Die Strutz-Mühle

In the past, many small mills stood in the region. Over time, nearly all of them disappeared — buildings fell into disrepair, milling mechanisms were dismantled, and memories remained.

Peter Fürbass did not want this piece of history to be lost. Over seven years of work, he collected, repaired, and supplemented old parts until the Strutz Mill could run again. Today, it demonstrates how grain was milled in the valley back then — with wood, water, craftsmanship, and a lot of patience.

He is a trained carpenter and grew up with the stories of the old mills. What would have been just an old building for others became a lifelong mission for him.

When he gives a tour of the mill, he not only talks about gears, millstones, and water power but also about how much work and memory are invested in this place.

The Waterwheel at Schwarzbach:
In front of the mill stands the overshot waterwheel, three meters high and made of wood. The Schwarzbach flows right past the mill, a wooden trough directs it onto the paddles of the wheel. It runs daily when Mill Peter welcomes his visitors — only in winter, when the water freezes, does it stand still.

The Milling Mechanism from 1854:
On the ground floor, wood and iron meet. The original mill gear transmits the rotational force of the wheel to two millstones made of local granite. In each tour, a handful of grain is freshly placed between the stones, and the flour falls beneath into the sack — foam milling, as the name suggests.

A narrow staircase leads up to the miller's lounge: wooden floor, old tools, and a small bell on the wall. It was previously connected to the milling mechanism by a rope — when the grain ran low, it would ring, allowing the miller to add more without having to stand down below continuously.

In 2020, the Strutz Mill was awarded the title of the most beautiful place in Austria in the ORF format "9 Places 9 Treasures."