Badlwandgalerie, Rock shed in Peggau, Austria
The Badlwandgalerie extends 362 meters along the Mur River and consists of stone arches and vaulted passages carved directly from the rock face. This tunnel-like structure was designed as a protective shell against falling rocks and links two sides of the steep terrain through carefully engineered stone masonry.
Built between 1841 and 1845 to shield the newly laid railway from rockfalls, this structure became a template for later tunnel-building techniques. Its engineering methods influenced the design approach for subsequent Alpine railway projects, including the famous Semmering Railway.
Italian, Bohemian, and Moravian workers carved inscriptions into the stone recesses while hollowing out this gallery from solid rock. These hand-etched names and marks that remain visible today serve as traces of the laborers who shaped this place through their work.
This is best visited on foot during good weather with sturdy footwear, as the ground can be uneven and potentially slippery. The site sits along a walking path, so access is straightforward without special preparation needed.
The gallery once carried two separate transport systems at different levels: railway tracks ran on the lower section while a commercial road operated above. This dual-use design made it an ingenious solution for fitting multiple traffic routes through the narrow mountain valley.
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