Silvanum (which refers to forests in Latin) is an outstanding museum of the nature, management and culture of forests. It was founded in 1979 in a granary built in 1771 for the Innerberger Hauptgewerkschaft iron company, which used the iron ore of the region and the charcoal of the forests to make iron. It is in the village of Großreifling, which is sited high in the Austrian Alps in the Gesäuse National Park.
The museum has a large exhibition on four storeys. The technology of working in the forests is shown in the different ways of moving timber – using ropes, waggons, sledges, railways, log flumes or rivers with rafts of trees tied together. The way of life of forest workers is shown with reconstructed huts where they cooked and slept. Another important subject is the contribution of forests to reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Activities for children include a 3-d cinema, interactive sledge and raft rides and special guided tours and project days. The museum is open from May to October.
The Austrian Forest Museum Silvanum
Forstmuseum Silvanum
Großreifling 22
8931 Landl
Austria
+43 (0) 3633 - 220140
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