Hollersbachtal
Coordinates: 47 ° 13 ' N , 12 ° 25' E
The Hollersbachtal in Oberpinzgau is the Tauern valley of the Hollersbach community . It is located south of the village of the same name.
location
The valley lies in the Hohe Tauern between the Felbertal, belonging to the municipality of Mittersill, with the famous Felbertauernstrasse in the east and the Habach valley in the municipality of Bramberg am Wildkogel with its well-known emerald deposits in the west.
Waters
The Hollersbach is created by the confluence of the Hüttenbach (also known as Weißeneggbach) and the Seebach with its impressive Seebach waterfall south of the Ofneralm in the Hollersbachtal at over 1550 m above sea level. A. However, the state information system SAGIS - just like the French cadastre from 1829/30 - indicates the Kratzenbergsee as the origin of the Hollersbach. The brook flows into the Salzach near Hollersbach .
The aim of the national park is also to preserve the Hollersbach as a natural body of water. “ A near-natural stream is a dynamic ecosystem, which means that there is a constant sequence between the landings, the consolidation of the material by herbaceous plants, the emergence of woody plants and - especially during floods - the tearing away of the banks and their vegetation complexes. With built-up banks and “tamed” streams, this dynamic no longer takes place . ”(Quote from the“ Hollersbachtal ”nature guide from the national parks, p. 28). In the section between Leitneralm and Ofnerbodenalm, contrary to these criteria, the stream is hidden behind a flood protection wall that is built too close to the stream. The gray alder that accompanies the near-natural stream was almost cleared in the area of the alpine pastures, the stream of different widths was slightly straightened in the area of the small stream islands, the large stones were removed from the bottom of the stream and the stream bed smoothed by machine, the embankments were given a largely constant Slope, d. H. the stream got a very uniform bed, the natural and important interlocking of the stream with its surrounding area disappeared. In the section above the closed forest, the stream can no longer be described as natural and no longer as close to nature. As a result of the water-changing measures, the alpine pastures near the stream could and can also be converted into fat meadows and gradually intensified. The very structured and flower-rich alpine pastures gave way to poorly structured and increasingly also poorly flowered meadows. This structural change significantly affects the recreational value and the nature conservation value of the stream and its surroundings.
With a size of 24 hectares, the Kratzenbergsee is the largest natural mountain lake in the Hohe Tauern National Park and in the Tauern region as a whole. It owes its formation to the ice ages. At that time, glaciers in connection with the gravel underneath also carved out this high valley and created a glacier kolk at first over 100 m deep. Its greatest depth is over 30 m today. The Scharrnbach in the western side valley of the Hollersbach is also called Gruberbach because of the mining pits that used to be there. The Hollersbach takes on numerous other small side streams in its course. South of the Leitneralm about the Krameteker , the Grummetecker Graben and its brook and north of the Senningeralm the Speibingklamm with its brook.
The flora
Gray alder forests
The ravine forest between the alpine pastures up to the valley exit is largely determined by gray alder forests, especially on the west side of the rubble slope. The lower slopes of the Tauern valleys are often naturally rich in nutrients, plus the nutrients of the nitrogen-fixing nodule bacteria in the roots of the gray alder . Combined with the high humidity in the ravine forest, there are therefore very good living conditions for ferns and mosses and the abundant herbaceous flowering plants. Various fern species are particularly typical of the gray alder hillside forest in Hollersbach, especially the ostrich fern with its large, funnel-shaped fronds. Other common ferns are beech fern , oak fern , and broad-leaved thorn fern .
Spruce forests
The high-montane spruce forests with the typical occurrence of the grove are usually significantly poorer in species on acidic soils than the gray alder stocks. They grow on the one hand on a few developed, drier rock and rubble soils, on the other hand on acidic, wet, boggy soils.
The higher subalpine spruce forest with rib fern and bilberry (called “blackberry” in Oberpinzgau) and the floor moss. It is not uncommon for the rust-red alpine rush to be found in the loose forest at higher altitudes .
Larch and stone pine forests
Larch - stone pine forests are only relictly preserved in the Hollersbachtal. The overexploitation of forests in the Middle Ages and z. In part also that of the early modern times in the course of the extraction of firewood for the Hallein saltworks. The slow growth of the stone pine prevents rapid rejuvenation after large-scale logging in the valley has ceased. The natural rejuvenation of the larch-stone pine forest was made impossible by repeated clear cuts. Well-known stone pine stocks can only be found in the southern part of the Scharrntal.
