The history of Gosau at Dachstein
From the seabed to the valley steeped in history
250 million years ago the present Gosau area was the seabed and 25 000 years ago the valley was covered by mighty glaciers. Today we can admire and enjoy the landscape that developed after that. Where the Celts once hunted in the woods, and later the “Gosinger” woodcutters earned their living in hard work, now idyllic hiking trails lead from alp to alp.
The Gosau grinding stone quarries, in which grinding stones have been cut for about 600 years, can now be visited by those interested. The Löckenmoos, an upland moor in untouched nature with many rare plants and animals, lies near the grinding stone quarries.
From an appendage to an important wood supplier
For the Salzkammergut, Gosau was already an appendage in historical times that one did not want to do without. Gosau was first mentioned in a document in 1231. At that time, the archbishop of Salzburg gave the Gosau valley away to the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter. Without people, however, the "forests in the “Gosach" were worthless and so the monastery forced settlement, which was mainly by people from southern Bavaria. Because of the salt springs that existed in Gosau at that time, a dispute about the Gosau valley soon arose, which was decided in favour of the Austrians. In the following centuries the wood from the Gosau forests was of great importance for the salt production in Hallstatt and the path through the Gosau gorge was extended accordingly.
Tourism in Gosau
The development of tourism also took place at the time when Emperor Franz Josef I resided in Bad Ischl. The exceptionally beautiful Lake Gosau was already a popular destination for imperial societies and artists at that time. The long way made you hungry, thirsty and tired. The Gosauschmied was one of the first guesthouses to adapt to the new needs and soon it was also considered to be extremely fine for the normally wealthy citizen to stay in this house. Gosau was gradually discovered by tourists and the economic importance of this branch of the economy increased accordingly.
The special features that the village has to offer are the beautiful valley landscape with the Gosaukamm and the Lake Gosau. The construction of the forest roads opened up the forests around Gosau for hikers and there is a wide range of trails and tours for mountaineers on the Gosaukamm and Dachstein. The constant expansion of the range of alpine winter activities since the 1960s has allowed the ski region Dachstein West to grow to its present size.
The most important thing for the existence of tourism, however, is the good testimony that the guests give to the hospitality and the preservation of tradition in Gosau.
Contact & Service
Tourist information GosauGosauseestraße 5
4824 Gosau at Dachstein
Phone +43 5 95095-20
Fax machine +43 5 95095-74
E-Mail gosau@dachstein-salzkammergut.at
Don’t hesitate to contact the team of local guides at the tourist board Gosau - Julia Rabl, Evelyn Peham and Bianca Peham – for any questions about Gosau and the holiday area Dachstein Salzkammergut.