Tolerance path

On the trail of the secret Protestants - the once mysterious, hidden path now invites you to enjoy a leisurely hike of around 1.5 hours. In addition to the wonderful panorama of the surrounding mountains, this themed trail is primarily intended to teach and remind us that the freedom of faith cannot be taken for granted.

The Tolerance Trail - a leisurely hike

The approx. 2 km long Tolerance Trail is well signposted, but only accessible with sturdy footwear. With a walking time of around 1.5 hours, it is one of the easier hiking trails in the region, but also offers a wonderful mountain panorama and a special place of happiness: the Schwarzenbachlochhöhle.
 
The starting point is the Parkplatz Flohwiesen car park. From here, the route initially follows a tarmac road until you turn right at the signpost. Cross a field until you reach a fork in the forest. After leaving the forest, you cross a meadow where a beautiful mountain panorama and a rest area await. The route then continues through the forest until you reach the steep but short ascent to the Schwarzenbachlochhöhle cave. A flashlight is recommended for the approximately 100 m2 cave.
 
The Schwarzenbachloch Cave is one of the three caves in which the Protestant religious community regularly held their secret services during the time of recatholisation.
 
The path continues uphill to the right of the cave until you reach a forest road. Here you can turn left to the Hütteneck or walk back to the car park in around 15 minutes.

The freedom of faith

The Tolerance Trail invites you to take a journey through time to the most important points of Protestant history in the Salzkammergut. A hike not only into the marvellous nature, but also into the history of faith in the Salzkammergut.
 
For over 80 years, the Protestant faith flourished in the Salzkammergut until it was strictly forbidden by the Habsburgs. Outwardly Catholic, Protestantism developed over six generations as an underground church, persecuted by the authorities. The meeting places were natural caves like the Seekarkirche in Gosau am Dachstein, the Kalmooskirche am Kalmberg as well as the Schwarzenbachlochhöhle.
 
For two centuries, the Protestants were persecuted and expelled. Many families were forced to emigrate to Transylvania in Romania. It was not until Emperor Joseph II issued the Patent of Tolerance in 1781. After the end of the cruel Counter-Reformation period, the people of Goisern were able to found a evangelical parish, which already comprised 1117 people a year later.
Guided tours Toleranzweg on request at:
Kefer Herbert: kefer.goisern@aon.at 
Helga Schmalnauer: helga@schmalnauer.at 

More hiking options 

You can find more hikes from easy to difficult on our Discover the hiking page.

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