It’s no secret that I love hiking – and Mostviertel, Austria offers up some of the most unusual hiking I’ve ever done!
My first day in Mostviertel was spent hiking to Music and Mountains, a unique event held every June in which you hike to different locations to hear bands play. It was so much fun and unlike anything I’ve experienced before! In addition to a second day of Music and Mountains, it also included something I’ve called Historic Hiking.
Entrance to Erlebniswelt Mendlingtal
It started at Erlebniswelt Mendlingtal, a mostly open-air museum where visitors can see one of Europe’s last timber rafting facilities, a Blacksmith house and a water-powered mill. Located in Göstling an der Ybbs am Hochkar, right across the street from the Hotel Fahrnberger, it was part of an area known as the Eisenstraße (Iron Street in English),named so for the iron ore extraction which reached its height in the 17th and 18th century. The processing of the iron ore has always been on waterways since the mill is powered by water and wood was needed to be turned into wood charcoal to heat the iron.
Open air museum at Erlebniswelt Menlingtal
For me the real highlight was the HOLZweg (Wood Weg). It’s a relatively flat hiking path with wooden bridges that cross through a beautiful gorge where the wood was brought down stream to the facility. Travel tip: woodcutter demonstrations (as the one shown below) can be seen the first Sunday and third Saturday of every month from May through October.
Traditional woodcutter demonstration along the HOLZweg hiking path
I loved this hike. It was easy and popular with families but really peaceful:
Timber rafting facility at Erlebniswelt
HOLZweg (Wood weg) hiking path through the gorge is beautiful.
Crystal clear lake along the HOLZweg hiking path
Me stopping to enjoy the scenery along the HOLZweg
The HOLZweg ends at the Hammerherrenhaus where we ate lunch, listened to another singer as part of the Music and Mountains event, then returned the same way. Not only did I get music, but I also got some history!