History & stories
Werfenweng retains to this day a relaxed and rural lifestyle surrounded by pure, undamaged nature. Wenga (Wald = wood)and later Gweng (Wiese = meadow) was first inhabited in 1091. In the 14th century came Bischops and with them a church "Maria Geburt". The forced emmigration of Protestants in the middle of the 18th century caused 80% of the residents to leave the village.
At the beginning of the 19th century the Tirol fight for freedom against the French took place close by in Pass Lueg - Werfenweng farmers were involved under the command of Peter Sieberer, a farmer and freedom fighter. During the First World War Werfenweng lost the most number of residents in accordance to settlement size out of any parish in the old monarchy. After this Werfenweng was not involved in war again.
In 1938 the road was built between Pfarrwerfen and Werfenweng menaing that the village was now accessible for the first time in history. It is said that tourism in Werfenweng began during the Second World War. Women from Cologne were evacuated here during the air raids, their families soon followed and friends visited hence laying the foundations for the tourism we see today.
The first ski lift was constructed in 1958 and by 1970 Werfenweng could offer
a whole range of leisure activities leading to over 200,000 annual overnight stays. The building of the Tauern Motorway in 1994 was another milestone in the village's history as it allowed easy access from the south.
In 1989 Peter Brandauer became the youngest mayor in Austria at the age of 28 and has retained that position ever since. He realised Werfenweng's true potential as an idylic holiday destination surrounded my breathtaking scenery.
In 1997 Werfenweng became the model destination for "soft mobility - holidays without a car". Now visitors can enjoy a stress free holiday and experience age-old traditions in our beautiful alpine village.