Alpine pastures
The alpine pastures in the Hollersbachtal are, apart from the small-scale special locations, almost all of the species and structure-rich nistar grass lawns. They are found as old, overgrown, rather dry block debris heaps. Typical of the slope area are the cattle stairs that are trodden by the grazing cattle. In addition to the bristle grass, tormentil, arnica and Swiss leucophagus are typical, on dwarf shrubs common heather, blueberry and lingonberry. In the more humid parts of the world, weeping and two-flowered violets are typical.
Mower
Very small-scale alpine meadows have shaped alpine farming for centuries. By 1970, however, some of these alpine pastures were already being used as alpine pastures and had lost their hay meadow character. After the alpine pastures were designated as part of the national park, a significant intensification and large-scale enlargement of intensively used and gradually increasingly fertilized hay meadows began. Former gravel areas and gray alder stocks near the stream were also converted into hay meadows. As a result, the varied and typical flower-rich and structured image of the alpine pastures in the national park is becoming increasingly impoverished. The value for nature conservation, but also for recreation and tourism, is falling.
Tall perennials and green alder stocks
In close relation to the green alder stocks in water-rich and nutrient-enriched locations, masterwort, gray alpine salmon, alpine milk lettuce and, more often, Austrian chamois root thrive.
Alpine lawn
The alpine lawns above about 2200 m above sea level are predominantly Krummseggen lawns. At this altitude the climate is much rougher than at lower altitudes, the snow cover lasts much longer and the winds are stronger. In addition to the eponymous curved sedge with its characteristic curved leaves, Scheuchzer's bellflower, field grove, and livebearer knotweed are typical.
Snow valley
The snow valleys of the alpine level, which only remain free of snow for a few months, are mainly characterized by the herb willow , where the small branches of the “smallest tree in the world” ( Carl von Linné ) are hidden in the ground and only leaves and leaf whorls of the dwarf shrub protrude from the ground. The dwarf primrose, the sticky primrose, the small soldanelle, but also the small snow gentian next to the dwarf dysentery bloom here in spring. The stemless catchfly thrives in adjacent stony locations.
Bogs and wetlands
The wet and humid meadow Ofner Boden: is a “bog in the making” with parts of natural bog and swampy that are valuable in terms of nature conservation. Here was a lake created by a landslide that completely silted up around 2000.
- The Hintermoos ( 2010 m ) and the Vordermoos ( 1860 m ) are moor complexes in the immediate valley head that arose from silted up post-glacial lake basins. The Vordermoos has a peat thickness of over 0.5 m. In addition to typical Flchamoor species such as the narrow-leaved cottongrass, fever clover, swamp lice weed and allerman harness grow in the Vordermoos. The Hintermoos is the highest moor in the state of Salzburg.
- The Reichertleitenmoos (1870 to 1880 m ) with its flat moor vegetation typical of the altitude is located in the Scharrntal next to the Reichertleitenalm between the Großer Geralmen in the north and the Zetachkopf in the south. This is significantly higher up below the Kühkares or Kühkopf
- Moor at the bear bath in Scharrntal (approx. 1990 m ).
The animalworld
The Hollersbachtal has a diverse range of habitats. It can be assumed that there are 35 mammal species living in the Hollersbach Valley. In addition to the game species used for hunting, deer, roe deer and chamois, as well as fox and badger, also various shrews and bats. The marmots, which have not been hunted for around 50 years, are frequent and not shy in the valley. Mountain hare and snow mouse live in the alpine terrain. The bird world is also rich with around 70 species. In addition to the dipper and gray wagtail hunting in the Hollersbach, as well as the common sandpiper resting on gravel banks in the passage, various species of woodpecker such as the three-toed woodpecker and black woodpecker are remarkable. The owl species here include the barn owl and the small pygmy owl. The grouse group is also well represented with capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse and ptarmigan. With a bit of luck, you can also see the Alpine wallcreet on the rocks in more humid areas. The reptiles are represented by mountain lizards and adder, the amphibians by common frogs and alpine salamanders. The tree frog and the common toad can also be found at the beginning of the valley or near the village.
