Mariahilf Adit

The first adit of modern mining history in Mühlbach am Hochkönig was initiated by the mining pioneer, Hutmann Josef Zötl, in 1829 at this location. The miners had to persevere for a whole 12 years before they encountered a substantial ore vein, and mining at Mitterberg could develop into a major enterprise.

The story of the "Lost Loaf of Bread“ recounts the rediscovery of the Mitterberg copper district in the 19th century: A farmer, returning home with an ox cart from the market in Werfen, lost two loaves of bread exactly here at the edge of the "Rossbach.“ He sent his son-in-law, Thomas Plenk, to search for them. Plenk found the loaves and noticed what seemed like gold glittering in the creek. Later, it was revealed to be copper!

That was the starting point for an extraordinary mining history that shaped the entire region for nearly 150 years. Until the final closure of mining in 1977, Mühlbach was the largest copper mine in Central Europe.

Kids

Discover nature

Dear natural scientists,

Are you ready for an exciting search game in the forest? This game will help you get to know nature better and take a closer look.

Colours in nature: Find five different colours in the forest. Look carefully and note where you have found them (e.g. red berries, green leaves, brown tree bark).

Different leaves: Find leaves from at least three different trees. Draw the leaves in your notebook and describe their shape and size.

Animal tracks: Look for traces of animals. These could be footprints, feathers or nests. Which animal do you think left these tracks?

Birds and their songs: Listen carefully and try to recognise three different bird calls. Can you recognise a bird and describe what it looks like?

Blossoms and flowers: Find flowers or blossoms in the forest. How many different species can you discover? Do you recognise the flowers? What colours do they have?

Stones and rocks: Look at different stones and rocks. Are there differences in colour, shape or size?

Smells of the forest: Close your eyes and smell different plants, flowers or trees. Describe the different odours that you perceive.

Have fun discovering and exploring the wonderful nature along the Erzweg! 🌲🍃🐾