Seefeld in Tirol

Seefeld in Tirol, Tirol, municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land, alt. 1,180 m, pop. 2,751, area 17.38 km², bi-seasonal tourist centre (1,376,717 overnight stays in 1992), old pilgrimage destination situated on an elevated plateau, surrounded by the Hohe Munde mountain in the west, the face of the Wetterstein mountain in the north-west and the Karwendel Mountains in the north-east. Derives its name from the number of lakes in the area in earlier times (in German: See), the only remaining one is Lake Wildsee (public bathing facility, nature preserve), in the vicinity are Lake Möserer See (alt. 1,284 m) and Wildmoos, where the periodically occurring lakes Lottensee and Wildmoossee are situated (alt. 1,316 m, nature preserve, bog flora). - Spa hotel operating a warm spring with a low concentration of calcium magnesium sulphate and hydrogen carbonate; in earlier times, oil shale extraction and rock oil distillery, today at Reith bei Seefeld; Olympia sports and congress centre, venue of the Nordic events during the Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck (1964, 1976); sports grounds of the Nordic Championships in 1985, golf courses (some run by the municipality of Telfs) and golf academy, Roßhütte mountain track and cable railways: funicular to Roßhütte mountain refuge (alt. 1,751 m), cable railway to Seefelder Joch mountain (alt. 2,060 m) and Härmelekopf mountain (alt. 2,224 m); casino. - Late-Gothic parish and pilgrimage church (started in 1429) with beautiful south portal (around 1470), late-Gothic sculptures and panel painting (around 1502) in the chancel by J. Kölderer; Heiligenblut (Holy Blood) chapel (1574 by A. Lucchese, re-decorated in Baroque style in 1724); former Augustinian monastery; Seekirche Heiliges Kreuz early Baroque church (consecrated in 1666).

Literature: R. Gruber, Geschichte von Seefeld 1918-1938, master´s thesis, Innsbruck 1992.