Forestry
In the late Middle Ages, the Tauern valleys were increasingly cut down for the purpose of salt pans. The first large-scale felling probably took place in 1586 , the steeper forest area on the left bank probably in 1713. The forest largely belongs to the former prince-archbishop's forests, which are now owned by the federal forests . Only a small part belongs to local farmers. The proportion of protective forest is around 30%. The remaining part is commercial forest. Around 1980 about 2000 solid cubic meters of wood were removed annually in the Hollersbachtal.
Alpine pastures and their use
Grundalm
Over the past three to four decades, the Hollersbachtal has become the most intensively used Tauern valley in the Oberpinzgau through gradual intensification measures . Most of the alpine pastures in the Hollersbacher Tal are located on the right side of the valley.
- The alpine huts of the Vorderen and Hinteren Ofneralm with their alpine huts next to Ofner Boden and
- the small Rossgrubalm located directly on the Almweg.
- The hut of the Sauersteinalm is located directly on a steep cliff above the valley floor. An artificial elevation behind the alpine hut ensures that any avalanches in winter or any falling rocks next to the hut are deflected. The Alm has been called the “Schuhbichlalm” by the new owner, the Schuhbichl farmer, for several decades. The name Bramlalm was also common. Since a Schuhbichlalm has existed in the Hollersbachtal since the time of the archbishopric, these names lead z. T. to confusion. In the area of the Sauersteinalm is the former inn "Edelweiß",
- Out of the valley follows the large Ottacher Grundalm with two stables and a newly built large alpine hut.
- the Senningeralm (also "Senningerbräualm") has not been run as an alpine farm since the early post-war period. The hut there has been an excursion inn for many decades.
- The Lahneralm was formerly called Speibingalm after the “Speibinggraben”.
- After the Wirtsalm, which is probably no longer used, follows out of the valley
- the Leitneralm (formerly also Leitenalm) at the beginning of the pronounced Trogtal.
- On the left bank of the valley opposite the Edelweißhütte lies the large Scharrn-Grundalm, from which two material cable cars lead to the Marchleggalm alpine pastures and on the opposite side of the valley to the Ottacher Hochalm. The material ropeway to the Scharrer Hochalm, which was also used a few decades ago, no longer exists, and neither does the short material ropeway to the nearby Edelweißhütte. West of the alpine hut, the Gamskarlbach flows over a remarkable waterfall into the Hollersbach.
- Next to the Scharrn-Grundalm there is the old Schuhbichleralm in the direction of the valley exit, which is currently mainly used to keep goats.
- Further out of the valley follows the small Dorferwirtsalm on the left bank.
The alpine pastures in the Scharrntal
North of the Leitneralm (Leitenalm) branches off from the Hollersbachtal to the west to the path into the Scharrntal. This high valley is drained by the Scharrnbach (also called Grubenbach).
- Vordere (now in ruins) and Hintere Flecktruhealm (very often also called Flecktrogalm, cf. linguistically the opposite "Scharrntröge")
- For a long time the Reichertleitenalm was a pure cheese dairy.
- Armpit alm
- The Scharrn Grundalm used to be called "Gruberalm" after the mining industry that once operated there
- The high Kühkar and the Scharrntröge also belong to the Scharrn Hochalm.
- The small Annabergeckalm is no longer used for alpine farming today.
- In terms of community politics, it already belongs to the neighboring community, to the west of the Achselalm and or to the north of the Reichertleitenalm on the plateau, the Kleine and Große Geralm follow.
The high pastures
- The Weißeneggalm comprises the two silted up troughs of the Vorder- and Hintermoos and the lower slopes adjoining them southeast to southwest.
Above the large Grundalm in the valley lie orographically on the left
- the Marchlecker Kar as a pure, extensively used Schafalm.
- On the Marchlegger Alm,
- the Scharrer Hochalm and the
- Senninger Hochalm (also called Senninger Karalm) was not only kept for calves but also for dairy cows until about 40 years ago, and the milk was most recently transported into the valley via its own milk pipes.
On the orographically right side of the valley are the
- Ottacher Hochalm and to the north the Groß-Lachalmen with the Lachgrundalm and the Lachhochalm.
It follows north too
- the Rossalm (old spelling Roßalm) with the high altitude Rosskaralm and further north
- the Vordere Lachalm and the Hintere Lachalm. The Hintere Lachalm used to be called the Schuhbichler Alm.
