Radstadt

Despite wars and fires, the walled town of Radstadt still retains its 12th-century character. Standing guard over a key north-south route, Radstadt was once granted the right to warehouse goods and to trade in iron, wine, and salt, but the town's present prosperity is due to tourism: the area is growing in popularity as a skiing destination and has long been a lure for hikers in summer. Radstadt's north and west walls, dating from 1534, are well preserved, as are three of the towers that mark the corners of the Old Town. Most of the buildings around the square are also from the 16th century. The late-Romanesque Pfarrkirche (parish church), north of the square, dominates the town, but reconstructions over the ages have erased much of its original character. The interior contains several Baroque altars.