A vanished lake - One tells oneself...

A long time ago there was a beautiful lake here, crystal clear and abundant with fish. All around were dense forests inhabited by peaceful animals. People lived happy and satisfied lives.

One day some strange men came to the area. They behaved very oddly – they roamed through the forests, slipped into caves and busily examined all the cracks in the rocks. They were miners looking for coveted copper. In fact, they found it. From then on the hammering of stone axes could be heard constantly in the forest; countless trees were felled and smoke polluted the air. Fire and charcoal were the basis for extracting the copper.

The forest became sparse, and the game moved away. The abundance of fish came to an end, because the rains washed debris and sand into the lake.

The locals asked the miners to protect nature. But the greed for the valuable metal was too strong. One night a terrible thunderstorm raged. The next morning the horror was great. The forest was devastated, and mighty boulders lay where the beautiful lake once was (rockfall St. Veit). Only a small pond remained – the Seelackensee.

Kids

Folk dance

In the Alpine region, there are dances that have a long tradition, called folk dancing, which also includes Schuhplatteln. Typical for Pongau are the Kathreintänze in autumn. Schuhplatteln involves tapping your shoes to the beat of the music, stomping and slapping your hands on your thighs and soles of your feet. Special shoes are worn for dancing. Dancing takes place in folklore clubs, folk dance groups and traditional costume clubs. Dance competitions (Preisplatteln) are held to see who can platteln best.

Folk dance

There are many old dances in the Alpine region that have been danced for a long time. One of these is folk dancing, which also includes Schuhplatteln. Especially in Pongau, a region in Austria, the so-called Kathreintänze are very popular in autumn. In Schuhplatteln, the dancers move to the beat of the music, stamp their feet and beat their thighs and soles of their feet with their hands. They wear special shoes that produce the typical sound. This dance is learnt and practised in local and traditional costume clubs and folk dance groups. In competitions, known as Preisplatteln, the dancers then show who is best at schuhplatteln.

Folk dance

In the Alpine region, traditional dances have a long history that is still alive today. One of the best known is folk dancing, which also includes Schuhplatteln. The so-called Kathreintänze are particularly popular in Pongau in autumn. Schuhplatteln involves stomping vigorously to the beat of the music and tapping their shoes while the dancers rhythmically slap their thighs and the soles of their feet. Special shoes are worn for this special dance, which produce the typical sound. The tradition is cultivated in local and traditional costume associations and folk dance groups. Competitions, known as Preisplatteln, are held to see who has the greatest skill in Schuhplatteln and the best command of the rhythm.