Short info:
Where is the Erzberg located? Address: In Styria near Eisenerz, shortly before the Leopolsteiner Lake (Navigation address: Vordernberger Straße 55, 8790 Eisenerz)
What is there to see here? A tour of the mine, a ride on the Hauly and an outdoor exhibition.
How much does entry cost? From the age of 4 it costs money, depending on the tour. Here you can find all prices.
When is open? open April 30th and close October 31st. Tours start at 10:00 a.m
How high is the Erzberg? 1,466 meters
The Erzberg in general
Iron ore has been mined on the Erzberg since the 11th century. Today it is the largest open-pit iron ore mine in Central Europe and the largest siderite deposit in the world. A total of 12 million tons of rock is produced annually. Filled into wagons, the annual dismantling would range from Vienna to Paris. The main customer is Voestalpine in Linz and Leoben.
The striking pyramidal shape of the Erzberg was created in 1890, when stepped opencast mining was introduced. Mining continues to this day, although the top tiers of the mountain have not been worked for quite some time.
Various sporting events take place here every year, such as a mountain run or the Erzberg Rodeo, one of the toughest enduro races in the world. There are also plenty of other adventures to be had on the Erzberg. Here you can find all upcoming events.
We want to test the Erzberg ourselves and have reserved a combined tour with a Hauly trip and a show mine, which takes about 3 hours. During the holidays and weekends you should reserve in advance!
Hauly ride
The “Hauly”, as the converted heavy goods vehicle is affectionately known on the Erzberg, takes children and parents to its still active colleagues on the Erzberg.
15min before departure we get our helmets (cleaned and disinfected). The huge Hauly arrives on time. The operators describe the Hauly themselves as the largest taxi in the world. In fact, the tires of the 860 hp Hauly are gigantic. A first-hand experience in the opencast mine with insights into the everyday work of the miners and prospects for the future is guaranteed.
The Hauly is reserved down to the last of the 62 seats. Unfortunately, we are not among the first to enter the vehicle, so we have to sit in the middle, from where unfortunately very little of the area can be seen.
During the bumpy ride, the friendly guide tells us interesting facts about the Erzberg. Fortunately, there are also 2 stops on the tour where you can go to the Haulys platform at the front, from where you still get a beautiful view of the Erzberg and an insight into the ore mining.
After about 50 minutes the journey is over. Now we have a break of about 20 minutes before we continue with the show mine.
Show mine
This tour is also only possible with a guide. The bus takes you to the entrance of the mine. From there, you board a small, original train that transported workers up the mountain decades ago. The journey takes about 10 minutes. The ride is quite noisy in the rather dark wagon (you should prepare small children for that). Don’t forget to dress warmly!
On the tour through the underground labyrinth (it’s also quite dark here) you get to know the underground working world of the miners. You learn a lot about the history of the origin of the Erzberg. The working conditions from then to now are visualized by many devices and means of transport. The Aquarius saga is told and presented near a small pond.
According to legend, the discovery of the iron deposits on the Erzberg can be traced back to the knowledge of a water man. He lived in a grotto northwest of Eisenerz and was captured by the residents near Lake Leopoldstein with the help of a coat soaked in pitch. In order to buy his freedom again, he offered “gold for ten years, silver for a hundred years, or iron forever”. The clever people from Eisenerz are said to have chosen the latter, whereupon the water sprite showed them the Erzberg. After they had convinced themselves of the ore deposits, they released the water sprite and he disappeared into a karst spring, which has since been called the water man’s hole.
Towards the end, an audio-visual blast is also staged. It then goes back after about 1.5 hours by train and bus.
In addition to the Haulyfahrt and the show mine, a visit to the open-air exhibition would also be possible. But since we have already been here for 3 hours, we save these additional 90 minutes
Conclusion: The Erzberg is definitely worth a visit. You learn a lot about the mountain and entertainment is provided for young and old. However, the fun is not cheap at €32/person 😉 (as of 2022)