Tauerngold-Rundwanderweg

Useful Information

Location:	Naturfreundehaus "Neubau", Rauriser Tal, Salzburger Land. (47.056156, 12.987711)
Open:	Trail: Summer, weather permitting. Nationalpark-Infostelle "Zimmererhütte": JUN to OCT Sat 12-16, Sun, Hol 10-16. Currently closed for renovation. Rauriser Talmuseum: JUN daily 15-18. JUL to AUG daily 10-12, 15-18. SEP to OCT daily 15-18. NOV to MAY Mon, Wed, Fri 15-18. [2023]
Fee:	Trail: free. Nationalpark-Infostelle "Zimmererhütte": free. Rauriser Talmuseum: Adults EUR 4, Children (6-12) EUR 2, Children (0-5) free, Seniors EUR 2.50. [2023]
Classification:	Gold Mine Educational trail. Museums.
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	L=7,000 m, D=3 h.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Booklet Tauerngold-Rundwanderweg is available at the Naturfreundehaus "Neubau", free. F. Gruber, W. Günther, V. Höck, W.H. Paar (2000): Schatzkammer Hohe Tauern - 2000 Jahre Goldbergbau, Verlag: Anton Pustet, Salzburg-München 2000, 380 p,, ISBN 3-7025-0416-8.
Address:	Tauerngold-Rundwanderweg, Naturfreundehaus "Neubau", Familie Rathgeb, A-5661 Rauris, Tel/Fax: +43-6544-8181. Nationalpark-Infostelle "Zimmererhütte", Kolmstraße 22, 5661 Rauris, Tel: +43-6544-8103. Tourismusverband Rauris, Sportstr. 2, 5661 Rauris, Tel: +43-6544-200-22, Fax: +43-6544-200-22-60-30.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

4000 BP	first gold mining in the area.
middle ages	heydays of the gold mining, ended by growing glaciers.
1876	Ignaz Rojacher from Rauris revived the gold mining for a short time.
1926	the whole area is owned by the Naturfreunde, a non profit organization.

Description

The Tauern are a mountain ridge, famous for multiple valuable ores. Most famous are of course, mentionable amounts of gold which are found all over the area in thin bands of ore called gangues. First the ores were searched and found on the slopes of the mountains, and quarried in opencasts, which are called Pinge in German. Some miners followed the gold bearing ore bands into the mountain side. Many small adits were built all along the valley. The underground mining had its heyday in the Middle Ages, but the so called Little Ice Age, a century of decreasing temperature, made the glaciers grow and made the adits inaccessible. The glaciers shrunk again and so the gold mining had a short renaissance in the 19th century.

But another way to find gold was gold washing. The ores, which were already weathered, where transported down the valley by the water. The gold is very resistant against any form of weathering, and it is very heavy. So while the surrounding rocks were destroyed by weathering, the gold remained, and as rocks and sand were washed down the river, the gold accumulated because of its weight in depressions in the river bed. Those deposits are called placers.

So the gold mining history in this area is a combination of all common methods to find gold. And though there is no show mine, they developed the concept Tauerngold (Gold of the Tauern Mountains), which consists of at least two places for gold washing, museums, and educational trails. We decided to list the educational trail Tauerngold-Rundwanderweg, because it shows numerous mining related sites. The highlights are mine tunnels, Knappenhäuser (houses of miners), the Radhaus, an engine house for the former funicular. The trail is located on the mountain and starts at the Naturfreundehaus "Neubau", a mountain lodge operated by the Naturfreunde association. There is also an educational Glacier Trail starting at the lodge. The lodge is not accessible by car, so it is necessary to walk to the lodge first, then take the educational trail, and then return to the car. The full tour takes about 7 hours, the educational tour alone about 3 hours. In other words, this is a full day mountaineering tour which requites physical fitness, surefootedness and appropriate equipment. Good walking shoes, sun protection as well as rain protection, food and water, and probably a good map are absolutely necessary. The trail is freely accessible, but the visit depends on the weather. In other words, only on good weather days during the summer, in winter most of the stops are covered in snow.

We also want to mention three sites which are located in the valley and easier to access. However, they do not include any actual mining.

The Nationalpark-Infostelle "Zimmererhütte" is the Visitor Center for the National Park Hohe Tauern. Despite information on animals, plants, walks and trails, they have changing exhibitions on several themes, including the gold mining. They also have an interesting collection of local minerals and ores. It is the trailhead for the walk to the Neubau lodge.

The Rauriser Talmuseum or Talmuseum Rauris (Museum of the Rauris Valley) is a sort of historic museum, but most of the valleys history is connected to gold mining. Located in the Gewerkegebäude (a miners term for mine building) which dates from 1563, it shows exhibitions on gold mining, Ignaz Rojacher and minerals of the area. The mineral exhibition was created by the Strahler (professional mineral collectors) of the valley. The museum is completed by a section on the observatory Sonnblick and by local farming equipment. Ignaz Rojacher (*1844-✝1891) was a tourism pioneer, acquired the postmaster's office, established a postal service and encouraged road construction. In addition to the observatory, he installed a telephone system, was the first to have electric light in the Rauris Valley. He opened four inns, Werkhaus Kolm, the Bodenhaus in Bucheben, the Gasthof Post in Rauris and the Zittelhaus at the Hohe Sonnblick.

There are three places in the valley were visitors can wash their own gold. The results are not worth the time you invest, but gold washing is a great fun for children.