Peace Bell Mösern – Tyrol's Largest Free-Standing Bell

There are places where you simply stop without knowing why. The Alpine Peace Bell above Mösern is one of them. At exactly 5 PM every day, Austria's largest free-standing bell rings here – 10,450 kilograms of bronze, audible far across the Inn valley, with views of Telfs, the Hohe Munde and the central Ötztal region. From Leutasch you are there in around 20 minutes. Most people who have once experienced the full peal come back again.

What is the Alpine Peace Bell?

The Peace Bell is a gift from the Province of Tyrol to the Arge Alp (Working Group of the Alpine Regions) – an alliance of ten alpine regions from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. It was initiated in 1997 for the 25th anniversary of the Arge Alp and cast in the traditional Grassmayr bell foundry in Innsbruck. The bell carries the coats of arms of all member regions and the inscription: »I ring for good neighborliness and peace among the alpine nations.« It is the largest bell in Tyrol and one of the deepest-toned instruments Grassmayr has ever cast.

© Region Seefeld

When does the Peace Bell ring?

Every day, at exactly 5 PM. For about three minutes. If you have never heard it: the sound is deeper and longer than a church bell – a tone that still carries clearly down in the valley and up at the bell tower itself almost makes the ground vibrate. For the full impression, be there between 4:45 and 5:15 PM. In summer, when the sun stands low over the Mieminger range, it is a moment that stays in many people's heads longer than the holiday photos that go with it.

New location since 2023

If you visited years ago: the Peace Bell has moved. In 2023 the original bell had to be recast due to fine cracks, and at the same time it changed location – about 100 meters to the northwest, on municipal ground next to the former Menthof. The new spot is barrier-free, and the view across Telfs and the Ötztal is even more open than before. The new bell was inaugurated on 22 October 2023 and has since rung unchanged every day at 5 PM.

The Peace Trail in Mösern

The bell sits at the end of a short, very pretty circular trail through and around Mösern. The Peace Trail connects seven stations: local museum, Gföll Chapel, Albrecht Dürer Way, Möserer See trail, Peace Bell, parish church and pavilion. Around 5 kilometers long, mostly flat, with viewpoints over the Inn valley and Hohe Munde. Manageable for families with children and dogs – walking time around 1.5 hours without breaks, considerably more relaxed with a stop for refreshments.

© Region Seefeld

Peace Bell and Möserer See – the ideal combination

The Peace Bell is only a few minutes on foot from Möserer See – which makes the two an obvious pairing for a half-day outing. If you are travelling with kids: the playground and the Seestub'n at the lake are exactly the buffer you need between walk and bell ringing. Order of play: early afternoon at the lake, leave for the bell around 4:45 PM, hear the full ring at 5 PM, then enjoy the view and head home at an easy pace.

Practical info for your visit

• Location: Mösern near Telfs, on the northwestern edge of the village next to the former Menthof
• Altitude: approx. 1,180 m – open view of Telfs, Inn valley and Ötztal
• Ringing: daily at 5 PM, around 3 minutes
• Admission: free, openly accessible – no attendant, no fee
• Specs: 10,450 kg bell + 303 kg clapper, 2.51 m high, 2.54 m diameter
• Access: small parking lot in Mösern, then about 5–10 minutes on foot
• Barrier-free: yes, the new site is wheelchair-accessible
• Dogs: allowed, welcome on a leash
• Peace Trail: 5 km loop with 7 stations, around 1.5 hours walking time

© Region Seefeld

From the Wilderer Chalets to the Peace Bell

Mösern is about 20 minutes by car from the Wilderer Chalets in Leutasch-Weidach – via Seefeld, then down towards Telfs. The right way to do it: set off in the late afternoon, stop at the Möserer See, arrive at the bell around 4:45 PM, experience the full peal, and stop at the Möserer Seestub'n on the way back. By evening you are back at the chalet, with the sound still in your head.

“

The Peace Bell is one of those places where Tyrol is more than just landscape. Once you have stood up there at 5 PM, you understand why it is here and not down in the valley.

— Wilderer Chalets Team

There are sights you tick off once and forget. The Peace Bell is not one of them. It costs no admission, takes only a few minutes, and asks for nothing more than your willingness to do nothing else for three minutes. That is precisely why it works.