The Pecherpfad in Hölles was built in 1996 by a private group of initiators and opened on August 30, 1998, during the “Pecherfest”—the opening ceremony was presided over by the then-Minister of Economic Affairs, Dr. Hannes Farnleitner, who had himself learned the craft of resin tapping. Pitch extraction in the region’s pine forests dates back at least to the 17th century; after World War II, resin harvesting provided a livelihood for around 1,500 families in the region; over the past three centuries, more than 10,000 families in southern Lower Austria have made their living from it.
The trail illustrates the various stages of resin tapping using exhibits such as a resin tapper’s chapel and a resin tapper’s hut. Since 2011, the Hölles Resin Tapping Trail has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site.
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