Mühlau and Arzl – At the beginning of the Martha villages

The villages lying at the foot of the Nordkette, north of the Inn, are called Martha villages. Starting from Mühlauover Arzl, Rum, Thaurup to Absam. Abbreviated, this is how you get to Martha. Two of them, Mühlau and Arzl, are districts of Innsbruck and I would like to introduce them to you today. I grew up in Mühlau and I have been living in Arzl for about 20 years now.

Both Mühlau and Arzl are located at the foot of the imposing Nordkette and offer local recreation on the mountain and in the forest. But not only that, also a village character could be preserved, despite the incorporation into the provincial capital Innsbruck.

Arzl was incorporated into Innsbruck in 1940. The name probably comes from the Latin "arcella", which means "small castle". The name was first mentioned in the 12th century. In former times, today's Mühlau also belonged to Arzl. The special thing about Arzl is the still well-preserved village centre with village character around the parish church.

The landmark of Arzl is the Calvary with the white chapel, which can be seen from afar. Since Arzl did not have its own coat of arms when it was incorporated, it was given its own coat of arms with the Calvary as a motif in 1993. Arzl is the largest district of Innsbruck after Hötting and has about 11,200 inhabitants.

Calvary

The Calvary is Arzl's landmark. It can be seen from practically everywhere in Innsbruck. The chapel standing on the mountain was built in 1665. You can read more info in my blog post Three mountains and three chapels. It is located right in the village center and offers a gorgeous view of Innsbruck, the Nordkette and Arzl itself. To walk up there and enjoy the peace and quiet, I can only recommend to everyone!

Arzler Alm

When I think of Arzl, I naturally also think of the well-known Arzler Alm. From Arzl via the shooting range and the Mühlauer Aussicht, the Alm can be reached in about an hour. It is beautifully nestled under the Nordkette and is known for its hospitality and delicacies.

Arzler Bauernladele

The Arzler Bauernladele has become a household name. At the Mallnhof at the foot of the Kalvarienberg you can buy seasonal and regional specialities directly from the farm. The shop is open on Fridays from 8-13 and 15-19 and on Saturdays from 9-12. A self-catering station, accessible around the clock, rounds it all off. All I can say is, if you value quality at fair prices, this is the place for you. Insider tip!

More info on the Facebook page of Arzler Bauernladele

Costume rental Hundegger-Maurer

Another special feature in Arzl is the largest costume rental shop in Western Austria. Many people often ask themselves before Halloween or carnival where they could get a costume. Why buy one when you can rent one? I have often found one here and you get very friendly advice and service. One or the other curiosity and rarity can be found here and fun is guaranteed.

Info on the homepage

Village pub

As it belongs to a village, there is also a pub. The Dorfpub offers now in the Corona time every Sunday home cooking to pick up and all that with food from the above mentioned Arzler Bauernladele. Schnapps and white wine are available directly from Edi Leismüller from Arzl.

Amici

The Ristorante Amici can also be found in Arzl. For me personally there is one of the best pizzas in Innsbruck. In summer there is a nice garden with a view to the Kalvarienberg. This family business is definitely an insider tip for Italy lovers.

Hiking in Arzl

Many hiking trails start in Arzl. I can recommend hikes to the Arzler Alm, the Enzian Hütte and the Rumer Alm. You can find my blog post about the Enzian Hütte here.

Arzler Alm Trail

There is also action in Arzl. The Arzler Alm Trail starts a bit east of the Arzler Alm and is 3.8 kilometers long. With 480 metres of altitude, the biker's heart can beat faster here with numerous jumps.

More info

The district of Mühlau used to belong to Arzl (until 1746) and was incorporated into Innsbruck as an independent municipality in 1938. The name Mühlau is derived from the numerous mills that used to operate on the Mühlau stream. Mühlau is the third largest district of Innsbruck after Hötting and Arzl. Like Arzl, Mühlau lies directly at the foot of the Nordkette and thus offers recreation and nature and yet is practically right in the city.

Mühlauer Gorge

The Mühlauer Klamm is a white-water gorge directly in the Innsbruck city area, which makes it worth mentioning. It begins at the Mühlauer power station and is especially recommended on hot summer days, but the water and the location donates a refreshment. I have already written a post about it here on the blog. The gorge also offers itself as a starting point for various hikes in the area of the Nordkette. So you come over the gorge on the way to the Arzler Alm, to the Enzian hut or to the Rumer Alm.

Mühlau Foxhole

The Mühlauer Fuchsloch is a natural oasis full of streams, ponds and pools and offers animals and plants a special habitat. If you walk north from Mühlau's main square, you will find the entrance well signposted after about 400 metres. Many frogs and dragonflies can be found here in summer and the wetland biotope can also be used as a starting point for hiking the Mühlau Gorge, as the path leads directly to the entrance of the gorge.

Mühlau Castle

Not many people in Innsbruck know Mühlau Castle. It is located directly at the beginning of the Dörferstraße in the direction of Arzl at the Mühlauer Bach. The castle was completed in 1720 and consists of the two manors Rizol and Grabenstein, which are connected nowadays. A castle church and a beautiful castle park complete the ensemble. It was built by the Sternbach family, which is why Schloss Sternbach is still used as a name. However, the branch of the family died out in 1931 and the castle was taken over by the Liphart family and is still in their possession today. The castle is private and cannot be visited.

Mühlau drinking water

Most of Innsbruck's drinking water comes from the tunnel in Mühlau, where it is stored in a huge water reservoir at the power station. The tunnel goes from Mühlau deep into the Nordkette. It takes about 10 years for the water to pass through the rock. The tunnel is about 1.7 kilometers long.

Church and monastery

Easily visible from Innsbruck are the church of Mühlau and the monastery of the Carmelites. The Carmelites moved into the new monastery building in Mühlau in 2004. The parish church of Saint Leonhard with its strong colours is also very striking. It is located directly in the centre of the village and was built in 1432 in Gothic style and replaced in the 18th century by a new Baroque building.

Smoke mill

The well-known smoke flour also comes from Mühlau. The Rauchmühle can be found on Hallerstraße on the banks of the Inn River. It is the largest mill in Tyrol and the striking grain silo is sure to catch the eye of every train passenger arriving in Innsbruck.

Mühlauer view and tea hut

Above the Mühlauer Klamm gorge is a very pretty photo motif: a wooden hut built into the rock and called the Teehütte. Not far from the tea hut you will find the Mühlauer Aussicht with a beautiful view of Innsbruck and a bench to enjoy the view.

The famous poet Georg Trakl is buried in Mühlau and a small park located in the district on the Inn River bears his name.

A tradition in both districts is the so-called Mullerlaufen in the carnival. There are traditional clubs in both towns. My fellow blogger Tamara has written about this custom in the municipality of Rum here.

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