Simple. Real. Interesting
The story from the Rauris Valley
The Rauris Valley is one of the few permanently populated Tauern valleys and was considered the center of gold mining for centuries. The Rauris Valley, with its valley head Kolm Saigurn and the Seidlwinkl Valley, can therefore look back on a fascinating history.
Various finds show that the paths over the Rauris Tauern (Hochtor) were used very early on. For example, a massive, gold-plated collar on the Maschlalm in the Seidlwinkl Valley, which dates back to the La Tène period around 400 BC. A copy of the collar is now on display in the Rauris Valley Museum.
The valley was settled from south to north. The present-day town of Rauris was formerly named after the Gaisbach, on whose alluvial fan it was built, and was first mentioned in documents in 1120. Gaisbach probably because the mouth of the stream into the main valley flows through narrow, steep walls where only goats could graze.
In 1122, when Bishop Heinrich von Freising gave two farms to his brother Count Friedrich von Peilstein, the name "Rurise" first appeared and referred to the entire valley.
The most important factor for the valley was of course gold mining, which reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries. At that time, around 3,000 people lived in the Rauris Valley, and 450 mines were in operation.
Click here for the historical tour
Milestones in the history of the Rauris Valley
