Braunau am Inn, Austria, is a pretty town of about 17,000 people, right on the German border, and well worth a visit.
Braunau am Inn is a town in Upper Austria, on the border with Germany.
The town is on the lower river Inn below its confluence with the Salzach, where it forms the border with the German state of Bavaria, halfway on the road between the state capital Linz and the Bavarian capital Munich, about 60 km (37 mi) north of Salzburg. Braunau is connected by bridges over the Inn with its Bavarian counterpart Simbach am Inn. A traditional port of entry, all border controls have been abolished since the implementation of the Schengen Agreement by Austria in 1997.
The town gave its name to the administrative district (Bezirk). The population of Braunau am Inn was 16,182 in 2011. The municipal area comprises the cadastral communities of Braunau am Inn, Osternberg, and Ranshofen.
Explore Braunau Inn
It’s known internationally as being the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, but there’s also lots more to its history, and it’s an interesting place to explore.
The Stadtplatz. The main plaza in Braunau runs for several blocks, starting right at the entrance to the town, coming in from the bridge.
The pretty pastel buildings line the Stadtplatz with lots of shops and restaurants to explore. In good weather, there are a number of pleasant places to sit outside and admire the view over some schnitzel and a local brew.
The Town Hall, or Rathaus, is an interesting building, and looks older than it is. It’s on the Stadplatz.
It was built in 1905 and sports a statue of Braunau am Inn’s other famous citizen, Hans Steininger…immediately recognizable from his astoundingly long beard! He turns up all over Braunau.
Hans Steininger was captain of Braunau’s army in the 16th century. His beard was over 6 feet long and he normally kept it rolled up in a pouch or wrapped around his foot (hard to picture, but that’s what they say).
One night in 1567, there was a fire in the town, and as he rushed out to help, he tripped on his beard and broke his neck.
There are carvings of him, and his beard, on the side of St. Stephan’s Church, and the beard itself is in the Regional Museum
Regional museum (Herzogsburg). This museum has exhibits about the history of the area, starting from the time of mammoths, through Celtic and Roman times, the Middle Ages, and beyond.
The incredible beard of Herr Steininger is on display there, also. Open Tue-Sat 1:30-5. Located at Altstadt 10.
Local museum (Heimathaus). This local museum has an intact bell foundry workshop dating back to 1385, plus the bench that Napoleon (supposedly) sat on. Johann Fischer Gasse 18.
One entry ticket covers both museums.
Economy
Braunau has a full range of industries including electronics, metal (AMAG), woodworking, and glass. The town also has the largest aluminium works in Austria.
Getting to Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is on the Austrian-German border, just across the River Inn from Salmbach am Inn, Germany.
Braunau is about 2 to 3 hours by train from Munich, or a bit over 2 hours from Salzburg.
Berchtesgaden is about 2.5 to 3 hours from Braunau by train.
