Dominikus Grasmair painted the ceiling frescoes in 1726; they show events from Mary’s life as well as the history of the Dominican order. Designed by Johann Martin Gumpp the Younger in 1684, the high altar showcases Johann Georg Platzer’s Assumption of Mary painting. The side altars honor several saints and order patrons including St. Dominic, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Peter Martyr. Among the various tombs and epitaphs honoring notable Tyrolean nobility and clergy members including Bishop Paulinus Mayr, Archbishop Sigismund Franz of Austria, and Countess Margarete Maultasch, the cathedral also features
Built by Johann Caspar Humpel in 1754, the organ of the church is among its most outstanding characteristics. Having 2,500 pipes and 40 registers, it is regarded as one of the best specimens of Baroque organ building in Austria. Still in use today, the organ often hosts concerts and recitals.
The Monastery
Built next to the church, the monastery comprised of the dormitory, the refectory, the chapter house, the cloister, and the library among other buildings. About forty monks living in the monastery committed themselves to prayer, study, and preaching under the St. Dominic rule. Rich in books and manuscripts, some of which are still kept today in the Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck, the abbey was also a hub of study and culture.
Emperor Joseph II closed the monastery in 1785 in line with a set of measures meant to modernize and regulate the Catholic Church in Austria. The buildings were secularized and put to use for a military hospital, a school, a court, and a prison; the monks were banished. A fire started during the Napoleonic Wars badly destroyed the monastery in 1809. Restored in the 19th and 20th centuries, the monastery has been a cultural and educational hub holding conferences, exhibits, and events since 1974.
The Significance
One amazing illustration of Tyrol’s architectural, cultural, and religious legacy is the Dominican Church and Monastery in Hall. It captures the local history and culture as well as the legacy and impact of the Dominican Order. Apart from relics of the past, the church and the monastery are active venues of the present where people could enjoy the spirituality and beauty of the surroundings. Open to the public and providing guided tours, concerts, and other events, the church and monastery They also form part of the European Route of Historic Monasteries, a system of religious and cultural sites advancing the principles and customs of the monastic life. Anyone who visits the town and wants to learn about its past and appeal must definitely see the Dominican Church and Monastery in Hall in Tirol.
Town Hall
The old Town Hall in Hall in Tirol is the seat of the local government and a representation of the great legacy of the town. Situated in the middle of the old town area, one of the biggest and most well-preserved mediaeval town centers in Austria, it is the Upper Town Square Built in the late 15th century, the Town Hall arose following a catastrophic fire that devastated most of the upper town area in 1447. Reflecting the colors of the Austrian flag, the construction boasts a unique high roof pitch and red-white-red shutters. Along with a balcony where significant announcements and events are conducted, the Town Hall boasts a clock tower with a carillon playing every hour.
Over ages, the Town Hall has seen several significant events and transformations. In 1486 it was the site of the first minting of the Guldengroschen, a big silver coin forerunner of the dollar and thaler. Archduke Sigismund of Austria moved the mint from Meran to Hall and also gave Hall coinage rights. In 1494, Emperor Maximilian I and Bianca Maria Sforza were married at the Town Hall; in 1567, the Peace of Hall was signed, effectively bringing an end to the Schmalkaldic War between the Catholic and Protestant nations of the Holy Roman Empire. Several times, most famously in the 16th and 18th centuries, the Town Hall was rebuilt and enlarged to suit the town’s mounting administrative and representative needs. During the Napoleonic Wars and World War I as well as during World War II, the Town Hall also functioned as a military hospital and a refuge.
Still the hub of political and social activity in Hall in Tirol today is the Town Hall. Together with a tourist information centre and a museum, it holds the mayor’s and town council’s offices. The museum features several artifacts connected to Hall’s history and culture, including the original coining machine, the municipal charter, and the portraits of the Habsburg emperors. Along with year-round celebrations such the Easter market, the Christmas market, and the Haller Night of Culture, the Town Hall hosts Open to the public, the Town Hall provides guided Mondays, Thursdays, Saturday at 10:00 am tours. Any visitor to Hall in Tirol should not miss the Town Hall since it highlights the extraordinary past and present of the town.