Use of the alpine pastures
In 1950 a total of 368 cows and 414 calves were raised in Hollerbach, as well as 2276 sheep and 85 pigs. The low point of the pasture management was around 1970, when only 254 cows and 285 calves and 790 sheep grazed on the Hollersbacher Almen. Pig husbandry and horse husbandry declined almost entirely in the valley. Since 1970 the number of grazing animals has increased again significantly: in 1980 there were again 309 cows, 570 calves and over 800 sheep on the pasture. Due to the special funding in the course of the establishment of the national park, the number of livestock continued to rise. In the summer of 1988, 235 dairy cows, 746 other cattle and 23 horses were kept in the Hollersbachtal (also as a result of better subsidies in the national park) on an area of almost 4,000 hectares. The consequence of the high numbers of cattle is the gradual intensification of agricultural use in the Hollersbachtal.
Gorges and rocks
The steep trough shoulders of the Hollersbachtal are often designed as high but strongly articulated rock walls, the side streams in the valley formed in these rocks z. T. deep gorges. The vulture roosts above the Ofner Boden not far from the “Geiering” mountain peak are remarkable. White-headed vultures from Croatia (e.g. from the islands of Krk and Cres and their surroundings) that do not breed and therefore spend the summer in the Hohe Tauern look for traditional roosts in the evening. The most famous sleeping places in the Tauern include the Krummltal as a side valley of the Rauriser valley and the Hollerbacher valley. Immediately below the vulture roosts, nitrogen-loving lichen carpets have developed, whose matt red to matt orange color is striking. The very conspicuous yellow sulfur lichen also thrives in the Hollersbachtal best protected from rain on rocks and walls with high humidity. Because of its intense color, it is said to have fluorescent properties.
The mountain peaks framing the Hollersbachtal
The Pihapper ( 2513 m ) is a mountain peak above the Lachalmen and the Rosskaralm that is often climbed by mountain hikers. The Hohe Herd ( 2824 m ) lies above the Ottacher Hochalm and the Geiering Horn to the south of it. At 2989 m, the Tauernkogel rises above the aforementioned peaks. It can only be easily reached on the marked trails from the Felbertaler side via the St. Pöltener Hütte. Weißeneck ( 2843 m ), Roter Kogel ( 2945 m ), Red Column ( 2994 m ) and Abreder Kogel ( 2980 m ) are all almost 3000 m high in the south of the Vorder- and Hintermoos , but not accessible for tourists. The Kratzenbergkogel ( 3023 m ) is located southwest of the Kratzenberger See . Well known and easily accessible from the Neue Fürther Hütte is the Larmkogel ( 3022 m ) as a mountain peak over 3000 m, next to the gorge of the same name, which leads over into the Habach Valley. The Watzfeldkees, which is increasingly dwindling due to global warming, is bordered in the south by the Blessach Kogel, in the north by the Graukogel ( 2834 m ), which continues as a ridge to the north-northeast to the Wildloseck ( 2312 m ). North of the Scharrntal valley, Breitkopf ( 2420 m ) and Mahdleitenkogel ( 2348 m ) border the Hollersbach valley.
Historic mining
Mining was the economic backbone of the archbishopric. Below the Geralm at “Bärenbad” (also known as Bärnbad), the Rosenberger brothers began mining copper pebbles as early as 1593, but this did not turn out to be economically profitable. The geologist Dr. In 1983 Werner H. Paar and his colleagues described a newly discovered copper-iron-lead-bismuth sulphide called "Eclarit" at this location.
In 1625 the Rosenberger brothers had copper pebbles digged for copper pebbles not far from today's “Seestube” at the entrance to the valley. Water ingress into the test tunnels in the lower slope quickly lowered the hope of usability.
In the area of the Achselalm and the Flecktrogalm, Matthias Reindl from Wald began to dig for galena. The mining industry, however, required large amounts of money to open up the ore deposits, which Reindl could not raise. Mining ceased and further attempts at mining in the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries were unsuccessful.
In 1905 Benno Sommer from Berlin founded the "Zinc and Lead Ore Mine Hollersbach", and mining engineer A. Reitsch was supposed to promote the rebuilding of the business. A driveway to the tunnels was built and accommodations for miners were built. 50 miners started with different search tunnels. Numerous deposits of fluorspar were discovered in the process . Various economic but also bureaucratic problems led to the cessation of operations in 1929, although a miner's house , a cable car and other buildings had been built in 1925 . After the prospect of the mine was taken over by new owners (Pinzgauer Bergwerksgesellschaft mbH), mostly fluorspar was extracted until mining was stopped again in 1944. Remains of mine huts and mining buildings can still be seen in the area today.
