Gaulschlucht / La Gola di Gaul

Deeply the Falschauer stream has carved into the rock at the entrance to the Ultental, thus creating an impressive gorge over the centuries. The sun's rays hardly penetrate the Gaulschlucht, the rock walls stand too close together. Thus, a cool and moist climate prevails inside all year round, allowing a variety of plants to thrive splendidly. A proper, small primeval forest has spread out on both sides of the rushing water in the Gaulschlucht.

Over rocks and wooden footbridges, the path leads into the gorge, hanging bridges cross the Falschauer, and one must go through tunnels when there is no other way forward. The Falschauer stream often rushes by deceptively comfortably, but for safety reasons, one should never descend into the stream bed. Further upstream, the Falschauer is dammed several times for power generation; when the sluices of the small power plants are opened, the water level in the gorge rises instantly and sweeps away with force anything that stands in its way.

Not only for geologists are the various, completely different types of rock that can be discovered in the increasingly narrow gorge interesting. Quartz porphyry and gneiss, and in between a strip of granite, form the steep rock walls on both sides, where the moisture reflects individual sun rays glittering. The promenade ends after about 20 minutes walking time at a waterfall in the middle of the gorge.

The starting point for this atmospheric excursion into the romantic Gaulschlucht is practically in the center of Lana. Following the sign "Gaulpromenade", one soon reaches the gorge. In the opposite direction, the path leads downstream to the biotope at the Falschauer Delta, a protected natural oasis and habitat for numerous animal and plant species. Here also begins the sculpture trail, which was designed by various national and international artists.

Above the entrance to the Gaulschlucht towers Braunsberg Castle, which guards the entrance to the Ultental. Right at the beginning of the Gaulschlucht is also the "meadow", a relatively wide and open space used for events. Festivals and concerts take place here in an extraordinarily atmospheric setting, and the "meadow" also serves as the venue for Lana's summer open-air plays.