People and Places: Rattenberg

This afternoon, while cataloging my holiday pictures, I came across some very pretty ones of the relatively unknown town of Rattenberg in the Tyrol region. Because it is so uniquely beautiful, I want to share its secret with you.

Although popular among Austrians and possibly with its neighbouring Germans, Swiss and northern Italians, it is still not widely publicised to the rest of the world. You won't get to see many Asians here as I have observed during both my visits in 1986 and more recently in 2006.

With a population not exceeding 450, Rattenberg is officially the smallest town in Austria. It is located between the River Inn and the Rat Mountains in what appears to be a very narrow strip of land.

Located in the shadows of the mountains meant very little sunlight for its inhabitants. Rattenberg receives almost no sunlight during its winter months and is one of the few places of significant distance from the Artic circle that lives in total darkness throughout winter. To combat this problem, the town installed a US$2.4million project of rotating mirrors to reflect sunlight to the main parts of the town.

Its main street, the pedestrianised Sudtirolerstrasse may not be as long or wide as the Champs Elysee in Paris, but it certainly can lay claim to being one of the prettiest main streets in the world. The buildings lining it are painted in striking colours - some pastel, others rich and warm - and house mainly hotels, pensions, restaurants, cafes, specialty shops and, of course, crystal boutiques.

There is an abundance of glass blowers in Rattenberg. Hence its streets are lined with many glass blowers' workshops and galleries. You can pick up small souvenirs like crystal animals and angels to bring home which are relatively inexpensive compared to what similar shops would charge in larger cities.

Local tourists who come to Rattenberg do so mainly to take advantage of the outdoors. Its environs offer much opportunities for skating, skydiving and cycling. The Innradweg cycling trail leads through Rattenberg .