Mötz can be explored through its pilgrimage and commemorative heritage as well as its range of hiking and cycling routes. A prominent landmark is the pilgrimage church of Maria Locherboden: it stands east of Mötz, at the highest point of Locherboden Hill, at an altitude of 816 metres. The area also features protected cultural monuments, an early Baroque country church, and routes with a variety of trail characteristics.
Chapels, Churches and Local History
According to the Federal Monuments Authority’s register dated 30 June 2025, both the chapel at Birgele and the Way of the Cross from Mötz to the pilgrimage church of Locherboden are protected by decree as monuments. The chapel, also known as the Birgele Cross Chapel, is also a memorial chapel for the marksmen from the Silz judicial district who fell or died during the years of war in 1799 and 1809. This site thus brings together monument protection and an explicitly designated memorial function.
The parish church of Maria Schnee and the Jechele Chapel also offer distinct architectural features: Maria Schnee is an early Baroque country church dating from 1710. The Jechele Chapel is a large wayside shrine with two clearly defined storeys, dating from 1729. Those interested in sacred architecture will find not just one type of building, but a church, a wayside shrine, and a memorial chapel, each with its own historical associations.
Pilgrimage Route and Hikes
The Way of the Senses pilgrimage route connects the pilgrimage church of St. Anthony in Rietz, the pilgrimage church of St. John in Stams, and Maria Locherboden in Mötz. The three churches link the route across places beyond Mötz; Maria Locherboden is the Mötz stop along the way.
For hiking, it is helpful to distinguish between two different route descriptions. The Maria Locherboden Suspension Bridge circular hike passes through the forest to the Inn floodplains and via Locherboden, where the pilgrimage church is located. A detour to a waterfall is possible. The Mötz–Burg Klamm–Mötz hike follows a narrow, sometimes steep hiking trail to a waterfall. Burg Klamm is privately owned and not open to visitors. The route characteristics differ considerably: the circular hike focuses on forest, the Inn floodplains, and Locherboden, while the other route follows a narrow, partly steep trail.
Cycling in Mötz
The Mötz Cycle Route is designated as a regional cycling route in Tyrol. The Tschirgantrunde is a moderately difficult cycling tour covering 55 kilometres. These details offer different guidance when choosing a route: the Mötz Cycle Route is identified as a regional route, while the Tschirgantrunde is also described by its length and difficulty. This makes it possible to plan your ride according to the specific type of tour and the stated distance.
Insights into Tyrolean History
The Chronistenbibliothek Oberland in Mötz offers a different perspective on the region’s history. It comprises around 6,000 publications and approximately 11,000 glass plate photographs from across Tyrol, dating from the first half of the 20th century. The collection thus combines an extensive body of publications with historical visual material covering all of Tyrol. These collection figures are approximate and may change over time.
Discover more destinations: Silz, Nassereith, Rietz, Tarrenz, Obsteig, Sankt Leonhard Im Pitztal, Karres, Mieming
Go to the main travel overview: Imst.
