The village of Hopfgarten lies in a romantic position at the entrance to the valle Defereggental in the Alti Tauri holiday region
Image gallery: Hopfgarten in Defereggen
Altitude: 1,107 metres a.s.l.
The municipality of Hopfgarten in Defereggen in the Alti Tauri area is composed of the hamlets of Dölach, Lerch, Plon, Hof and Rajach. Hopfgarten is situated on the sunny valley side and is therefore a famous holiday destination, as well as one of the most beautiful areas of Austria.
Hopfgarten in Defereggen is an ideal place for those who want to spend relaxing holidays in nature or practise several outdoor activities. The Hopfgarten-Mellitzwald cycle path starts directly in the village and runs along a rather flat, 4 km long itinerary. This path is particularly suitable for families as it features some beautiful areas for breaks. Mountain bike enthusiasts can test themselves on the Vedrette di Ries tour which starts from the valle Defereggental, leads to South Tyrol by crossing passo Stalle and returns back to East Tyrol via passo di Gola.
The Valle Defereggental boasts several hours of sunshine and is therefore a hiker's paradise. The paths to the higher hamlets were formerly covered by the locals to attend the Sunday masses in the churches, while nowadays they are appreciated by hikers. From up there you can enjoy a spectacular view of the ancient farms and the valley with its steep meadows where farmers make hay.
A theme path dedicated to water starts in the village centre and winds along the banks of the Schwarzach stream. This itinerary ends at the hamlet of Plon where you can visit the St. Antonius chapel, one of the seven chapels of the municipality. For your return you can take the Brechelweg path which takes you back to the old farms of the area and to the Brechelloch, a pit where flax plants were dried and then woven to linen. Besides focussing on the life cycle of the Apollo butterfly, the educational path "Im Reich des Apollo(falters)" retraces the most important historical events of Ratzell.
What about a coffee break in the Kulturhaus with its modern architecture? And if you are still not satisfied with what you discovered about the local culture so far you can visit the St. Johann Nepomuk parish church, a late Baroque monument in Tyrolean style.
