Via Aurea – Ways of the Tauerngold – Wonderful trekking in SalzburgerLand, Austria!

Austria is located in Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia. Here you can enjoy trekking around in the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern. It`s the largest park in Europe, which covers over 1786 sq km (690 sq miles). It`s famous for its richness of flora and fauna including marmots and some rare ibexes. In this park you can admire and and climb Austria's highest mountain Grossglockner, which is 3797 metres (12,454 feet) tall.

The highway through the park, the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, is one of the world's most scenic, according to Lonely Planet.

The landscape is like a fairytale. As the organisation Via Aurea describe the environment: "Glaciated peak regions, impressive vegetation at rocks and in the debris of the moraines, high alpine nature lawn, flowery mountain and alpine pastures, extensive shrublet-heaths, arolla pine, larch and spruce forests, still moors and mountain lakes as well as roaring mountain streams and waterfalls thundering down, characterize the largest national park of the Alps and Central Europe."

Photos. Glimpses from the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern. © Via Aurea.

The gold found in the central part of the high Tauern, was extracted until Baroque times. The history of gold mining could be real enriching for explorers who take their way deep into the central part of the mining areas in Goldberggruppe. The paths lead to the former mining galleries, to the debris and clinker dumps, and to the remains of the mining houses, which mostly lie high above the tree line.

Experience the mysticism of the Tauerngold and learn more about the mining history, the destinies of the mine proprietors, late medieval buildings and museums. Whether you do it on foot or on the horse-back, there will be great experiences waiting for you!

Stein Morten Lund, 6 April 2006

Additional information

Via Aurea:
The organisation "Via Aurea" - Ways of the Tauern Gold", was founded in the course of the 3rd Gastein Culture Day 1998, which was arranged under the motto "Tauerngold". For more information about the organisation, click on the link: Via Aurea.