Virgen
Virgen is a municipality in the district of
Lienz in the
Austrian state of
Tyrol. It includes part of the Virgen valley in the
Venediger Group mountain range, and extensive parts of the municipality are in
High Tauern National Park. The history of the area goes back to 500 BC, when copper mining played an important role. After the end of the
Roman period
Slavs settled in the Virgen valley, who were gradually assimilated by
Baiuvarii settlers beginning in the
8th century. The simultaneous
Christianization of the area led to the creation of one of the first
parishes in the region. During the Middle Ages Virgen was a part of
Carinthia and the
County of Gorizia, and by 1500 it was annexed by Tyrol. With a population of 2,200 (as of January 1, 2020), Virgen is the fifth largest community in east Tyrol in terms of population. Agriculture and tourism both play important economic roles, but a lack of jobs and structural problems lead to a very high
commuter rate. Virgen has won awards for being the most beautiful municipality in Tyrol several times.
Provided by Wikipedia