Magnesitstollen Hohentauern

Der Keltenberg

Useful Information

Location:	At Hohentauern. A9 to Trieben or S36 to Judenburg. (47.447542, 14.465871)
Open:	Fels- und Höhlenwelt: MAY to OCT daily 10-17. Depending on snow. Bergbaustube: All year Wed 15-17 and after appointment. [2026]
Fee:	Fels- und Höhlenwelt self guided: Adults EUR 5, Children EUR 3, Families EUR 12. guided: Adults EUR 8, Children EUR 5, Families EUR 20. Bergbaustube Adults EUR 5, Children EUR 3, Families EUR 12. [2007]
Classification:	Magnesite Mine
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Fritz Ebner, Walter Prochaska (2001): Die Magnesitlagerstätte Sunk/Hohentauern und ihr geologischer Rahmen Joannea Geologie und Paläontologie. researchgate pdf Karl-Heinz Krisch (2009): Geschichte des Magnesitbergbaues Hohentauern, res montanarum 46/2009, S. 101-110. pdf Alois Leitner (2001): Zur Volkskultur des Magnesitbergbaues Hohentauern/Sunk, Joannea Geol. Paläont 3: S. 45–62 (2001). pdf pdf Karl-Heinz Krisch (2001): Die Geschichte vom Bruch im Sunk Joannea Geol. Paläont 3: S. 5–43 pdf Fritz Ebner & Walter Prochaska (2001): Die Magnesitlagerstätte Sunk/Hohentauern und ihr geologischer Rahmen Joannea Geol. Paläont 3: S. 63–103 pdf
Address:	Naturerlebnispark Hohentauern Betriebs GmbH & Co KG, Tauernstrasse 39b, 8785 Hohentauern, Tel: +43-3618-204-0. Bergbaustube, Gemeindehaus, 8785 Hohentauern, Tel: +43-3618-325.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1641	first written mention, "black and white speckled Styrian or Klagenfurt marble" ordered for St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.
19th century	increase in sales due to the Industrial Revolution.
1907	establishment of own processing plant in Trieben.
1910	processing plant begins operations.
1941	landslide in the mine leads to the closure of some mining operations.
16-OCT-1944	air raid on the factory facilities in Trieben, causing severe damage.
1945	mining resumes on a small scale.
1947	processing resumed in Trieben.
1991	majority stake in the mine acquired by Radex-Heraklith Industriebeteiligungs AG, followed shortly afterwards by closure of the mine.
2002	show mine opened.
2013	mining resumed by STYROMAG.

Geology

The rocks of the mountains consist mainly of clastically influenced marine carbonate rocks from the Steilbachgraben Formation (Visé, 333-346 Ma) of the Carboniferous period. This is the Veitsch Nappe of the Grauwacke zone, which is also the type locality of the "Veitsch type" magnesite deposit. The magnesite was tectonically and metamorphically overprinted into green schist facies during the Cretaceous period by the Alpine orogeny. This was followed by further intense fracture tectonics in the Tertiary period. The deposit consists of spar magnesite, mostly pinolite magnesite. A rough distinction can be made between three deposits, called the Liegendbank (hanging wall), Mittelbank (middle wall) and Hangendbank (footwall), which simply describes their position in relation to each other. The magnesite also contains vein mineralisation containing young Alpine sulphide ores such as Fahlerz, chalcopyrite and pyrite. Talc and graphite are also found.

The question of how the magnetite was formed remains unanswered to this day. In the meantime, at least two controversial theories have emerged. The first assumes synsedimentary to early diagenetic magnesite formation. The second is that of epigenetic/metasomatic magnesite formation.

Description

The Magnesitstollen Hohentauern (magnesite tunnel Hohentauern) is a former mine in the small village of Hohentauern, located on the famous ridge of the same name. The name Thauern is of Celtic origin and means "pass", i.e. a mountain crossing. The village of Hohentauern is located at 1,274 metres above sea level and is the highest village in the Austrian Alps. The trade route at the "Triebener Tauern", which was important to the Celts more than 2,000 years ago, is probably the reason for the Celtic theme park. Under the nam Naturerlebnispark Hohentauern "Keltenberg" (Nature Discovery Park "Keltenberg"), it offers a wealth of information and activities relating to the daily life of the Celts. It is primarily an open-air museum with a reconstruction of a lake dwelling village from the Celtic period and the "WasserWeg" adventure trail. At the end of this trail, you reach the Magnesitbuffet restaurant and the Fels- und Höhlenwelt (rock and cave world).

The mine is famous for its dome, which is covered with glittering magnesite crystals. There is also a mineral exhibition underground. The dome can be reached on a self-guided or guided tour through a long tunnel. In fact, however, the buffet and the slide are probably much more important; the mine is referred to as a cave and there is little to learn about mining. It is definitely worth a visit, but another visit beforehand would be more important in order to lay the foundations for it.

So if you are interested in mining, there is the Bergbaustube, a small museum in the centre of Hohentauern, which is not part of the theme park. It is a mining museum run by ARGE-SUNK and is located on the ground floor of the Hohentauern community centre. This association consists of former miners under the direction of Dr. Alois Leitner. The museum aims to preserve the history of the miners. With various exhibits, pictures and documents, the Bergbaustube conveys the history and mining methods in Hohentauern.

Mining in Sunk near Trieben probably began in the 17th century, and magnesite was initially extracted primarily as a raw material for sculptors. Pignolit stone was also used in the restoration of Admont Abbey after the catastrophic fire of 1865. However, this changed dramatically towards the end of the 19th century when the demand for refractory rocks for blast furnaces and Bessemer converters rose dramatically. The industrial revolution needed steel and iron, and production required refractory rock. But it was not until 1907 that magnesite mining was raised to a large-scale industrial level with the establishment of a dedicated processing plant in Trieben. Six shaft furnaces and a cable car were built. The new facilities were completed in 1910 and began operations. The general decline in sales after the First World War and the global economic crisis led to a decline in production, but by 1937 it had already recovered.

The name Sunk is also interesting, as it is actually a variant of Sinke or Bachschwinde. Although the carbonate rocks are karstified, this is not a karst phenomenon. A landslide had blocked the Sunkbach stream, which then dug a passage under the rubble. This must be described as an erosion cave.