Bad St. Leonhard: Q3 Knappenbründl

The Erzberg-Görlitzen area has a significant mining history. Especially in the Middle Ages and early modern times - the heyday of mining in the Upper Lavant Valley - numerous tunnels were in operation here. Old pit names such as "Römerstollen" and "Heidenloch" suggest that miners of the Middle Ages repeatedly came across traces of the "old man" (the remains of Roman mining activities) during their hard work. The earliest evidence for medieval ore mining in Carinthia also probably refers to the Erzberg-Görlitzen-Loben area. In the year 931, Bishop Adalbert of Salzburg exchanged a salt mine near Admont in Styria for the iron smelting site "Aruzi" at "monte Gamanara" (Erzberg).