Jesuitenkirche
Former Jesuit church the Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church) in Hall in Tirol is now a filial church of the Roman Catholic parish of St. Nicholas. It is a protected monument and dedicated to All Saints. Built as the convent church of the Jesuit college, created in 1569 to meet the spiritual needs of the royal convent of Archduchess Magdalena of Austria, the building was constructed between 1608–1610 Conceded on May 2, 1610, the church was fashioned after the Jesuit church in Konstanz. The church underwent Baroque renovation both inside and outside in 1684. Following the Jesuit order’s ban in 1773, the college and the church came under ownership of the imperial house then subsequently the Republic of Austria. The church was handed to St. Nicholas’s Hall in Tirol parish in 1972. Apart from festivities of the Marian Congregation of the Gentlemen and Citizens of Hall in Tirol, which was established in 1606 as a branch of the Marian Congregation of the Students of the Haller Jesuit Gymnasium, the church is mostly used for concerts and recordings. One of the four last sacrament guards in Tyrol, the Partisaner Garde resides within the church and represents intangible cultural legacy of UNESCO Austria since 2013. Originating in the customs of the Corpus Christi brotherhoods, the Partisaner Garde gets its name from their ceremonial weapon, the partisan. The Haller Partisaner Garde stands out for its Spanish court clothing from the period about 1600.
Long lancet windows on the church’s entrance front split it horizontally along cornices. Its gateway of red marble from 1610 is flanked by columns and crowned by a broken volute gable; its curved, fractured gable has cartilage stucco work. Michael Gasser produced the Madonna with Child of the type of the Patrona Bavariae, figure of the Salvator mundi, and Holy Spirit dove sculptures on the front in 1653. Rebuilding in 1685 following the great Haller earthquake of 1670, a thin tower with an octagonal form and an onion dome is attached to the east choir.
There is one nave inside the church with side chapels and a level ceiling. Josef Schöpf painted the ceiling frescoes in 1684 and they show events from the lives of Jesus and Mary. Designed in 1684 by Christoph Gumpp the Younger, the high altar features All Saints by Josef Schöpf. Josef Schöpf, Johann Georg Dominikus Grasmair, and others painted side altars. Johann Martin Gumpp the Elder built the pulpit in 1684; it features an Archangel Michael figure on a canopy. Built by Johann Christoph Egedacher in 1685, the organ boasts a highly ornately adorned case. Johann Martin Gumpp the Elder built the choir stalls in 1684 using intarsia work by Johann Georg Höttinger. Additionally of great value in the church are liturgical garments and 17th and 18th century silverware.
Heilig-Geist-Kirche
Built in 1342, the Heilig-Geist-Kirche (Holy Spirit Church) in Hall in Tirol was first a hospital church then rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1727. Currently assisting the impoverished and the sick, the Third Order of St. Francis is a religious community of women. It is the church of Comprising various paintings, sculptures, and an organ, the church boasts a lovely interior and a rich legacy.
Location and History
Near the lower town square, south of the federal road, in Hall in Tirol, a historic town in the Austrian state of Tyrol, sits the Heilig-Geist-Kirche. The town is well-known for both its intact medieval core and salt output. Originally constructed as a hospital church in 1342 at the demand of Hall’s residents seeking to tend to the “sick, beggars, orphans, destitute, and pilgrims,”Common with many hospital churches at the time, the church was dedicated to the Holy Spirit, the “comforter and father of the poor”. With a three-aisled nave and a choir, the church followed the same floor layout as it does now.
Following the designs and supervision of local stonemason and master builder Franz Gremblach, the church was destroyed and rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1727 The resources of the hospital helped to finance the reconstruction.The bishop of Brixen, Ferdinand Joseph Graf Sarnthein, dedicated the newly built church on July 28, 1728.
Third Order of St. Francis, sometimes known as the Tertiaries or the Franciscan Sisters, has owned the church since 1851. St. Francis of Assisi started the order in the 13th century in order to provide a way of life for common people who wanted to live according to his poverty, humility, and service model. Apart from looking after the church’s upkeep and adornment, the sisters of the order maintain a kindergarten and a school close by.
Architecture and Interior
A Baroque hall church with a two-bay choir and a four-bay nave, the Heilig-Geist-Kirche boasts a narrow choir and a basket-arched triumphal arch.Starting about 1900, the west facade is mosaic with the Holy Spirit. The church boasts a basic gabled roof and a modest bell tower on the southern side.
White walls, stucco decorations, and gold highlights define the exquisite, bright inside of the church. The church boasts an organ, three altars, various paintings and sculptures, and a chapel. Gregor Fritz created images of St. Florian and St. Rochus on the main altar, which stands in the choir in 1738.Designed by Philipp Haller in 1727, the altar painting shows the Pentecost—the fall of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles.
Made by Johann Georg Grasmair in 1731, the left side altar, belonging to the Scapular Confraternity, features images of the Holy Family. The picture depicts the Virgin Mary presenting a devotional garment, a scapular, to a Carmelite nun—probably St. Teresa of Avila. The indulgence helps the souls in purgatory. Above the oval picture is St. George, the Hall patron saint.
Grasmair painted St. Anne, St. Maximilian, St. Christopher, and St. John of God, the creator of the Hospitaller Brothers, also on the right side altar in 1732. Above the picture is St. Martin sharing his cloak with a needy guy.
