Eisenerz is home to the Erzberg, an open-pit iron ore mine that has operated continuously since the 12th century and now covers a mountain in stepped terraces of reddish-brown rock. The Hauly mine tour puts visitors in an actual haul truck for a circuit of the active quarry. It is one of the most distinctive tourism experiences in Austria and nothing like the alpine heritage tourism that dominates the region. The town itself is a quietly depopulating industrial community with a Gothic parish church and mining museum. About 30 minutes from Leoben by car. Best visited as a day trip or as a stop on the Styrian Iron Trail.
village
Eisenerz
The Erzberg is an iron ore mountain that has been mined continuously since the 12th century and now looks like a series of enormous stepped terraces cut into reddish-brown rock, rising to 1,465 meters above sea level. It is the largest iron ore deposit in the Alps and one of the few still actively mined in Europe.