Schloss Tratzberg is one of the finest Renaissance castles in the Alps, perched on a rocky ridge above the Inn Valley between Stans and Jenbach. Step inside and you'll find original furniture, painted halls and centuries of history tied to the Tänzl brothers and the wealthy Fugger merchant family.

Sitting about 100 metres above the valley floor on the wooded slopes of the Karwendel range, the castle offers sweeping views over the Inn Valley. The inner courtyard, with its marble arcades and columns, feels especially magical in summer during guided tours, while in winter a dusting of snow gives the whole site a fairy-tale atmosphere. The surrounding forest paths make for a pleasant walk before or after your visit.

How to get there

• Parking by the river – footpath approx. 1 km, about 15 minutes, easy difficulty
• A shuttle train (Bummelzug) also runs from the car parks for those who prefer not to walk up

Good to know

• Open for guided tours only, from late March to early November
• Visitors can see the courtyard and first-floor rooms
• On-site souvenir shop, food and drink, and activity programmes for children

Don't miss the remarkable Habsburg Hall, where the walls are painted with a full family tree of the Habsburg dynasty, or the Fugger rooms filled with rare late-Gothic furniture — a rare survival of original interiors in an Alpine castle.