Ramsau bei Hainfeld can be explored through two distinctive themes: the parish church, with its Gothic and Neo-Gothic influences, and the history of scythe-making in the Ramsau Valley. There is also the Kogel Trail, a hiking route in Ramsau, and the Gölsental Cycle Route, which starts here. This gives you a choice of sacred art, industrial history and outdoor activity when planning your trip; you can choose the focus according to the kind of stay you want.
Parish Church: Building History and Art
The parish church in Ramsau is considered a gem of Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture. Its choir was built in the 14th century. The high altar, made of Türnitz marble, features a late Gothic Madonna and Child carved from limewood in 1450. The building and its furnishings offer different art-historical perspectives: the choir points to a specific period in the building's history, while the statue is an individual work of art with its own subject, style and date of creation. The materials also have distinct uses: Türnitz marble for the high altar, and limewood for the carved figure. Those interested in sacred art will find not only the church's stylistic features, but also a precisely dated work.
Traces of the Scythe Industry
Iron hammers on the “inner Gölsen” have been documented historically since 1469. In 1825, Ramsau still had two iron hammers and two scythe forges. These dates offer two distinct historical perspectives: 1469 marks an early record of iron hammers, while 1825 records the businesses that were still operating at that time. Ramsau scythes were in demand and exported to the Ottoman Empire and Russia. Production in the Ramsau Valley was therefore connected to markets far beyond the region. An historically significant gravestone in Ramsau cemetery dates from the Biedermeier period and bears witness to the former scythe industry in the Ramsau Valley. Alongside the workshops, the cemetery gravestone offers a different kind of historical evidence, linking its Biedermeier origins with the former trade.
Hiking and Cycling
The Kogel Trail is a hiking route in Ramsau. The approximately 20-kilometre-long Gölsental Cycle Route also starts in Ramsau and runs via Hainfeld, Rohrbach and St. Veit an der Gölsen to Traisen, where it joins the Traisental Cycle Route. You can choose the hiking option by its name, or, for the cycle route, also take its direction and connection into account. Check current route conditions before setting off.
When looking for hotels in Ramsau bei Hainfeld, your reason for travelling can be a useful first filter: are you mainly interested in the church and industrial history, or would you like to plan some hiking or cycling? This helps you decide on the main focus before selecting individual activities.
Discover more destinations: Kleinzell, Eschenau an der Traisen, Annaberg bei Mariazell, Türnitz, Rohrbach an der Gölsen, Lilienfeld, Mitterbach am Erlaufsee, Traisen.
Go to the regional travel overview: Lilienfeld.
