St. Jakob in Defereggen

Altitude: 1,389 metres a.s.l.

The village of St. Jakob is embedded in the wonderful Hohe Tauern national park in the Defereggental valley in East Tyrol and strikes its visitors with its idyllic position. In this area you can find the most extensive stone pine forest of the Eastern alps. The village centre of St. Jakob boasts several stone buildings, including the Barmer Haus dating back to the miners period. An example of the typical architecture of the Defereggental is the Hofgruppe Hirbe, a farm group which can be reached along a path starting in the village centre and leading through different meadows before reaching the aforementioned farm group. The path also has different panoramic spots from where you can admire the valley floor. A masterpiece of Tyrolean Gothic architecture is the Filialkirche St. Leonhard church from the 15th century which hosts several frescoes by the South Tyrolean artist Michael Pacher.

St. Jakob boasts an extensive network of hiking paths. The Brugger Alm (1,818 m), a stunning mountain village, can be reached in a 2-hour walk. If you take the chairlift to the Brunneralm you can save one hour of walking time. In St. Jakob you can also visit some show mills or undertake an excursion to Tögitsch, a small hamlet which delights visitors with an impressive panoramic view of the village. The "Großer Wassererlebnisweg" takes you to "Mariahilf", a famous pilgrimage site from where you can proceed to a stunning waterfall. Another well-known hiking destination is the Jagdhausalm, a mountain village composed of 15 secular stone buildings at the end of the valley.

The Obersee lake near the Italian and Austrian border on the passo Stalle is not only frequented by fishermen but also by mountain bike enthusiasts while they are completing the so-called "Rieserferner-Rundtour", a very challenging, more than 100 km long tour with an altitude difference of 2,000 metres. This itinerary surrounds the Vedrette di Ries range in South Tyrol before returning to East Tyrol via the Passo di Gola.

In winter you can have fun in the St. Jakob in Defereggen - Brunneralm skiing area which provides 27 km of perfectly-prepared ski slopes, as well as 70 km of cross-country ski tracks. Hikers can undertake excursions along the 25 km long network of winter hiking paths.