The little community of Muhr is embedded in a landscape full of flowering meadows, surrounded by beautiful mountains and protected by the mighty Hafner (3,076m), the highest mountain in Lungau. A holiday here is a real Nature Expedition of hiking trails, mountain lakes, waterfalls, rugged mountain scenery and fragrant flower meadows. Muhr is the only Lungau community which is part of the protected area of the Hohe Tauern National Park.
Prangstangen Procession
The Prangstangen processions are probably one of the most beautiful experiences in Lungau traditions and occur on the 24th June (Johannes) in Zederhaus and on the 29th June (Peter and Paul) in Muhr. The rods which can be 8 to 12 metres high and up to 85kg, and which often contain up to 50,000 individual flowers, are carried along during the public holiday procession and placed in the church. The rods stay in the church until Maria Ascension on August 15th. The individual flowers are removed on that day, kept as Holy herbs and used in winter for smoke.
Mur bike trail – the Tour de Mur
The Mur bike trail, a 365km long and very busy Austrian bike path, is especially popular with families as it goes along the Mur of the Lungau region over the Mur Valley and runs into southern Styria. The tour begins in the Muhr National Park community at the head of the river Mur at 1,752 metres above sea level. A top event every year is the Tour de Mur, which originally started as a demonstration for the purpose of bringing the bike path extension to life, which enjoys international renown and takes place every year at Corpus Christi.
Traditions: the Prangstangen procession represent one of the most beautiful and colourful experiences in the Lungau traditions year. The tradition of the Prangenstangen is only celebrated in two Lungau communities – in Muhr (on the 29th June at Peter & Paul) and in Zederhaus (on the 24th June at Johannes). The flowers, painstakingly hand-picked before in the summer and alpine meadows, are bound into long garlands. Up to 50,000 various summer flowers are wound around the up to 6m tall imposing heavenly rods. Unmarried boys carry the flower-wrapped Prangstangen in a solemn procession through the town.
Living traditions: Ever heard of the Samson Procession?
