Gschlößtal
The Gschlößtal (also called Gschlöß) is a side valley of the Tauerntal in the municipality of Matrei in East Tyrol . It begins at the confluence of the Tauernbach and the Gschlößbach and extends to the origin of the Gschlößbach at the confluence of the Schlatenbach and the Vilhabenbach. The Gschlößtal has been used as an alpine pasture area for centuries and is now advertised as the “ most beautiful valley end in the Eastern Alps ”.
geography
Location and course
The Gschlößtal is located in northern East Tyrol on the border with Salzburg , but entirely in the municipality of Matrei in East Tyrol. If you follow the Tauernbach upstream, you will reach the confluence of the Tauernbach and Gschlößbach after passing the Matreier Tauernhaus . This is where the Tauern Valley ends, with the much smaller Tauernbach rising below the Felber Tauern at a distance of about three kilometers. The logical continuation of the Tauernbach in terms of quantity, however, is referred to as the Gschlößbach upstream from here. The Gschlößtal also begins here, which essentially extends in a westerly direction. Shortly after the beginning of the valley is the alpine settlement Aussergschlöß , followed by the rock chapel and the alpine settlement Innergschlöß with the Gasthaus Venedigerblick. At the end of the valley, west of Innergschlöß, the Schlatenkees is the origin of the Schlatenbach .
Schlatenkees
The Schlatenkees at the end of the Gschlößtal is with 900 hectares and 5.5 km in length (as of 1986) the largest glacier in the Tyrolean part of the Venediger group and takes 3% of the municipality of Matrei. The glacier reached its greatest extent around 9,000 years ago, but it was not much smaller around 1840 . Today the Schlatenkees is as small as it has not been in 750 years, and only rarely in the last 9,500 years.
history
Origin of name
The name Gschlöß goes back to Slavic alpine farmers and miners from the time of the Great Migration . Originally called Scheleß , the name comes from the Slavic zelezo ( iron ). Similar to the origin of the name Schlatenkees from the Slavic zlato ( gold ), this points to ore deposits in the Gschlößtal. For example, there is an occurrence of chalcopyrite (copper pyrites, copper-iron sulfide) on the southern slope of the Rote Kogel . The valley is often referred to by the locals simply as the Gschlöß or the tread .
Alpine farming, tourism and buildings
Originally had each farmer who in the Gschlößtal grazing rights held, a private Almgebäude. Today, however, there are only communal stables in Aussergschlöß and Innergschlöß, the original alpine buildings were renovated by the local history association with the help of the market town of Matrei and converted into holiday apartments. The so-called Frauenbrünndl rises behind the Aussergschlöß alpine settlement , where legend has it that Maria washed diapers. Therefore healing powers were attributed to the source. Since the valley is very secluded, the farmers built a chapel for the first time in 1688 , but it was destroyed for the second time by an avalanche in 1870. Therefore, the chapel was rebuilt in a natural cave, which is why the building is now called the rock chapel . The remains of the old chapel are still preserved today. In 1970 the chapel was renovated.
traffic
The Gschlößtal can be reached via the Felbertauernstrasse from Matrei in East Tyrol or via the Felbertauerntunnel from Salzburg. The road can only be used by car or post bus as far as the Matreier Tauernhaus. The road continues to behind the Innergschlöß settlement, but driving is prohibited from the Matreier Tauernhaus. The only exceptions are for the taxi, a stroll and a horse-drawn carriage that take tourists and hikers into the valley. Only the mountain pasture owners are allowed to drive into the valley by car. To do this, a road made of unpaved material leads into the valley on the right side of the valley. On the left side of the valley there is a hiking trail to the two alpine settlements.
In addition to the already mentioned hiking trail along the Gschlößbach, the Gschlößtal can also be reached via other hiking trails. From the north a hiking trail leads over the Felber Tauern and St. Pöltner Hütte and the St. Pöltner Westweg to Innergschlöß, from the south the valley can be reached via the Badener Hütte and the Innergschlöß glacier path. Another popular hiking trail leads from Großvenediger via the Old and New Prager Hut to Innergschlöß.
Web links
literature
- Walter Mair: East Tyrolean hiking book. Innsbruck 2001. ISBN 3-7022-1681-2
- Austrian Alpine Club: Innergschlöß Glacier Trail.