Tamsweg: hotels for culture, cycling routes and Prebersee

On this page

Editor's Choice

Pure Luxury

“Call me spoiled - but I love to be treated like a queen when traveling. Only the best is good enough for me. Hotels that make my vacation a dream of luxury and seduction are my choices. Pay attention to the (violet Medal) for luxury accommodation.”

Tatjana Herzegova, Kiew, Ukraine

Editor's Choice

Sustainable Travel

“There is only one earth and we should go out and see it. I like hotels, which look for sustainability. It is not only protecting the ecology, but also taking care for the local business and culture. I recommend the medal for eco accomodation. Let’s protect our earth. Sustainable travel is travelling with responsibility.”

Markus Lenk, Düsseldorf, Germany

Tamsweg combines a historic town center, an extraordinary church window and the mountain scenery around Prebersee. Its attractions range from history and local cultural heritage to cycling and cross-country skiing. When choosing accommodation, it helps to decide on your priorities first: Would you like to explore historic sites, include a longer cycling route, or focus on Prebersee and its landscape? The local highlights provide a concrete framework for your plans.

Culture and history in Tamsweg

Tamsweg’s historic town center is one of seven protected townscape zones in the state of Salzburg. Kirchengasse is home to two important historic addresses: Kuenburg Castle is a historic castle and is open to the public as a place for people to meet. The former Barbaraspital at Kirchengasse 2 now houses the Lungau Local History Museum. The heritage register dated June 23, 2026 lists the building as a protected monument.

The museum offers historical walks through Tamsweg for groups of five or more by online registration. If you are planning this option for a group, allow for the required registration and check the registration steps in advance. This keeps your specific visit plans aligned with the group format on offer.

Another striking place is St. Leonhard ob Tamsweg. The church is the only walled fortified church in the state of Salzburg located above the Murtal road. Construction began in 1421, and Bishop Johann Ebser of Chiemsee consecrated it in 1433. The church’s golden window is made exclusively of golden-yellow and blue glass panes. These details make St. Leonhard a destination in its own right for anyone wishing to include architecture and building history in their trip.

Intangible cultural heritage and regional cuisine

Culture in Tamsweg is reflected in more than just historic buildings. The Vereinigten zu Tamsweg shape the cultural identity of the local population. Samson parades were added to Austria’s UNESCO Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. The Tamsweg Preber shooting event at Prebersee is also part of the cultural heritage: it was added to Austria’s national register of intangible cultural heritage in November 2025.

Tamsweg’s culinary specialties include Hasnöhrl’n with sauerkraut and Schöpsessen with Lungau Ächtling potatoes.

Prebersee, cycling routes and cross-country skiing

Prebersee, near Tamsweg, lies at an elevation of around 1,500 meters. The mountain landscape is characterized by dark forests and lush alpine pastures. Tamsweg offers the Preber high-altitude trail for cross-country skiing. This means the landscape and a specific winter activity sit alongside the town’s cultural attractions, without requiring you to limit your stay to just one type of excursion.

Tamsweg is a suitable starting point for the Lungau Bike Tour, which can be completed in its entirety on an e-mountain bike. Another, considerably longer route option is the signposted Leonhardsweg: it is 140 kilometers long and leads from Salzburg Cathedral to St. Leonhard’s Church in Tamsweg. Plan for it as a pilgrimage route with a corresponding distance, not as a short local walk.

The Murradweg, a long-distance cycling route, covers more than 365 kilometers from Lungau through Styria to the Slovenian border. It is rated easy to moderate and runs along paved and well-maintained cycling paths made of asphalt, gravel and crushed stone. These details give you two different scales to consider when planning: the entire Lungau Bike Tour by e-mountain bike, and a route of more than 365 kilometers through several regions.

Getting here and choosing your accommodation priorities

Tamsweg is the district capital and has a railway station accessible via the Styrian Murtalbahn. If you plan to use this connection, check the timetable for your travel date. When looking for a hotel in Tamsweg, you can put your priorities first: historic sites and museum walks, the Lungau Bike Tour or the Preber high-altitude trail each offer a different focus. The train connection may also be important for your plans.

Search accommodationAdvertisement · We may receive a commission if you book.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Mariapfarr, Mauterndorf, Ramingstein, Sankt Michael Im Lungau, Tamsweg, Sankt Margarethen Im Lungau, Sankt Andrä Im Lungau, Zederhaus, Muhr, Wölting, Tweng, Göriach, Unternberg, Thomatal, Katschberg, Hinterweisspriach, Weißpriach, Begöriach, St. Martin, Lessach, Schellgaden and Zankwarn.

To the main travel overview: Salzburgerland.