Scheibenstuhl

The Scheibenstuhl is a prehistoric cult and sacrificial site in the Austrian Alps. It stands on a 606-metre ridge in the Walgau valley, formed by Ice Age glaciers. The ridge runs north to south and overlooks the Ill river valley below. Excavations show it was used for ritual burnings from the Bronze Age to Roman times. In the Iron Age, up to five thousand people could gather here. Adolf Hild’s wartime digs suggested a fort, but later work found no homes, only blackened soil and burnt bones. Finds include a curved razor blade from the La Tène period and a medieval spearhead. Visitors walk a grassy plateau with a low stone-and-clay wall still standing in places. The site is enclosed by the wall, which once marked the sacred space. Beyond lie views to nearby ruins and prehistoric settlements. The air carries the scent of alpine meadows and pine.