St. Veit in Defereggen

Altitude: 1,500 metres a.s.l.

St. Veit is not only the highest municipality in East Tyrol, but also the highest recreation locality in whole Austria: lying at 1,500 metres a.s.l., in summer and in winter St. Veit is the sunniest village of the Defreggen Valley. Its fresh mountain air and unspoiled nature of the Hohe Tauern National Park guarantee a relaxing and peaceful holiday.

Due to the position of St. Veit, of course, also its parish church is one of the highest in Tyrol. Built in the 14th century, it was enlarged in the Baroque period. Particularly worth to be mentioned are its Gothic frescoes, the high altar of 1818 and the tower bells remembering the expulsion of the protestants in the 17th century. Also worth to be visited and not far from the church is the Reinmichlbrunnen, a monument dedicated to Sebastian Rieger, a priest, author and journalist born in St. Veith.

Very recommendable is the walking tour from the hamlet Außeregg to Mellitz and Moos with its Mater Dolorosa chapel. The trail leads until the village of Hopfgarten and offers great views of the surrounding mountain panorama. St. Veit is also the starting point of the educational trail "Leben am Steilhang“, where hikers can learn a lot about the hard life of mountain farmers.

In winter, St. Veit is particularly attractive because of its proximity to the ski region Brunnalm with its 27 km of ski slopes, easy reachable with a shuttle service. Moreover, the village offers 70 km of cross-country ski runs in its immediate surroundings.