Made by Josef Gasser, a statue of the Madonna with the crescent moon stands on the south side of the nave with monuments of St. Joseph and St. John Nepomuk from the 17th and 18th century.From the late 18th century, the church also features 14 stations of the cross and a wrought-iron entrance from 1730.
Built by Johann Caspar Humpel in 1730, the church’s organ boasts one manual1 and 15 registers. angels and musical instruments cover the organ casing.1966 and 1994 saw the organ rebuilt.
Upper Town Square: The Heart of Hall in Tirol
About 10 kilometers from Innsbruck in the Inn Valley, Upper Town Square (Oberer Stadtplatz) is the primary and most exquisite square of Hall in Tirol. One of the biggest and best-preserved ancient towns in Austria, the square forms the center point of the town. Many year-round celebrations including the Christmas market, Easter market, and Sprachsalz literary festival find their location in the area as well.
History and Architecture of Upper Town Square
From the 13th century, when Hall in Tirol was founded as a settlement anchored on the salt quarries providing the basis of its richness and prosperity, Upper Town Square has existed. The German word “hal,” meaning salt, forms the town’s name. Originally, the area was a marketplace for traders and vendors of goods and services. Additionally the political and religious center of the town, the square hosted important events and choices taken.
The buildings around the area reflect Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque architectural forms and periods. The most striking buildings are:
- Built in the 14th and 15th centuries, St. Nicholas Parish cathedral is a Gothic one. Rising 67 meters above the square, the church’s tower is strikingly visible from a distance. Inside the church are altars, frescoes, sculptures, and stained glass windows. Furthermore, several famous personalities from Hall’s past find their last resting place in the chapel, including Ulrich Taler, the mint master who invented the first thaler—the predecessor of the dollar—in 1486.
- Renaissance constructions built in the sixteenth century, the Town Hall Arches, columns, and frescoes define the front of the town hall. Civil weddings continue to take place in the town hall, which also serves as the local government headquarters. Apart from a gallery highlighting modern art, the town hall has a museum exhibiting the history and culture of Hall in Tirol.
- A medieval construction built in the fifteenth century, the Mint building Comprising a lookout and defense mechanism, the tower was part of the town’s defenses. Located in the building was the mint, in charge of manufacturing the well-known thaler. Currently run as a museum, the structure showcases the world’s biggest silver medal, weighing more than 20 kg, together with the history and technologies of coinage. Furthermore from its top, the tower offers a panoramic view of the town and the valley.
- Built during the 17th century, the Baroque Old Hospital is a The hospital was founded by the Jesuits as a philanthropic haven for the underprivileged sick. The building features a magnificent courtyard with a fountain and church. The hospital has become a cultural center providing concerts, exhibits, and conferences.
Events and Festivals at Upper Town Square
Apart from its architectural and historical value, Upper Town Square is a dynamic venue for several events and celebrations all year long. Among the most often used ones are those like:
- From late November to December 24, the Christmas Market With wooden booths offering food, beverages, handicrafts, decorations, and tools, the market turns the area into a joyous and cosiness. Additionally present in the market are live music, a nativity scene, and a carousel. Projected onto the town hall’s exterior every evening, the Advent calendar—which reveals a different image every day—is the centerpiece of the market.
- Held from Palm Sunday through Easter Monday, the Easter Market Products connected to Easter abound on the market: eggs, bunnies, candles, and flowers among other things. Along with a children’s program featuring games, crafts, and a petting zoo, the market offers On Palm Sunday, a classic procession featuring palm branches and hymn singing follows the market.
- Sprachsalz Literary Festival, spanning September. Writers and readers from all around the world come together at the square and other city sites of the festival to participate in the admiration and exchange of literature. Along with readings, debates, seminars, and performances by both seasoned and new writers, the festival features music and art. The celebration is free of cost and open to the entire public.
St. Magdalen’s Chapel in Hall in Tirol
Situated in the Austrian Alps town of Hall in Tirol, St. Magdalen’s Chapel is a historic and religious site. First mentioned in a text in 1330, it features Romanesque style. The chapel has two floors: the top one was used for worship and St. Mary Magdalene; the lower one was devoted to St. James and utilized as a cemetery chapel. Several murals from several centuries cover events from the life of Mary, the Last Judgment, and the Adoration of the Lamb in the chapel. Originating from another chapel in the Hall valley, the late Gothic winged altar of the chapel is particularly amazing. It dates back to the second half of the 15th century. Four panels depicting the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Death of Mary encircling Mary, a center figure on the altar surrounded by saints. Since 1923, when the chapel was rebuilt thanks to a local foundation, it also acts as a memorial for the dead Hall in Tirol troops. The chapel provides a window into the past and present of Hall in Tirol and welcomes tourists.
