Elisabethsee in the Amertal, Mittersill
Here, on the romantic shores of the Elisabethsee, you will find an idyllic spot set against a wonderful natural backdrop. This former gravel pit abuts the dam wall of the Klauser Reservoir and is distinguished by its exceptional water quality. Today, anglers can fish in the groundwater lake and then grill their catch over an open fire until it is deliciously crispy (fishing permits are available from the Hotel Bräurup). In the summer season, of course, you are also welcome to take a refreshing dip.
Heathen Church
On the southern end of the Elisabethsee, we find yet another natural monument: an approximately 10 metres-high block of central gneiss, known as the “Heathen Church”. It sticks powerfully up from a debris field caused by a rock fall and is broken apart at its center. If you force your way through this narrow and barely passable crack, you will expunge any ailments and all things evil from your body – or so the myth would have it!
The vaulted, cupola-like fracture areas, overgrown with colorful lichens and mosses, intensify the impression of a sacred edifice. Because of its uniqueness, the Heathen Church was declared a natural monument in 1987 and, as such, has been protected ever since.
Wind Holes
Very near the Heathen Church, we find a very unusual natural phenomenon, the so-called “Wind Holes”. In the loose masses of rock which had been tumbling down since the glacial ice had melted, a subterranean system of tubes was formed, one which spanned several hundred vertical metres. Cold air from higher layers sinks down and cools off even more, before flowing out of the wind holes as an icy blast of air. The climate in the immediate area around the Wind Holes is consistently colder than elsewhere and has developed its own very different vegetation.
Further Information:
Mittersill Plus GmbH Offices
Stadtplatz 4
5730 Mittersill
phone: +43(0)6562 4292
