The majestic Hochoetz-Kühtai alpine region hides an exciting story deep in its mountains with the Miners’ Trail. The newly developed audio guide ‘In the footsteps of the miners of Hochoetz – Kühtai’ accompanies hikers through this historic world of mining.

The miners’ trail, a path into the past

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the idyllic Wörgetal valley was the scene of lively mining activity. Up to 400 miners worked under challenging conditions at an altitude of over 2,500 metres, using sheer physical strength to extract the coveted ores from the earth. To this day, the history of this mining era has been kept alive by the Miners’ Trail, allowing hikers to experience the hard life of the miners in the midst of the picturesque Alpine pasture region.

The Miners’ Trail can be started at various points such as Hochoetz, Ochsengarten, the Issbrücke bridge and Kühtai. Each of these entry points offers hikers a unique route and leads to the faithfully reconstructed miners’ house on Lake Puchersee. This historic building is the centrepiece of the trail and shows the life of the miners using figures, tools and a small museum area. You can also discover the pothouse and the sieving plant, which have been faithfully reconstructed according to old models, and provide important insights into the working methods of the time.

Historic history meets modern technology

The audio guide ‘In the footsteps of the miners of Hochoetz – Kühtai’ consists of 13 chapters that delve into the history of mining. ‘Squire Kuno’ accompanies hikers on their journey and tells interesting facts, stories and legends about the past. In addition to the historical insights, you also learn a lot about the flora and fauna of the high valley. QR code boards have also been installed along the miners’ trail, making the virtual audio experience easily accessible.

An outstanding feature of the audio guide is that it is not only available in German and English, but also in Ötztal dialect. A special homage to the local culture and language, which is thus preserved and promoted in an entertaining way.

Discover the Miners’ Trail via smartphone

The audio guide combines the best of nature experience and history education. The acoustic accompaniment makes the hiking trail not only informative but also entertaining. Whether locals or guests from all over the world, with the Hearonymus app, everyone has access to the audio guide ‘In the footsteps of the miners Hochoetz- Kühtai’.

The app and audio guide can be downloaded to your smartphone in just a few clicks. Once downloaded, the guide can be listened to indefinitely and without an internet connection. Whether at home or directly on site. The audio guide can be listened to anywhere, as often as you like. Both the Hearonymus app and the audio guide are available free of charge.

Article image: © Bergbahnen Hochoetz
Article banner: © Ötztal Tourismus / Tom Bause