Tremmelberg

The Tremmelberg is a 1,194-metre mountain in the Seckauer Alps north of the Upper Styrian town of Knittelfeld. It forms the easternmost outlier of the Gaaler Höhenzug, separated from the main ridge by the lower Ingeringbach. The mountain marks the boundary between the municipality of Seckau and the Aichfeld plain, with its eastern foothills reaching as far as Kobenz. In the early 18th century a Stations of the Cross with wayside shrines and a Calvary church were built on its slopes. Gold mining once thrived here. Records from 1400 show numerous gold workings on the Tremmelberg. By 1670–1680 protests by miners halted operations, according to Stift Admont. Benedictine monks from Seckau restarted mining in 1716, but by 1741 water troubles and the death of the manager ended the venture. The final closure came on 1 November 1789 when costs far exceeded returns. A brief revival in 1864 lasted only months, and small-scale work in a lower adit around 1906–07 marked the last efforts. For visitors the Tremmelberg offers an observation tower called Tower Power, built for the 1999 Styrian Regional Exhibition on transport and modelled on the twin-towered abbey church in Seckau. A forest museum and educational trail wind through the woods nearby. The Central Alpine Trail, a long-distance hiking route, crosses the summit, providing wide views across the surrounding countryside.