Alpbach, which is situated on a sun-drenched plateau at 1,000 metres above sea level is one of most beautiful villages in western Austria in the state of Tyrol. Alpbach offers beautiful natural scenery of the Alps, traditional houses and culture. With its combination of exciting architecture and a minimum environmental footprint, the main architectural feature is a spiral shaped gallery with floor-to-ceiling glazing for a unique view of the spectacular mountain backdrop. Alpbach is also a well known ski resort and its quiet pistes are well groomed and provide beginner to intermediate runs with lots of off pistes as well as unpatrolled route 5 which is popular with the more advanced skiers.
Tourists first began arriving in Alpbach at the beginning of the 20th century and by 1938 the village had accommodation for 110 visitors. Tourism is the main source of income for today's 2300 local residents, but there are still 105 working farms in Alpbach, the same number as a hundred years ago. Since 1945, Alpbach has been the venue for the Alpbach European Forum, an annual two-week conference of leading figures from the worlds of science, business, the arts and politics.
Alpbach has collected many awards and distinctions. In 1975, the Austrian Public Health Institute certified that Alpbach has the cleanest and purest air in all of Austria. It was voted "Austria's Most Beautiful Village" in 1983 by a television contest organised by Austrian Television. In June 1985, the Council of Europe in Strasbourg conferred upon Alpbach the right to fly the European flag in recognition of the community's services to European Unity. In 1993, Alpbach won "The Most Beautiful Floral Village in Europe" award.
Alpbach, Austria's most beautiful village
