The Arlinger Steinhag - dry stone wall

700-year-old stone wall to demarcate the alpine pastures

The Arlinger Steinwall was first mentioned as a border wall around 700 years ago in a Urbar (tax book) of Kremsmünster Abbey. It separates the pasture area between the Arlingalm and Brandtneralm on the Großer Pyhrgas in Spital am Pyhrn, near the border with Styria.

Since 2016, parts of the Arlinger Steinhag have been renewed with volunteers from the Austrian Alpine Club with DI Ellmauer as part of alpine care operations. Typical applications of the dry stone walls in the alpine area can be seen in the pictures.

The Old High German term Hag means fence, enclosure, hedge. Wall refers to a wall - English wall - deposit or weir system. The terms have remained in the language of the mountain farmers with "hagern und frieden" for fence work and "Waller" for turned root plates: In the Middle Ages, Klaubsteinmauern along roads or property boundaries between alpine pastures or mountain farms became very important.

Many dry stone walls in disused, overgrown vineyards or abandoned alpine pastures are now left to decay. Since 2003, this ancient craft has experienced a strong revival in Austria. The Trockesteinmauern.Austria school around Rainer Vogler from the Viticulture School in Krems organizes courses and projects. These range from walls, stairs to stone houses, pointed arches and bridges. In 2021, UNESCO honored the cultural-historical value of the craft: dry stone walls were included in the national register as intangible cultural heritage.