Osttirol

Osttirol, or East Tyrol, is the eastern part of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. Its capital and largest town is Lienz. The region lies in the Eastern Alps and features valleys, rugged peaks and parts of the Hohe Tauern National Park. It is bounded by the Austrian states of Salzburg and Carinthia and by Italy to the south.

Historically Osttirol belonged to the County of Tyrol within the Habsburg Monarchy. After World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, the border with Italy left Osttirol separated from the rest of Tyrol. Since then it has been part of Austria's Tyrol state, but geographically detached from North Tyrol.

As of the early 2020s the region had roughly 120,000 inhabitants, concentrated in Lienz and smaller towns such as Matrei in Osttirol and Heiligenblut am Großglockner. The population is predominantly German-speaking Tyrolean and Roman Catholic.

The economy relies on tourism, agriculture and forestry. Winter tourism focuses on ski areas around Lienz, Heiligenblut and the Dolomiten region, while summer visitors come for hiking and mountaineering in the Hohe Tauern and nearby mountains. The Hohe Tauern National Park covers part of Osttirol.

Transport links connect Osttirol with North Tyrol and other regions by road and rail, with Lienz serving as the regional hub. Major routes include road tunnels through the Alps and rail lines linking to Innsbruck and beyond. The region maintains traditional Tyrolean culture with local dialects, churches and medieval castles.