Lienz District

Bezirk Lienz
District
Country Austria
State Tyrol
Number of municipalities 33
Area
 • Total 2,016.41 km2 (778.54 sq mi)
Population (2012)
 • Total 49,568
 • Density 25/km2 (64/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

The Bezirk Lienz is an administrative district (Bezirk) in Tyrol, Austria. It is the only district in East Tyrol. The district borders the Pinzgau (Salzburg) in the north, the districts Spittal an der Drau and Hermagor (both Carinthia) in the east, Veneto (Italy) in the south, and South Tyrol (Italy) in the west.

The area of the district is 2,016.41 km², with a population of 49,568 (January 1, 2012), and population a density of 25 persons per km². The administrative center of the district is Lienz.

In 1919, Trentino and South Tyrol were split from what is now the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Treaty of Saint-Germain (these three entities made up the old Austro-Hungarian county of Tyrol). Since this time, East Tyrol has been separated from North Tyrol by about 5 km of border between the federal state of Salzburg and South Tyrol. Accordingly, it forms an inner-Austrian exclave of the federal state of Tyrol. It was also the only part of modern Tyrol not occupied by France after World War II, instead forming part of the British zone.

Geography

The district comprises parts of the Puster Valley, the valleys Iseltal, Defereggen, Virgental, Kalser Tal, and the Tyrolean Gailtal. Mountain ranges in the district include parts of the Hohe Tauern with Venediger Group and Glockner Group, the Defereggen Alps, the Lienz Dolomits, and the Karnisch Alps.

Shortest road connection to North Tyrol is the Felbertauern road (P1), and the Felbertauern tunnel (about 5.3 km). Lienz is located at a road junction between the federal Felbertauern road (B108), a road to the Puster Valley (B100) and South Tyrol, and a road to the Drautal valley and Carinthia. The district is also connected by the Austrian Southern Railway.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1869 26,833—    
1880 27,422+2.2%
1890 26,988−1.6%
1900 26,895−0.3%
1910 29,074+8.1%
1923 28,591−1.7%
1934 31,169+9.0%
1939 33,445+7.3%
1951 37,747+12.9%
1961 41,123+8.9%
1971 45,614+10.9%
1981 47,494+4.1%
1991 48,338+1.8%
2001 50,404+4.3%
Source: Statistik Austria

Administrative divisions

A farm in Lienz District

The district is divided into 33 municipalities: