Scharnitz#

Scharnitz, Tirol, municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land, alt. 964 m, pop. 1,100, area 158.85 km2, bi-seasonal tourism resort (78,921 overnight stays in 1992) which borders on Bavaria and is situated on the upper reaches of the River Isar. - Customs office, domestic science school run by the Benedictine nuns; transport firms. Roman fort "Scarbia" located between Karwendel mountains and the Wetterstein mountains; in the Middle Ages, Scharnitz played an important role as the entrance gate to Tirol; on the "Strada d´Allemagna" ("Germany Route") (Venice- Augsburg); during the Thirty Years´ War a barrage was built in 1633 and named "Porta Claudia" for the territorial princess Claudia of Medici, which was extended around 1670; the walls, which are up to 6 m high, have been preserved; parish church (first documented mention in 1639, today´s church built in 1896), decorated with a fresco, stained glass windows and clay figures from 1954.

Literature#