The 5.5-kilometre “Zunftweg” trail around Guttaring is one of the seven “Mysterious Paths” in the Görtschitztal valley. And it doesn’t bear this nickname for nothing. The region’s recent and ancient past is constantly present along this three-hour hike. Hikers are led to places that are not only extremely scenic, but also sparkle with history and stories.
Urtler blast furnace in Guttaring
But first things first. The starting and finishing point of this family-friendly short hike is the church in the pretty village center of Guttaring. The gentle gurgling of the Silberbach stream accompanies hikers to the mysterious blast furnace in the dreamy Urtlgraben: iron was produced on the site where the old walls stand today at the end of the 1st millennium AD. In the 16th century, one of Europe’s first raft furnaces for the production of liquid pig iron stood here. Today, the industrial monument is owned by the Kopper family, who are happy to welcome hungry hikers in the inn directly opposite.
Picturesque landscape
Continue along the Zunftweg! Shortly before Gasthof Kopper, the path branches off to the left and leads across lush green cow pastures and through enchanted forests to the picturesque Sonnberg. At 771 meters above sea level, this is the highest point of this hike. On the following meters, benches invite you to let your gaze wander over the lovely landscape.
Hiking trails to discover where the primordial sea once surged
After the Gasthaus Höhwirt inn, the trail descends gently towards the starting point, before leading to a mystical place where the primordial sea once surged in prehistoric times. Its traces can still be found today at the “Field of Stone Lentils“. Many tales and legends surround the lentil-sized stones, thousands of which can be found on the surface of the earth at this point.
