Description
The Hernstein Resin Worker Educational Trail, which runs through the black pine forests at Hart, offers impressive insights into the resin worker profession with its display panels, stations, exhibits, and "resin-tapped trees". The traces of resin extraction are still visible especially in the extensive, resin-scented pine forests. Resin was once an important raw material for the production of rosin and turpentine. The also worth seeing Vinzenz Chapel and the Resin Worker Museum with its documentation of the resin worker profession also recall this once important economic sector. Today, only one resin processing company still exists.
The market town of Hernstein with its seven districts is located in the midst of the largest black pine area in Central Europe, between the Triesting and Piesting valleys. Gentle mountain shapes with elevations up to 600 m dominate the landscape. Consequently, leisurely hikes predominate in the municipality. Only west of the municipality does the Hohe Mandling rise with beech forests at higher altitudes. Since the fire of the Berndorf hut at the summit (967 m), however, the Mandling has lost importance for hikers.
Starting point of the tour
At Hart, parking lot beside the road
Destination point of the tour
At Hart, parking lot beside the road
Route description Hernstein Resin Worker Educational Trail
From the parking lot, head onto the asphalt road and after a few meters pass the first display panel "Chisel Marks". After a few more meters, you reach the Vinzenz Chapel and then the display panel "Preparation Marks". Shortly after the panel, leave the asphalt road and continue following the path into the forest. On a good forest path, pass the display panel "Planing". At a crossroads, continue left following the "Educational Trail" sign, passing the "Emptying" display panel until you reach a crossroads. Here you can take a detour to the right to the "Resin Worker’s Hut" (shelter in the forest), also passing the "Scraping" panel. After only 80 meters, you reach the hut. Then return to the crossroads and turn right back onto the original route. Passing the "Resin Products" panel, you quickly return to the parking lot. The pure walking time is about 20 minutes, about 1 hour with careful engagement with the individual stations. To complete the impressions, a visit to the Resin Worker Museum is also recommended.
Directions
A2 South motorway exit Leobersdorf, on the Hainfelder federal road B 18 to Berndorf, turn left onto L 4020 towards Aigen, Hernstein. In Hernstein turn right onto Piestinger Straße towards Piesting and after 5 hairpin bends to Hart.
Parking
Parking lot opposite the turning to Aigen, directly to the right beside the road at Hart (sign: "Vinzenzkapelle")
Author's tip
Also worth seeing is the Vinzenz Chapel, a modern, symbolic triangular building in the pine forest, whose design reflects the elements of resin extraction. The chapel was built in 2002.
