Discover Schmitzberg: Mining History, Music and Trails

Those who choose Schmitzberg as a travel destination will find points of connection with mining history, musical tradition and outdoor activities in the Hausruck Forest. The area can be explored through specific experiences: a traditional miners’ band, the railway and mining museum in Ampflwang, a long hiking route and climbing facilities with different organisational details.

Musical Tradition Connected to Mining

The Schmitzberg-Ampflwang Miners’ Band was founded on 7 October 1925 by twelve miners from the WTK lignite operation Schmitzberg based in Ampflwang. Its origins connect the musical tradition with the regional history of lignite mining. Even today, the band remains part of the area’s cultural identity. The werXmusi youth group of the Schmitzberg-Ampflwang Miners’ Band organises the traditional annual werXmusi-Gschnas. Those who want to experience not only the landscape but also local traditions during their trip will find a special thematic connection here.

Railway and Mining in Ampflwang

Lokpark Ampflwang – Upper Austria’s Railway and Mining Museum is dedicated to the history of railways and mining. It is located on the former surface site of Wolfsegg-Traunthaler Kohlenwerks AG, or WTK for short. The lignite mined in the region until the 1990s was loaded into railway wagons on this site. The historic location and its present-day use as a museum give the visit a clear focus: industrial history, transport history and regional memory come together here.

The Lokpark houses more than one hundred rail vehicles across 25,000 m². There is also a railway and mining adventure playground for children. Families can therefore combine a museum visit with a child-friendly discovery element without losing sight of the site’s historical focus. When planning your trip, it is worth weighing up a visit shaped by cultural history against a stay with a stronger focus on activity and outdoor experiences.

Hiking, Climbing Towers and Special Trails

The Hausruck Forest Round Trail – Oberbank Long-Run leads from the Lukasberg forest road via Schmitzberg and the Katzlholz to Innerleiten. The route is 23.0 kilometres long and takes 6 hours and 30 minutes. These clear details are important for planning the day: the loop is aimed at travellers who deliberately plan a longer hike as the focus of their day. Those choosing a holiday apartment or holiday house can therefore base their accommodation decision on the desired balance between a cultural programme and an extended tour.

The climbing facilities also require attention to their respective details. After purchasing a day ticket online for the Seemoos climbing tower, a five-digit access code is sent by email. The Ampflwang climbing tower is located at Schmitzberg 16 in Ampflwang in the Hausruck Forest. The two pieces of information should not be confused: for personal planning, it is advisable to check the specific destination and the information associated with it.

Historical Hiking Idea and Local Leisure Facility

Another connection between the landscape and regional history was the “Horse and Coal Hike” announced for 20 October 2019. It led from Seemoos via Schmitzberg through woodland and meadowland to a midday break at the Aldiana Club Ampflwang. The date belongs to this historical event reference and is not an indication of a current date. As a separate local feature, the Naturfreunde Ampflwang leisure facility includes a clubhouse and a pond.

When looking for accommodation in Schmitzberg, the focus is therefore less on specific amenities than on the question of which experiences you would like to combine during your stay. Culture enthusiasts can take the miners’ band and mining history into account, while hikers can include the 23.0-kilometre Hausruck Forest Round Trail in their plans. Families will find a specific attraction at the Lokpark with its railway and mining adventure playground for children.

Other Places for Orientation

You can find additional local pages under Aurach Am Hongar, Attnang, Vöcklamarkt, Schlatt, Sankt Lorenz, Ampflwang Im Hausruckwald, Neukirchen An Der Vöckla and Wolfsegg am Hausruck.

For the higher-level travel overview: Vöcklabruck.