South of the Grossglockner mountain and north of the Dolomites lies Lienz, an Austrian city with great weather and a colorful city center.
If you are longing for a fun city trip, then Lienz is a good option. Lienz is a small city in the southern part of Austria near the Italian border. Because it is surrounded by mountainous areas, the weather in Lienz often greatly differs from the weather on the other side of these mountains. So if the weather up north is disappointing, check out Lienz!
When I was traveling through Austria in October 2020, I frequently checked the weather forecast for all cities and highlights I considered visiting in a two-hour driving range. After some cloudy and rainy days, I chose to drive through the Felbertauerntunnel (coming from the Kaprun area) to visit Lienz.
The snowy picture was taken right before the north entrance of the Felbertauerntunnel and the picture with the blue sky is from the Pfarre Matrei only fifteen kilometers south of the tunnel.
The weather is not the only appealing aspect of Lienz: the colorful city center with nice shops and great outdoor terraces is another.
Sights in Lienz
I’ll focus on an area that is great for taking some lovely pictures: the streets surrounding the city center of Lienz. The colorful buildings house a mix of cafes and restaurants, shops, and craft workshops. In the background, you can see the mountains. It is a small city center, so once you’ve finished exploring the streets, do strike down on an outdoor terrace at the Hauptplatz or a restaurant at the nearby Südtiroler Platz for a relaxing afternoon in the sun.
Schloss Liebburg
Schloss Liebburg is a castle with two onion-domed towers. It was built in the 17th century and served as the residential palace of the Baron of Wolkenstein-Rodenegg. Nowadays, it functions as a town hall. At the end of the Hauptplatz, you can see the yellow Antonius Church.
Location Schloss Liebburg: Hauptpl. 7, 9900 Lienz, Austria
Location Antonius Church: Kärntner Str. 4, 9900 Lienz, Austria
Old Smithy
The Riepler Schmiede is a designated monument that dates back to the 16th century. Here you can visit the forge and watch a demonstration. Simply watching the building from the outside is enough to transport you back to earlier times.
Location: Schweizergasse, Adolf Purtscher-Straße, 9900 Lienz, Austria
Book Booth
At the Egger-Lienz Platz – in front of the library – you can find this picturesque book booth. You probably won’t be using it as a tourist, but it is nice to see.
Location: Egger-Lienz-Platz 2, 9900 Lienz, Austria
OId city wall and tower
Next to the Isel river, you can find the partially preserved city wall and the Iselturm “Isel Tower” that were built to fortify the city in medieval times. Not much is left of the city wall, but the tower has been restored and livened up with a fresco on the wall by Toni Fronthaler.
Location: Schulstraße 2, 9900 Lienz, Austria
Schloss Bruck
Schloss Bruck dates back to the 13th century. This castle was built on top of a hill by the counts of Gorizia and served as their residential castle. Over the centuries it changed hands frequently and was used for many purposes including a field hospital, barracks, shipping company, and brewery. The last private owner restored Schloss Bruck to a more castle-like state. In 1942, the city of Lienz became the new owner of the castle.
Location: Schloßberg 1, 9900 Lienz, Austria
Restaurant Lotus
I can recommend the Restaurant Lotus, which specializes in Arab cuisine. The view from its terrace might be a bit less colorful than the view in the street next to it, but the food is really good! I recommend the daily menu: delicious food for an affordable price.
Location: Südtiroler Pl. 2, 9900 Lienz, Austria
How to get to Lienz
Lienz is most easily reached from the Kaprun area in Austria or from Northern Italy. From Kaprun, it takes about an hour and a half to drive to Lienz, either through the Felbertauerntunnel or by crossing the Grossglockner High Alpine Road (more like two hours). The Austrian cities Klagenfurt and Villach are respectively two hours and an hour and a half away.
You can park your car at the (paid but inexpensive) parking lot at the Antoniusgasse or the Südtiroler Platz.
Location: Am Markt 2, 9900 Lienz, Austria
