An ideal beginner resort oozing Tyrolean charm and voted the most beautiful village in Austria by Austrians themselves in 1983 and then awarded 'most beautiful flowering village in Europe' status a decade later by an international Jury during the 'Entente Florale' competition. Alpbach is located in one of the valleys that runs off the main River inn valley, 57km (36 miles) east of the Tyrolean capital, Innsbruck.
Alpbach's natural beauty, apart from the generosity of mother nature, can in part be attributed to Alfons Moser, the mayor for more than 30 years from 1945 to 1979. He ensured as early as 1953 that local building regulations insisted that all new construction was completed in the traditional Tyrolean architectural style. The village's 2500 year history has therefore not been compromised by modern development, which includes an excellent indoor pool complex.
The oldest houses are in the neighbouring community of Inneralpbach, linked to the skiing of Alpbach and is 4km away. It is a quiet, ideal beginner resort. The area's rich history is well documented. It was christianised in the 8th and 9th centuries by monks from Ireland and Scotland. St Oswald, the former king of Northumbria in England, is patron saint of the village church, which has a steeple dating back to 1440 and a nave to 1754. Copper and silver were discovered in the 15th century and mining continued for more than four centuries, after which farming became the dominant industry until the advent of tourism in the 1930s. This began after the first road reached the resort in 1926 and by 1938 there were 110 guest beds. Although this number has now increased to more than 2700 beds - still a modest figure by modern standards - the resort is clearly proud that it still has just over 100 farms operational, just as a century ago.
Because of its isolation until the first half of this century Alpbach has many unusual local 'twists' on traditions, a lot of which survive to this day. Locally produced farmers and miners furniture is still evident and highly sought after by collectors. A local brandy was until recently, produced in one of the five old miner's houses in the village, two of which remain inns, as they were several centuries ago.
Among its many claims to fame, Alpbach hosts the European Forum annually when groups of thinkers from all over Europe come together for discussions. Established at the end of the war in 1945, the forum has attracted personalities from the worlds of politics, economics, science and culture for the fortnight long convention. The staging of this annual event was a major factor in the awarding of the European Flag in 1985 by the Europarat organisation in Strasbourg. The resort's international status away from winter sports doesn't end there, the convention centre is named after Paula von Preradovic, who wrote the lyrics for the Austrian National anthem whilst the large lecture hall is dedicated to Professor Erwin Schrödinger, a Nobel prize winner who is buried in the local church yard.
