Virgen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Virgen
Coat of arms
Location within Lienz district
Virgen Location in Austria
Country	Austria
State	Tyrol
District	Lienz
Area
• Total	88.81 km2 (34.29 sq mi)
Elevation	1,194 m (3,917 ft)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	9972
Area code	04874
Vehicle registration	LZ
Website	www.virgen.at

Virgen is a beautiful municipality located in the Lienz District in Tyrol, Austria. It's nestled in the stunning Virgen valley, surrounded by the Venediger Group mountains. A big part of Virgen is actually inside the High Tauern National Park, which means it's a special place for nature.

People have lived here for a very long time, since about 500 BC, when copper mining was important. Later, different groups of people settled here, and the area became Christian. Virgen was once part of other regions but joined Tyrol around 1500.

With about 2,200 people (as of 2020), Virgen is the fifth largest community in East Tyrol. Farming and tourism are key to its economy. Virgen has even won awards for being the most beautiful municipality in Tyrol many times!

Geography of Virgen

Where is Virgen Located?

Virgen is in northern East Tyrol and covers an area of 88.8 square kilometers. It's the sixth largest municipality in the Lienz District. Almost half of Virgen, about 42 square kilometers, is part of the High Tauern National Park. This means a lot of its land is protected nature.

The Isel River flows through the eastern part of the Virgen valley. Most of the villages are on the left side of the river, except for Welzelach. The highest point in Virgen is Hoher Eichham, a mountain that stands at 3,371 meters (about 11,059 feet) tall. Another important mountain, Lasörling, is also on the municipality's border.

Local Villages and Hamlets

Virgen is made up of seven main areas, each with smaller hamlets. If you travel from the east along the main road, you'll first find Mitteldorf, which includes the hamlet of Bach. Further along is Virgen village, the main center of the municipality, with the hamlet of Weite.

To the northeast of Virgen center is Mellitz, and to the northwest is Göriach, which has the Marin hamlet. These two areas are partly connected with the main Virgen center. West of the center, you'll find Obermauern and then Niedermauern, which includes the hamlets of Gries and Rain. The furthest west is Welzelach. There are also some farms high up in the mountains, like Sonnberg.

The town of Matrei in Osttirol is nearby and is very important for Virgen. It's a center for shopping, healthcare, and social activities for the whole region.

Neighboring Areas

Virgen shares its borders with several other communities. To the south, the Lasörling Group mountains separate Virgen from the Defereggen Valley and the municipalities of St. Jakob, St. Veit, and Hopfgarten. To the west, Virgen borders Prägraten. To the north and east, it borders the market town of Matrei.

Land Use in Virgen

A large part of Virgen's land is high in the mountains, making it difficult to use. About 41% of the area is barren, meaning it has very little plant life. However, alpine pastures and meadows cover 29% of Virgen's land, providing space for animals to graze. Forests are also important, making up over 20% of the land. Other types of land, like regular meadows, farmland, and gardens, make up smaller parts of the municipality.

Mountains of Virgen

Virgen is located within the Venediger Group. It lies between the Virgen North Chain to the north and the Lasörling Group to the south. The main ridges of these mountain ranges form the borders of the municipality.

Several mountains over 3,000 meters (about 9,842 feet) tall are found right on Virgen's borders. In the Virgen North Chain, some of the tallest mountains are Hoher Eichham (3,371 m), Säulkopf (3,209 m), and Ochsenbug (3,007 m). In the Lasörling Group, important peaks on Virgen's border include the Lasörling (3,098 m), Berger Kogel (2,656 m), and Donnerstein (2,725 m).

Panorama of the Venediger Group over the Virgen Valley from the Lasörling.

Rivers and Lakes

The Isel near Mitteldorf

The most important river in Virgen is the Isel. It flows into the municipality through a gorge and continues eastward. The Isel River helps drain the Virgen Valley. Because of a large fan-shaped deposit of earth (called an alluvial cone) from the Virgen stream, there isn't much space for buildings on the right side of the river.

Ten streams flow into the Isel as it passes through Virgen. From the north, streams like the Nillbach, Virger Stream, Mellitzbach, and Mitteldorfer Stream join the Isel. From the south, streams like the Berger Stream, Mullitzbach, Fratnikbach, Saumitzbach, and Arnitzbach flow into it. Virgen also has several beautiful mountain lakes, with the Berger See and Zupalsee being the most famous.

Climate in Virgen

Virgen has a very pleasant climate because it's protected by the mountains of the Virgen North Chain and the Lasörling Group. The name Virgen actually comes from a Slavic word meaning "sunny place." This is because the Virgen Valley is oriented in a way that allows it to get a lot of sunshine throughout the day.

Even in December, Virgen only loses about a third of its possible sunshine, and in June, it loses even less. This is much sunnier than some other valleys in the region. The mountains to the north also protect Virgen from cold winds.

The most rain in Virgen falls during June and July. On average, Virgen gets about 900 mm (about 35 inches) of rain each year, with more rain in higher areas. It doesn't get a lot of snow for its height, and the snow cover usually lasts around 110 days. January and February are the driest months. The average yearly temperature in Virgen is around 6.8°C (44.2°F), with January being the coldest month and August the warmest.

Population History

See also

In Spanish: Virgen (Austria) para niños