Erzweg Kupfer – Stage 1
Stage 1 of the Erzweg Kupfer leads from the Seelackenmuseum in St. Veit, via the Sunnpau show mine and numerous points of interest, to Mühlbach.
Starting from the Seelackenmuseum, the route first passes through the historic market square. There, an Erzweg Hinkelstein provides information about the Geopark and the mining history of St. Veit. Passing the church and the medieval Pfarrhof, the trail continues towards Rennlehen, where a peaceful rest spot invites you to pause and enjoy a fine view of Schloss Schernberg.
The route then leads through the Feldmairgraben to the Sunnpau show mine, open for visits from May to October. Near the former Gasthof Hochrainbergstube, another rest spot offers sweeping views of the Salzach Valley.
Passing the Pfarriachsteinkapelle – where an information board recalls the expulsion of Protestants in 1731/32 – the route continues via the Hubertuskapelle towards Mühlbach. After the Pronebenalm, the trail descends via the Paussbauer and the art trail "Augenblicke" into Mühlbach.
Stage 2 begins at the car park just past the village centre, at the next Erzweg Hinkelstein.
Highest point – rest spot on the way to Pronebenalm (1,405 m)
End point – Mühlbach village centre
Erzweg Kupfer – Stage 2
Stage 2 of the Erzweg Kupfer follows the historic Mitterberger Erzweg from Mühlbach to the Arthurhaus. In Mühlbach am Hochkönig, you follow in the footsteps of the miners and discover the fascinating story of prehistoric copper mining in the region. Along this well-designed themed trail, you will come across collapsed shafts, ancient smelting sites and tunnels, some of which are open to walkers. The route also tells the story of more than 5,000 years of mining history in Mühlbach and the hard daily life of the miners.
At 15 stations in total – some with interactive elements – you can learn about the individual steps of copper extraction and discover how ore was transported along the arduous route from the mining sites at Mitterberg down to the processing facilities in the valley.
Those who want to explore the subject further should also visit the Bergbaumuseum and the show mine in Mühlbach.
Highest point – Arthurhaus (1,519 m)
End point – Arthurhaus
Erzweg Kupfer – Stage 3
Stage 3 of the Erzweg leads from the Arthurhaus along the historic Knappensteig, past the ruins of Pongowe Castle, and on to Bischofshofen.
Starting from the Arthurhaus, the trail first follows a largely level path through the small valley between Hochkeil and Hochkönig, passing the remains of old stone boundary walls before descending towards Bischofshofen.
Just before the Gasthaus Bürgelhöh, several route options are available. The official route turns left along a field and forest path to the castle ruins and on to the waterfall, before reaching the Visitor Centre of the Erz der Alpen UNESCO Global Geopark and continuing through the cemetery into the centre of Bischofshofen.
Alternatively, you can keep right and follow the Wasserfallweg. This variant passes the castle ruins of Götschenberg and the plague cemetery before also arriving in Bischofshofen.
Highest point – 1,524 m
End point – Bischofshofen town centre
Erzweg Kupfer – Stage 4
Stage 4 of the Erzweg leads from Bischofshofen via Buchberg to Hochgründeck.
The route starts in the town centre of Bischofshofen, heading south towards the Pfarrkirche and the Kastenturm – one of the oldest buildings in the Pongau. You then cross the Salzach and climb the opposite side of the valley, passing beneath the motorway, up to the Buchberg plateau.
There, the trail passes the historic Fischerbachmühle before reaching the Buchbergkirche, which once served as the chapel of a castle complex. The route continues past the Schürfbau Lehen to a fine viewpoint with views of the Tennengebirge, then heads on towards Buchberg.
Those who wish can take a roughly 30-minute detour to the summit of Buchberg to visit the shepherds' chapel. The main route, however, continues below the summit towards Hochgründeck.
At the summit, sweeping views await. The summit chapel is just a few minutes away.
Highest point – Hochgründeck (1,827 m)
End point – Hochgründeck
Erzweg Kupfer – Stage 5
The fifth and final stage of the Erzweg leads from Hochgründeck down to Hüttau and to key landmarks of the region's mining heritage.
Starting from the Heinrich-Kiener-Haus, the route first passes the Friedenskirche before descending to the Klamm-Alm, where a welcome rest stop awaits. Information boards along the way offer further insight into the region and its mining past.
The trail then continues down into Hüttau and the village centre. At the Museum "Erze, Gold und Minerale", you can discover more about local mining history and the world of minerals and ores.
The Erzweg concludes with a short walk to the Kupferzeche Larzenbach – a striking reminder of the area's copper mining heritage and a rewarding conclusion to one of the region's most distinctive routes.
Highest point – Kupferzeche Larzenbach (1,803 m)
End point – Hüttau – Kupferzeche Larzenbach
