January

Secret Places

Erzberg, Austria.

The place:

Nicknamed the "bread loaf of Styria", the Erzberg (literally "ore mountain") lies in the Austrian region of Styria, close to the town of Eisenerz ("iron ore"). These are telling names, for the Erzberg holds the world's most extensive deposits of siderite and is the largest open-cast iron ore mine in central Europe. Ore has been mined here since the 11th century. Each year around two million tonnes of ore are extracted here, of which some three-quarters are transported to Linz. Some 44 levels of terracing give the mine its distinctive appearance. Each terraced step, 24 metres deep, is named after a saint or honours a particularly deserving miner.


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Insider's tip:

"Working in the quarry here is extremely demanding upon both man and machine. Every time I take in this breathtaking view, I feel as though I'm in a Hollywood movie. This landscape shaped by man, in the middle of what is otherwise a completely natural environment, is simply awesome. I just can't get enough of looking at it."


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