Galgenberg, Wine hill with cellar lane in Wildendürnbach, Austria
Galgenberg is a 255-metre hill 1.5 km north-northeast of Wildendürnbach's centre, near the Moravian border. Its slopes carry 184 press houses with wine cellars, built in the 19th century and known as a Kellergasse. At the summit stands the spire of the old parish church, which survived its 1971 demolition almost undamaged.
A gallows stood on the summit until 1828, giving the hill its name; whether executions actually took place there is not recorded. In the 19th century, 184 press houses with wine cellars were built on the slopes around the hill, forming the Kellergasse. In 1971 the old parish church of Wildendürnbach was blown up, and its almost undamaged tower spire was placed on the summit.
The cellar lane is known as a Kellergasse, and its 184 press houses with wine cellars were built in the 19th century. On Easter Monday, cellar owners invite relatives, wine friends and helpers to taste the new vintage, a custom called "In d'Grean gehn" (going into the green), practised here since pre-industrial times and added to Austria's UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list in 2019.
The cellar lane runs around the slopes of the hill, 1.5 km north-northeast of Wildendürnbach's centre near the Moravian border. The press houses and cellars are built into the hillside, so paths are uneven and can be muddy after rain; the site is best walked in dry weather with sturdy shoes.
The tower on the summit is the spire of Wildendürnbach's old parish church, which was blown up in 1971; the spire survived the explosion almost undamaged and was placed on the hilltop. The hill's dialect name is Golingbir.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,056 contributors worldwide.