Myths & Legends

What do the „Lindworm“, „Sea’s Eye“ and „Fountain of Youth“ have to tell us?

The legend of the "Black Lake"

Up at the Wurmegg there is a small, pitch-black mountain pool. According to local legend, its depths conceal a golden coach, upon which a fearsome lindworm sits and guards over it. This lindworm apparently burrows on two sides of the pool. On the one side towards Filzmoos and on the other towards Neuberg. Whichever side it reaches first will be flooded by water from the lake. It is also said that a dull rumble has often been heard from the depths of the pool, and it is supposed that this sound is the roaring of an angry dragon, and very often there follows a heavy storm. A golden coach is supposed to have been sunk in the pool by Romans at the time of the persecution of the Christians. On three particular Saturdays in the year the shaft of the coach is supposed to be visible even today. Whoever succeeds in recovering the coach will be blessed with wealth for the rest of his days. Three young lads once tried their luck. In high spirits they climbed up the mountain and the shaft of the coach was to be seen. Two of the lads set to work straightaway and the third prayed for their success. As the two lads had almost recovered half of the coach, one of them said to the praying friend “As you’ve got the easy part just praying, you only get a small share”. He had hardly uttered these words, when the coach became heavier and heavier. Even with all their might they couldn’t hold on to the coach any longer and had to watch as it disappeared back into the depths of the lake before their very eyes.

The legend "Meeräugl" (Sea’s Eye)

Near the first hut at the Hofalm, in the headwater region of the “Warme Mandling” stream, there is a round hole in the ground, which has a diameter of approx. 12 feet and is filled with ice-cold water. Out of the hole flows a stream, silvery-clear and clean. According to the legend this hole in the ground is inexplicable and is connected in some way to the sea, so that this little pool of water is also called “Meeräugl” (Sea’s Eye). Once a few brave lads tried to explore its depths. They took a large weaving bobbin full of string and tied one end of it to a heavy stone, which they then threw in the “Meeräugl”. The bobbin gradually unravelled and suddenly a voice rang up from the depths:


As soon as the lads heard this, they dropped the bobbin in fright and ran away as quickly as possible. Since then nobody has dared to explore the “Meeräugl” which is supposed to be connected to the Gosau Lake.

The Fountain of Youth by the Bischofsmütze

The “Kampen” or “Kamplbrunn” spring has its source next to the Bischofsmütze. The spring is ice-cold and generally only has a temperature of 1 or 2 degrees. Legend has it, that whoever drinks from this spring or bathes in it, will become at least ten years younger.
Near the „Kampenbrunn“ two clefts in the rock are visible. Out of one of the two clefts cold air always blows and out of the other warm air, just like the so-called “weather holes” in the Radstädter Tauern. There they are seen as a weather symbol. It is said that two ghosts cause this strange, natural phenomenon at the Bischofsmütze.