Bergbau- und Gotikmuseum Leogang

About the museum

The museum traces its origins to the Leogang Mining Museum Association, founded in 1989. In the same year, at the initiative of Mayor Matthias Scheiber and head of administration Hermann Mayrhofer, the municipality acquired the Gewerkenhaus in Hütten, built in 1593, which had housed the local mining administration until the early 19th century. The association had the house restored to its original condition and in 1992 opened a mining museum, initially without any exhibits of its own.

The collection soon grew beyond the roughly 3,000-year mining history of the region. In 2003 an underground exhibition hall of 250 m² was added, which now houses Gothic sculptures from the collections of Rudolf Leopold, Carl von Frey and Kuno Mayer; in the same year the museum received the Austrian Museum Seal of Quality. The guiding idea is the connection between mining and art: the proceeds of late medieval mining financed works of art, which the museum now brings together.

In 2013 the association also acquired the neighbouring Thurnhaus, a 13th-century residential and defensive tower that later served as the miners' granary. Following renovation from 2017 to 2019, it is connected to the Gewerkenhaus underground and is accessible without barriers via a lift. Across more than 1,000 m², the museum presents around twenty exhibitions, including a room devoted to the painter and mine administrator Michael Hofer, and was nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award in 2021. The ensemble also includes the reactivated Hüttschmiede forge.

Highlights

• Gothic sculptures from the Leopold, von Frey and Mayer collections
• Prayer nut of Mary of Burgundy
• Baroque hand specimens and miners' art
• Medieval Thurnhaus and the Gewerkenhaus of 1593
• Hüttschmiede demonstration forge (May to October, Wednesdays)
• Room devoted to the painter and mine administrator Michael Hofer

Permanent exhibitions

• Gotiksammlung – The underground hall displays late Gothic sculptures from the collections of Rudolf Leopold, Carl von Frey and Kuno Mayer, including a winged altarpiece.
• Bergbau und Bergmannskunst – Tools, minerals, coins made of Leogang silver and elaborate hand specimens tell the story of the region's mining history stretching back thousands of years.
• Michael-Hofer-Raum – On the first floor of the Gewerkenhaus, an exhibition honours the landscape painter, mine administrator and tourism pioneer Michael Hofer.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Verein Bergbau- und Gotikmuseum Leogang

Director

Andreas Herzog

Visitors per year

approx. 8,153 (2025)

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Step-free access via the Thurnhaus, whose four floors are served by a lift; underground connection to the Gewerkenhaus. Accessible toilets in the Thurnhaus. Wheelchairs and rollators can be borrowed free of charge; all of the museum's parking spaces are accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Child-friendly tours, treasure hunts and craft programmes using natural materials on request, also for kindergarten groups; regular children's events and the "Kreativ Club". Children up to 15 years have free admission.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in the Hütten district on the western border of the state of Salzburg, below the Grießen Pass.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with books, catalogues and regional specialities (also online).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 100 guests.

Weddings and receptions in the Hoferstube in the Gewerkenhaus (up to 30 people) and in the main exhibition room of the Thurnhaus (up to 100 people; reduced in 2026 due to the special exhibition); registry office Leogang.

Plan your visit