Narrow cobblestone streets, a castle, beautiful old churches next to market squares, and an impressive defense tower are all part of the biggest historic old town in Tyrol. 

Hall in Tyrol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km (3 mi) east of the state’s capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 13,000.

The well-preserved town centre, the medieval Hasegg Castle (Burg Hasegg) and the mint where the world’s first thaler (of which dollar is the Anglicised form) was pressed, make Hall in Tirol a worthy contender to become a World Heritage Site.

History

Hall in the County of Tyrol was first mentioned as a salina (saltern) near Thaur castle in a 1232 deed. The current name dates back to 1256, and similarly to Halle, Hallein, Schwäbisch Hall or Hallstatt is derived from the Celtic word for salt.

Since the 13th century the salt mine at Absam in the Hall Valley north of the town formed the main industry of the town and its surroundings. The first adit was laid out in 1272 at the behest of Count Meinhard II of Tyrol, with the brine channeled by a 10 km (6 mi) long pipeline to the evaporation pond at Hall. The importance of the salt industry, which exported goods as far as Switzerland, the Black Forest, and the Rhine valley, is reflected in Hall’s coat of arms, which shows two lions holding a cask of salt.

In 1303 Hall became a town. The rights that came with this, as well as the business associated with trading from Hall downriver on Inn and Danube, turned it into the leading market and trading place in the northern parts of Tyrol. Its development suffered a serious setback in 1447, when large parts of the upper town area were razed by a fire. In 1477 it got the right of coinage, when the Tyrolian mint was moved from Meran to Hall. In 1486 the mint produced the first large silver coin Guldengroschen in Europe. In the 16th century the mint in Hall also introduced the world’s first automated coining machine. Today a reconstruction of this revolutionary machine can be seen in the Hall Mint Museum ^[3] in the Burg Hasegg.

In the 15th and 16th century, Hall was one of the most important towns in the Habsburg Empire. This period saw the construction of many of the churches, monasteries and convents that still shape the appearance of the town. Today Hall has the biggest intact old town in the western part of Austria.

During the Habsburg Monarchy a military garrison was established in Hall. This, along with the large freight train station, became a target of heavy bombardment during World War II, which destroyed the train station but left the old town almost unscathed.

Explore Hall in Tirol

The Austrian town of Hall in Tirol is everything you expect from a former medieval economic hub.

This small town is located in the Innsbruck district and is only 10 minutes’ drive from Innsbruck itself.

While being so close to Innsbruck, Hall in Tirol does have its own unique heritage, history and style and is a fantastic place to visit in its own right.

The salt mining industry played a major part in the development of Hall in Tirol, and the towns name is actually derived from the Celtic word for Salt.

During the Habsburgs reign, Hall was much investment and the many churches that still stand today were mainly constructed in these centuries.

With its close proximity to Innsbruck, the many historical buildings in the town centre, and the surrounding natural attractions, Hall of Tirol proves to be a first rate tourist destination.

Münze Hall

The Muenze tower and hall is one of the finest pieces of architecture in Hall of Tirol and the main tower dominates the skyline of the picturesque village.

The architecture of the tower is reminiscent of a medieval tower with various levels and crenulations and a green pointed roof with several small windows protruding out from it.

The tower contains a winding wooden staircase that passes through the various levels and when you reach the top you are given beautiful panoramic views of Hall if Tirol and the beautiful Alpen landscape that surrounds Innsbruck.

Jesuitenkirche

This building was founded in 1571 and was meant to cater to the spiritual needs of the Herz-Jesu convent.

This is one of two building that’s date from Hall of Tirol’s renaissance court periods and has seen much renovation over the years.

The most recent renovation was in the late 1600’s where the church was given a baroque makeover.

The inner courtyard of the church is a fine example of baroque architecture and is wonderful to behold.

The interior of the church is also quite stunning with a highly decorative altar that has a great deal of gold trim.

The Mint museum

The Mint museum is located inside the Muenze Hall and you can buy a combined ticket for both the tower and the museum for around 11 Euros.

Coins were produced here many years ago and it served as a major mint for the region.

Today the museum shows the minting process and what was involved to produce money.

There are several exhibitions and the actual machines that were used in the minting process too – An extremely interesting museum for any coin collector or history buff.

Naturpark Karwendel

This mountainous nature park contains 11 protected areas mainly consisting of wild rivers and lush forests.

The park spans over 700 square kilometres and has some of the finest nature and landscapes in Tirol.

Explore one of the many hiking trails, take a guided tour of the area with a tell-trained ranger, or learn about the region in one of the visitors centre museums.

One of the finest features of the park is the Ahornboden area which contains one of the finest Sycamore forests in Europe – The trees are simply amazing and truly breath-taking to behold.

Tirol Farmstead Museum

This museum brings farming history to life and is spread over 14 buildings that have been relocated and are original authentic farm buildings that have been renovated to their original beauty.

Each building is full of interesting artefacts that come from a bygone era and provide a wonderful insight into the farming life in earlier centuries.

Together with the 14 buildings, there is a museum that offers many educational exhibits on farming and is particularly fun for children.

Walk through the old town

The old town centre of Hall of Tirol is extremely interesting and due to its small size, is easy to walk through in a morning or afternoon.

Starting at the Muenze hall (Also known as Burg Hasegg) and walk through the small but pretty salinenpark, pass through the small side streets and take in the wonderful architecture and head on to the Church of St. Nikolaus and into the Pfarrplatz.

After you have taken in the sights here and perhaps enjoyed a coffee at the Rathaus Café, make your way east across Rosengasse and finish at the wonderful Stiftsgarten park.