Thurytal - The only valley with its own hymn and a natural jewel that inspires.
The old forge & hammer mills in Thurytal.
The Thurytal is an unspoilt and partly renaturalised natural gem in the Feldaist valley in Freistadt - and the only valley to feature in an anthem.
The hammers of the Thury family's hammer mills once echoed through the valley, driven by rushing water wheels. Rural and artisanal tools, but above all sickles and scythes, packed in heavy transport barrels, were coveted products far beyond the borders.
Industrial mass production was the death knell for the hammer mills in the Thury Valley. Over the decades, the plants fell into miserable ruins. Swamped by earth and overgrown by undergrowth, there was hardly anything left to see. The "Revitalisation Thurytal" association once took on the ruins and restored the so-called "2nd hammer" to such an extent that hammer forging as it used to be can be shown again. Since then, the hammer mills can be visited again, including a forging demonstration.
The sulphur & the devil's rock
According to legend, the devil tried to block the river here in the valley with huge boulders to prevent the town from being built. However, the rocks collapsed at the sound of the Vesper bells and scattered into the river, where they still lie today - the devilish plan had failed.
Enraged, the devil drove through the largest rock, which he had already attached to the bank, back into his hell. Since then, it has rumbled from time to time, not only at night but also during the day, when it even smells of sulphur.
560 m
Size: max. 8 people (2 blacksmiths are required for groups of 9 or more!)
Cost per small group (up to 4 people): € 50,-
or for large groups (up to 8 people): € 95,-
School classes: € 40,-
Thurytaler coin:
Blank to strike yourself: € 4,- per coin
Duration: approx. 60 - 75 min.
Please get in touch for more information.