The market town of Matrei in Osttirol by Felbertauernstrasse Road makes up the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park. Beautifully nestled in the valley, the Matrei municipal area spans the entire Tauern Valley as well as parts of Isel Valley. With an area of 277.8 km², the national park municipality is the second largest municipality in Tirol. Before the gates of Matrei, Weissenstein Castle keeps watch on its steeply sloping dolomite marble cliff over the community of 5,000 residents. In the town itself, this task falls to the impressive Kienburg ruins. Numerous churches, chapels and wayside shrines shape the Matrei townscape, with 42 historic structures from different eras found in the market town. Particularly prominent is the beautiful church of St. Alban, seeing that it is one of the largest country churches in Austria.
But the diverse nature around the main town in Isel Valley also knows to impress. Just a few minutes drive from Matrei in Osttirol, the hike in the unique Gschlößtal valley starts, which is recognised as the most beautiful valley head in the Eastern Alps. From here, unforgettable views of the impressive glacier world around the Grossvenediger open up. This mighty iceberg keeps watch over the wild and romantic Gschlöss Valley in the heart of Hohe Tauern National Park. All through the year, Matrei is also regarded as a regional centre for shopping, cultural life and a wide range of activities on the mountain and in the valley.
