Mötz: Pilgrimage Trails, Chapels and Cycling Tours

Mötz invites visitors to combine sacred sites, regional history, and paths through the landscape. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in Mötz can tailor their stay to different interests: Around the pilgrimage church of Maria Locherboden, paths lead through the area on foot, while the Mötz cycling route and the Tschirgan circuit offer their own opportunities for cycling tours. There are also chapels, an extensive chroniclers’ library, and tangible traces of history in the village.

Pilgrimage Sites and Chapels in Mötz

East of Mötz, the pilgrimage church of Maria Locherboden stands at the highest point of the Locherboden hill, at an elevation of 816 metres. The Stations of the Cross from Mötz to the pilgrimage church of Locherboden are protected as a historic monument by decree. The chapel at Birgele is also protected as a historic monument. Those interested in religious buildings and regional traditions will find several different sites in Mötz: The parish church of Maria Schnee is an early Baroque rural church dating from 1710. The Jechele Chapel is a large, two-storey wayside shrine dating from 1729.

The Birgele Cross Chapel serves as a memorial chapel commemorating the riflemen from the Silz judicial district who fell or died during the war years of 1799 and 1809. The pilgrimage trail Weg der Sinne connects the pilgrimage church of St. Antonius in Rietz, the pilgrimage church of St. Johannes in Stams, and Maria Locherboden in Mötz. This allows an exploration of sacred architecture to be complemented by a designated pilgrimage trail.

Hikes, Waterfalls and Cycling Tours

For a hike, the Maria Locherboden Suspension Bridge circular trail is a good option. It leads through the forest to the Inn floodplains and via Locherboden with its pilgrimage church; a detour to a waterfall is possible. Another route option is the Mötz–Klamm Castle–Mötz hike. It follows a narrow and partly steep hiking trail to a waterfall. Klamm Castle itself is privately owned and not accessible to visitors. This distinction is important when planning your day: the hike and the waterfall are the focus, not a visit to the castle.

Cyclists will also find specific opportunities in Mötz. The Mötz cycling route is designated as a regional cycling route in Tyrol. The Tschirgan circuit is a moderately difficult cycling tour with a length of 55 kilometres. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between sacred sites, hiking trails, and a longer cycling tour without limiting your stay to just one type of experience.

Oberland Chroniclers’ Library

A special address for anyone wishing to learn more about Tyrolean regional history is the Oberland Chroniclers’ Library in Mötz. It contains around 6,000 publications and approximately 11,000 glass plate photographs from all over Tyrol dating from the first half of the 20th century. The library is accessible on Thursdays from 6 p.m., except during school holidays and on public holidays, as well as by appointment. Take these opening times into account when planning if the collection is to be a fixed part of your stay.

Which Accommodation Suits Your Plans?

When looking for a holiday apartment in Mötz, it is worth deciding first which activities you would like to undertake. Those who want to focus on churches, chapels, and the chroniclers’ library will plan differently from someone who primarily wants to include hikes or the 55-kilometre Tschirgan circuit. For families with different interests, this combination of culture, activity, and regional history can make for a varied daily itinerary. Therefore, choose your accommodation according to the type of trip you are looking for in Mötz, and check the individual excursion destinations in advance in their specific form.

For further trip planning, you can also visit the following destinations: Sankt Leonhard Im Pitztal, Jerzens, Sölden, Roppen, Sautens, Imst, Oetz and Längenfeld.

To the higher-level travel overview: Imst.