The history of the "Stahelschützen", who shoot with the crossbow until today, goes back a long way.
In the shooting clubs, which meet regularly from spring to the autumnal "Schützenmahl", the old "Passen", the male groups of the individual villages, live on.
Already from 1585 a "free shooting" is handed down. To this day, it is about to hit the shooting targets in the very center - not in competitive competition, but for their own perfection and in awareness that the shooter's luck also depends on the "rhyme" (by lucky coincidence).
Shooting is an almost ritual action accompanied by the sign language of the red-and-white-robed "Zieler". The best results reward the "Seitenpfeiferl" (a typical austrian flute) by playing special "Steirer" or "Schleunige".
Finally, the rifleman follows the inn, where music and dancing are carried out. Fixed point is then the following "Blawö Monday" where sociability is important.
The Goiserer Stahelschütz is therefore a special man and in certain clubs it is only reserved for men to continue this tradition.
Meanwhile, however, have joined the typical Goiserer Rehrlstahel other weapons genre such as the Balester or the match weapon.
However, this did not detract from the conviviality that one encounters only in the shooting clubs. The traditional folklorist stands next to the ambitious shooter, but in the evening, like decades ago, sitting comfortably together.
The Goiserer Valley can proudly count nine shooting clubs with up to 40 members and every 2 years there is a competition between these clubs - the Goiserer Team Market Championship. For this event, the two meter high Stahelschütz was carved by mayor Reinhard Winterauer with the power saw.
The basic idea was to create a challenge cup which, after winning five times, will become the property of an association. Although he has been in circulation for several years, meanwhile he has found a permanent place at Höplingerhaus, as he is a bit unwieldy to transport.
There, he attracts so many views and knows the long tradition of Stahelschießens in the Goiserer Valley.
Further information on crossbow shooting in Austria can be found at www.armbrustverband.at
Experience a 360° panorama tour through Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt…
The Goiserer Stahelschütz can be visited all year round.
The Goiserian Stahelschütz (wooden statue) of Bad Goisern is located directly next to the Tourism office in Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt
by car
from Salzburg:
federal road B158 direction Bad Ischl
in Bad Ischl drive onto the “Salzkammergut Straße” B145 in direction to Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt
from Linz:
A1 motorway exit Regau on “Salzkammergut Straße” B145 in direction to Gmunden, Bad Ischl, Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt
from Graz:
A9 motorway exit Liezen on B320, in Trautenfels turn onto Salzkammergut Straße B145 to Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt
by bus:
from Bad Ischl: bus in direction to “Gosausee” (Lake Gosau”), stop "Bad Goisern Mitte"
from Gosau: bus direction Bad Ischl, stop "Bad Goisern Mitte"
from the bus stop approx. two minutes walk
by train:
from Vienna/Linz/Salzburg to Attnang-Puchheim, change train to Stainach-Irdning
from Klagenfurt/Graz to Stainach-Irdning, change train to Attnang-Puchheim
get off at train station "Bahnhof Bad Goisern", approx. ten minutes walking time
Detailed information on the respective train and bus times can be found at https://www.oebb.at/en/ (train) and https://www.postbus.at/en(bus).
no parking fees
The visit is free of charge
Please get in touch for more information.
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Verband des Armbrustschützenverein Österreich