Toifen Creek - Mining auf der Au

The St. Veit deposit consisted of several mining districts called Schlegelberg, auf der Au, Ragglgraben, Schwanhalt and Meseneben. The largest of the mining districts is in the area of today’s Reicher creek and Toifen creek. Finds show mining activity as early as the Bronze Age between 1850 and 1000 BC and again in the Middle Ages starting in the 13th Century. Mining at auf der Au was fi rst documented around 1529. It was last mentioned in 1548, but there are indications that some tunnels were still being mined into the 19th Century.

Mining at auf der Au may not only have been abandoned due to a lack of copper ore (tetrahedrite) that could be mined, but also, as can be inferred from a 1543 report, due to an unmanageable influx of water in the deeper parts of the mine. Of the 17 tunnels shown on the mining map from the late Middle Ages, the St. Mathäus mine transport tunnel, the St. Christoffen fissure, the St. Christoffen vein, the Allerheiligen and St. Kathrein pits and the Sunnpau mine are known by name.

Kids

Customs Schnalzen

Schnalzen is an old tradition that has long been celebrated in our region and still delights many people today. The men carry a whip and ride a Noriker horse decorated with beautiful flowers. At festivals, parades, weddings and other special events, they parade through the streets and show how well they can handle the whip. They swing the whip and crack it loudly, which is called snapping. The whips are often between two and four metres long. The horses are used to the loud cracks and the whip crackers are careful not to injure the animals. Every two years there is even a competition in which the crackers show who can crack the whip best.

Customs Schnalzen

Schnalzen is an old tradition in our region and is still very popular today. The men carry a whip and ride a Noriker horse, which is often decorated with flowers. On various occasions such as festivals, parades, weddings or church celebrations, they parade through the streets and show off their whip-wielding skills. They swing the whip and crack it loudly - this is called snapping. The whips used are between two and four metres long. The horses must be used to the crack so that they are not frightened, and the whip cracker makes sure that the animal is not injured. Every two years, a competition is held in which the best snallers compete against each other and measure their skills.

Customs Schnalzen

Whipping has a long tradition in the region and is still very popular today. The men carry a whip and sit on a Noriker horse decorated with flowers. They are led through the villages at events, parades, church festivals or weddings and demonstrate their skill with the whip. As the name suggests, they swing the whip and snap it loudly. The whips used are between two and four metres long. The horses have to be accustomed to the loud crack of the whip and the whip cracker has to make sure that the animal is not injured by the whip. A competition is held every two years where the whip crackers compete against each other.