OFFICE DE TOURISME

The Val de Villgraten, a side valley of the Pustertal in Osttirol, is one of the most unspoilt natural and cultural landscapes in the Alpine region. The landscape with its characteristic wooden buildings on steeply sloping mountain meadows bears witness to the fact that this high valley is still marked by alpine agriculture. The people of Villgraten are justifiably proud of their centuries-old traditions; sustainable agriculture is a priority for them. So the Villgraters' hospitality, combined with beautiful scenery and groups of typical Alpine chalets, makes holidaymakers' hearts beat faster. The Villgraten valley has been inhabited for almost 900 years, and today has a population of around 2,000. The Innervillgraten plain was once heavily overgrown with maple trees, which explains why the high Alpine valley is also known as the "Maple Valley". Tourism in this valley tends to be environmentally friendly, and large concrete hotels and mass tourism are rare here. It's not without reason that one of the local marketing slogans is "Come to us, we've got nothing". The emphasis here is on close contact with visitors in manageable but friendly accommodation. This is also one of the reasons why the Villgraten valley is one of Austria's 20 "Alpine villages", committed to natural and sustainable tourism. Thanks to environmentally-friendly tourism, the originality and beauty of this unique Alpine valley can still be experienced with all the senses. The village of Innervillgraten, which has been preserved in a particularly authentic way, relies on gentle tourism, which can be optimally combined with agriculture and customs. Due to its rather isolated location, Innervillgraten, with its characteristic parish church of St. Martin, was not even accessible all year round until 1956.