Hüttenberg – Mining History and Culture

Hüttenberg brings together mining history and minerals with other cultural themes: Heinrich Harrer, Tibetan Buddhism and historic ironworking. Each attraction has a different focus. Along with a show mine and a mineral exhibition, the area’s attractions include museums, a pilgrimage trail, routes connected to mining history and a recurring tradition. For your stay, you can distinguish between the attractions by their subject matter and the time they require.

Mining History and Minerals

The Knappenberg show mine is a 900-metre-long historic mining tunnel dating from 1567. The mineral exhibition features more than 200 different types of minerals, including löllingite, named after Hüttenberg’s Lölling district. At the Albert spoil heap, visitors can search for minerals themselves; today, it is considered Hüttenberg’s largest mineral-collecting site. The mineral exhibition and the Albert spoil heap offer two different experiences: viewing minerals on display and searching for them yourself.

Heinrich Harrer and Tibetan Buddhism

The Heinrich Harrer Museum displays more than 5,000 exhibits across 1,000 m², covering Heinrich Harrer and his travels and expeditions. Its subject matter therefore differs from that of the mineral exhibition: the focus is on Harrer and his travels rather than types of minerals.

The Lingkor, a Tibetan pilgrimage trail, is located opposite the Heinrich Harrer Museum. Symbols and objects of Tibetan Buddhism can be found along the circular route. The Lingkor includes a stupa designed as a smaller-scale replica of Lhasa’s destroyed western gate. The route therefore offers a different thematic focus from the museum, bringing together Tibetan Buddhist symbols and objects along a pilgrimage trail.

Routes and Historic Ironworks

The Path of Dialogue is 2.7 kilometres long and takes about an hour and a half. It starts at the JUFA Hotel Knappenberg and leads to a point just before the entrance to the Heinrich Harrer Museum. Along the way, it crosses meadows and passes through wooded sections. Its length and approximate duration can help you plan your day.

The old ore railway line has been converted into a hiking trail. The railway transported ore to the Heft for smelting. The Heft Open-Air Museum in Hüttenberg comprises monumental 19th-century buildings, which rank among the largest historic ironworks in Europe. Alongside the mine and ore transport, the historic ironworks offer another perspective on mining history.

A Festival in Carinthia’s Calendar of Traditions

The Hüttenberg Reiftanz takes place every three years on the Sunday after Pentecost. It is a traditional miners’ festival in Carinthia’s calendar of traditions. If you would like to plan your trip around the Reiftanz, check the date for the year in question. Its recurring schedule offers a general guide; for planning, check the date for the specific year.

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Go to the main travel overview: Sankt Veit An Der Glan.