The excursions are open to the public and some are subject to a charge.
Excursion #1 with storyteller Helmut Wittmann
From the thing that is so much more than just a thing
Helmut Wittmann tells stories about the playful perception of reality and legends from the Almtal valley on a walk through Grünau.
Meeting point: Pfarrhof, Grünau im Almtal, 10 am.
Duration 2 hours.
Abschluss – if desired – at the Almwirtinnen
Curious? maerchenerzaehler.at
Excursion #2 with Chief Forester Fritz Wolf and the Almtal Forest School
Forest of the future—playful introduction to the WWW (Wald-Wunder-Welt)
The renaturalisation of forestry, 40 years in the making, can be experienced in the forest with the forester. Drought, storms, heat, bark beetles – climate change is affecting our forests! On this walk through the forest, we observe the soil, shrubs, herbs, small creatures – and the trees. Together we will consider what this forest will look like in 10, 50 or 100 years. What should the forest of the future look like? This will be discussed in detail.
Meeting point: Waldschule Almtal; Scharnstein, Fischerbühel; 10 am.
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Curious? naturschauspiel.at/naturschauspiele/wald-der-zukunft
Excursion #3 with hiking guide and herb educator Sabina Haslinger
Off to Alpine paradise!
We hike small Alpine paradises together! On the way through the marvellous landscape, we learn all kinds of interesting and unusual facts about mountains, alpine pastures, forests & plants and can experience nature with all our senses. The fairy-tale & fabulously beautiful nature lets us forget everyday life. We can breathe a sigh of relief and recharge our batteries. A special experience is singing yodelling and juchitzing together. Together we breathe new life into this old alpine culture!
Meeting point: Pfarrhof, Grünau im Almtal, 10 am.
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Curious? naturschauspiel.at/naturschauspiele/auf-ins-alm-paradies
Excursion #4 with geologist Dr. Johannes Weidinger
How was the Almsee formed?
A gigantic natural event took place around the Jagasimmerl, where a once mighty glacier was melting at the end of the late ice age around 15,000 years ago: 500 million cubic metres of Dachstein limestone came loose in the rear Hetzau not far from the Großer Priel (2515 m) and formed a mass that left a trail of devastation stretching for kilometres. Here, at the confluence with the Almtal, this “landslide in the Almtal” split, merged with river sediments out of the valley and formed a bar upstream, creating the Almsee. This lake, which was originally probably more than twice as large as it is today, was filled in with river sediment over the millennia by the alluvial fan of the Weißeneckbach in the Schwarzenbrunn area and significantly reduced in size.
Meeting point: Car park at Jagasimmerl, Grünau im Almtal, 10 am.
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Curious? naturschauspiel.at/guides/weidinger-johannes
Excursion #5 with ornithologist Dr Josef Hemetsberger
Flapping and chattering in the Almtal
What did behavioural research mean in the days of Konrad Lorenz and what does it mean today? How and by whom did the flock of greylag geese come to the Almtal? How do you behave when observing wild animals? How and why are birds ringed? We gain access to the specialist knowledge about animal species at the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre (KLF), a scientific institution of the University of Vienna. We explore the way of life, behaviour and special features of the research centre’s model species in a technically sound but comprehensible way and immerse ourselves in part of the Almtal’s history.
Meeting point: Fischerau 11, Grünau im Almtal, 10 am
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Abschluss – Gastronomy in the Cumberland Wildlife Park
Curious? naturschauspiel.at/naturschauspiele/flattern-und-schnattern-im-almtal
Excursion #6 with forest educator and local historian Wolfgang Rab
To the forest paradise
On our hike in the forest paradise in the Almtal valley, we not only discover the healing powers of trees for us humans and learn how to “breathe deeply” in the forest atmosphere, but also learn lots of useful and interesting facts about the biodiversity of trees, plants and animals. On our expedition, we take a closer look at this diverse habitat and the deciduous trees typical of the nature reserve, as well as prominent conifers. Alder, ash, spruce and mountain pine – to name just a few – will reveal their secrets to us.
Meeting point: Grünau im Almtal, Gasthof Seehaus car park, by the lime tree; 10 am.
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Curious? naturschauspiel.at/naturschauspiele/auf-ins-wald-paradies
Excursion #7 with herbalist and water instructor Maria Hageneder
Enjoying nature on the Alm river
We hike leisurely along the Almuferweg trail and walk through it as if we were in a large open-air nature spa. Our hike is always along the alpine pasture or by the alpine lake, where we not only learn about the five elements of Kneipp therapy for a healthy life in theory, but also experience them with body and soul. As we Kneipp through the forest along the beautiful green alpine river, we utilise the forces of nature for our health and well-being. We enjoy water treatments, get moving in a playful way, learn about medicinal herbs and think about a beneficial diet.
Meeting point: Grünau im Almtal; Pfarrhof, 10 am.
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Curious? naturschauspiel.at/naturschauspiele/naturgenuss-am-almfluss
Excursion #8 at Cumberland Wildlife Park Grünau
Experience Nature Animal Park
Welcome to the heart of nature! On this excursion through the wildlife park, we get an overview of the Cumberland Wildlife Park Grünau. Selected animal species are introduced on a short walk through the wildlife park. We will learn interesting facts about their occurrence and distribution, species protection programmes and behavioural research at the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre. With the help of illustrative materials, biology becomes tangible.
Meeting point: Grünau im Almtal, entrance Cumbelrand Wildpark, Fischerau 12; 10 am.
Duration 2 to 3 hours.
Abschluss – Gastronomy
Curious? wildpark.at
Afterwards
15:00 Come together of the participants of the Academy of Games for a final exchange
16:30 Closing of the Academy of Games and individual departure of the workshop participants
Academy of Games
An exploration of the paths between the sciences and the arts.
More about the programme at salzkammergut-2024.at
