Thomatal: Cross-country skiing, winter trails and regional history

Thomatal combines winter activities with an unusually rich regional history. If you are looking for accommodation in Thomatal, the village and its associated landscapes offer, above all, specific opportunities for cross-country skiing, winter hiking and cultural-historical discovery. The Schönfeld high-altitude cross-country ski trail offers 8 km of trail for classic cross-country skiing and, in some sections, skating. This provides a clearly described winter sports alternative without requiring a lift or ski slope operation.

Winter in Thomatal and Schönfeld

Winter hikes lead through Thomatal along the meandering Kremsbach, passing through snow-covered fields, forests and gentle hills. This describes a different way of experiencing the landscape than on the cross-country ski trail: the path follows the course of the stream and connects open and wooded sections. Schönfeld lies at an altitude of 1,730 metres and is a starting point for hikes and trekking tours. In summer, hikes and cycle tours into the Lungau mountain region also start from Thomatal-Schönfeld. If you do not limit your stay exclusively to winter, you can take this seasonal difference into account when choosing your destination. Thomatal lies between the gentle hills of the Nock Mountains and flowering mountain meadows. This landscape shapes both the winter hikes and the paths during the warmer season. Another designated hike starts in Gruben/Thomatal at the Kocherbauer farm. After an approximately two-hour hike, you reach the Franzenshütte. The stated duration is explicitly intended only as an approximate guide.

Mining and historic sites

Mining and smelting in Bundschuh date back to the 16th century. In the Thomatal district of Bundschuh, the Stuckofen also stands as an economic monument from the area of mining history. The Josefshütte in Schönfeld likewise refers to this past: it was originally used as a barn for storing feed for the oxen used in ore mining. Since 2009, the reconstructed Josefshütte has stood there and now serves as a mountain church. Edenfest Castle Ruins were first mentioned in official documents in 1147. In 1978, the Thomatal Tourism Association created an access trail over the northern flank of the rocky hill to the castle ruins. This makes it possible to connect the historic site with a specifically described route without equating the ruins with a present-day castle operation or a particular form of visitation.

Valentinum and St. George Pilgrimage Church

The Valentinum presents the historical estate of Pastor Valentin Pfeifenberger to the public. Admission is open and free of charge; the exhibits can be viewed from outside, as visitors do not enter an interior space. This form of presentation is particularly important if you want to combine your tour flexibly in terms of time with visits to other places in the area. The parish and pilgrimage church of St. George is a pilgrimage church for farmers and livestock breeders in the municipality of Thomatal in the Lungau. Its furnishings include a well-preserved Mauracher organ from 1883 and a baptismal font made of an octagonal, curved white marble column with a white marble basin resting on top. The so-called “church tower grotto” is located in the lower floor of the tower. Since the death of Pastor Valentin Pfeifenberger (1914–2004), it has featured seven commemorative plaques in his memory. The annual Thomatal Georgiritt, held on the Sunday after 23 April, St. George’s Day, is part of the local customs. The farmers of Thomatal offer “Sauhaxn” as a sacrifice and place them in a bowl beneath the statue of St. George in the pilgrimage church of St. George. The first written evidence of such offerings to St. George dates from 1538; Valentin Pfeifenberger revived the custom in modern times after it had later been forgotten. The Holy Family is carved directly from living Swiss stone pines that are still standing at the site.

Practical information for your stay

For local supplies, a weekly shopping transport service is available by prior registration. It departs from Thomatal every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.; the return journey from Tamsweg takes place at around 11:00 a.m. For comparing other destinations, you can also visit the pages for [Sankt Andrä Im Lungau](Sankt Andrä Im Lungau), [St. Martin](St. Martin), [Katschberg](Katschberg), [Hinterweisspriach](Hinterweisspriach), [Göriach](Göriach), [Muhr](Muhr), [Tamsweg](Tamsweg) and [Sankt Michael Im Lungau](Sankt Michael Im Lungau) .

For the higher-level travel overview: Tamsweg District.