The "Notgasse" A place that tells stories
Mystical signs, steep rock faces and a place where the past becomes tangible. Here you are not only on the move, but also on the trail of shepherds, muleteers and perhaps even smugglers. In our blog, you can find out what the mysterious rock carvings are all about and how you can experience this gorge for yourself.
What at first glance appears to be a quiet rocky gorge turns out on closer inspection to be a centuries-old traffic route with historic rock carvings. It was created by powerful streams of meltwater from the Dachstein glacier during the last ice age. For many centuries, the Notgasse was an important connecting route for Alpine people, pack mule drivers, hunters and charcoal burners to get from Gröbming to the higher Alpine pastures on the eastern Dachstein plateau.
Mysterious signs carved in stone
If you look closely, you can see that the rock also tells a story - in the truest sense of the word. What makes the Notgasse special are its petroglyphs, i.e. rock carvings, which can be found in many places in the gorge and document the long use of this path. The oldest dated carving dates back to 1643, but many could be much older. Most of them are geometric signs such as crosses, triangles, ladders, wheels and pentagrams, as well as more complex representations of letters and numbers. They are part of the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape and are under nature and monument protection. Incidentally, the name "Notgasse" has nothing to do with a difficult situation. It comes from Celtic and is derived from the word "hnod", which means "holy fire".
Guided hike through the Notgasse
The 2025 hiking season is just around the corner! Would you like to see this historic place in the region for yourself? From mid-July to the beginning of October, you can take part in a guided tour through the Notgasse. This starts with a cab transfer to the Rosemialm. From there, the trail leads steadily downhill on foot through the untouched landscape through the Notgasse to the Lend in den Öfen parking lot (Gröbming-Winkl). The hike takes around five hours and offers not only impressive views along the way, but also lots of exciting information about the geology, cultural history and natural environment of the Dachstein plateau.
The guided tour takes place every Thursday, depending on the weather. The meeting point is the information office in Gröbming, parking is available in the immediate vicinity. The tour is free of charge with the Schladming-Dachstein Sommercard.