Local recreation and tourism
Today the Hollerbachtal is a popular destination for locals and especially for guests (tourists). Today there are three inns in the valley area after which the Edelweißhütte ( 1219 m ) is no longer run as an inn:
- the Seestube at the entrance to the valley ( 885 m )
- the Senningeralm in the middle of the valley ( 1130 m )
- the Neue Fürther Hütte (especially for high alpinists) ( 2201 m )
The Alte Fürther Hütte was built in 1903 on the Gänsebichljoch in South Tyrol, which was expropriated by the Italian state after 1919. The new hut of the Fürth section of the Alpine Club was to be built first on the Sandebentörl in the Hollersbachtal. The hut was built in 1929 in an idyllic and avalanche-proof place next to the Kratzenbergsee at an altitude of 2200 m . The hut was expanded several times. In 2006 a biological sewage treatment plant followed. From the end of the alpine path to the Fürther Hütte, a material cable car necessary to supply the hut leads.
Popular alpine destinations are primarily the Pihapperspitze, which ski tourers also like to climb in winter, the path over the Kratzenbergsee to Sandebentörl and on to the Alte Pragerhütte or the Venediger Höhenweg or the Innergschlöss, as well as the path over the Larmkogelscharte to the Larmkogel and on to the Thuringian Hut in Habach Valley . In view of the general ban on private car traffic on the Almweg, it is possible to take the bus to the Senningeralm, or from there to the valley or also by bus to the valley station of the Neue Fürther Hütte. The well-developed alpine path (with or without electric assistance) is very popular with cyclists. The varied path along the Hollersbachtal Bach Trail to the Senningeralm is also very popular.
Energy industry in the Hollersbachtal
The Hollersbach storage power plant was built between 1947 and 1949. In 2010 and 2011 the power plant was renewed and the storage target increased by a good 1.5 m. The associated power station house was relocated at the mouth of the Hollersbach in the Salzach. This means that the power plant can use an additional ten meter gradient.
Before (limited also around) 1970 the construction of high dams in the Hollersbachtal at Kratzenbergsee on the one hand and south of the Edelweißhütte on the other hand for energetic generation of peak electricity was planned. Some of the water from the surrounding Tauern valleys, especially in the west, was to be diverted into the newly created reservoirs. As a result, however, the establishment of a national park prevailed over the energetic use of the valley. As early as 1900, four major formative national parks in the German-speaking region were being considered (Wadden Sea, Lüneburg Heath, Bavarian Forest, Hohe Tauern), which were run by the Naturschutzpark association founded in 1909 and based in Stuttgart in 1913 through the association for the purchase of land in the Stubach Valley had.
literature
- Josef Lahnsteiner: Oberpinzgau from Krimml to Kaprun. A collection of historical, art-historical and local history notes for friends of the homeland. Hollersbach 1965.
- Roland Floimair, Wolfgang Retter: Hohe Tauern National Park- Salzburg share of the printing house Salzburg Nonntal, p. 93 ff, Salzburg 1984
- Eberhard Stüber (overall editor): Naturführer Hollersbachtal, naturkundl. Guide to the Hohe Tauern National Park, Salzburg 1990
- Eberhard Stüber and Norbert Winding; Hohe Tauern experience, nature guide for school country weeks, etc., Volume 1, pp. 176–187, Office of the Sbg. State government, Salzburg, 1990
- Reinhard Medicus: The vegetation conditions of the Hollersbachttal, dissertation at the University of Salzburg, Botanical Institute, Salzburg 1981
- Topographic maps of the BEV (Federal Office for Metrology and Surveying), 3226 - West Großvenediger (Vienna 2010) and 3220 - West Mittersill Vienna, as of 2013
- Topographic maps of the BEV (Federal Office for Metrology and Surveying), 153 Großglockner, 123 Zell am See, Vienna, status 1974
Web links
- 50605 - Hollersbachtal. Community data, Statistics Austria .
- Website of the municipality (inactive 12/2010)
- Website of the Mittersill region, Hollersbach Stuhlfelden
- Hollersbach in Pinzgau . In: Salzburger Nachrichten : Salzburgwiki .