Gerlham Smithy

Throughout 300 years, there had been a  blacksmith in Gerlham.

At the beginning of 1997, the blacksmith in Gerlham passed away. The students of the Vöcklabruck highschool and a youth association for the conservation of Nature developed a plan for the preservation of forge, anvil and tools. "The cultural heritage should be preserved", says Herbert Weißenbacher. "We hit the nail on the head" said his students.

In 1998, the twelve hectare marsh on the municipal territory of Seewalchen was bought by the association. Numerous research and preservation activities (pollen analysis, C-14 dating method, vegetation mapping, ortho logical observations, exploration of the molluscs) have since been carried out. The bog has become particularly popular for environmental learning school project weeks. What was missing was a learning center.

The blacksmith shop was to become an environmental learning center: it should combine natural heritage and cultural heritage. It invites visitors to learn more about work in the rural countryside and the sustainable land use.

What makes the bog in Gerlham so special are the various types of meadows, marshland, moorland, forests, orchard and the genuine rural culture in a confined space. Everything can be found in close proximity to industrial and tourist centers. In the autumn of 1997 an information pavilion was set up.

The brochure "Naturschutzgebiet Gerlhamer Moor " is available from Naturschutzjugend BG-Vöcklabruck .

The ÖNJ Vöcklabruck also organizes guided tours and workshops. If you want to explore you talents as a blacksmith, just call 07672-23615 (BG Vöcklabruck)