The villages in the Wildschönau
The Wildschönau Valley is 24 km long and consists of 4 villages: Niederau, Oberau, Thierbach and Auffach.
The first village is Niederau, easily recognisable by its church spire and, in the background, the high Markbachjoch mountain with its gondola lift open all year round. Another typical characteristic of Niederau is the colourful array of paraglider and hang-glider chutes dotting the sky over the village. Niederau is home to the most well-known paragliding school in Tyrol.
Half way to the next village Oberau 3 kms away, is the Mountain Farmers' Museum "z'Bach". This museum is housed in an original 200 year old farmhouse. Every week, guests are invited to the local handicrafts market where, amongst other interesting displays, the secret art of bread-baking in an outdoor stone oven is demonstrated.
Situated close to the museum is the open-air pool with its spacious lawns, playground and giant water slide.
Oberau is the main village in the valley. It is remarkable for its 250 year old, onion-domed baroque church, which, due to its size, is widely known as the "cathedral of the lower Inn valley". Real tyrolean hotels, guesthouses and farmhouses make the pretty, cosy and traditional atmosphere of Oberau complete.
The road, which divides at Mühltal, reaches its end both at Auffach and also at Thierbach. Auffach, in the winter, is the large skiing centre of the Wildschönau. The Schatzberg mountain with its year round open gondola lift brings to mind the centuries long mining which took place here. Both the peak of the Schatzberg and the middle station - The Koglmoos - are excellent starting points for hitting the hiking trails.
Thierbach is unique. It hasn't changed over the last 200 years. The village centre is the church, enclosed by the school house and 5 tyrolean farmhouses, one of which is the local inn which housed and refreshed the freedom fighters of Andreas Hofer in the early 1800's.