Sillian is the largest village in the Hochpustertal and the natural base for visitors. It sits at 1,100 metres on the Drava river with a small main square, a baroque parish church, and the valley's main supermarkets and rental shops. The cable car to the Thurntaler ski area starts here.
Beyond skiing and hiking, Sillian is a quiet, working alpine town. The wooden balconies of the houses are still hung with geraniums in summer, and the cattle still come down from the high pastures in September for the Almabtrieb procession through the streets.