MineGuessr – Styrian Erzberg, Austria: Terraced Open-Pit Iron Ore “Pyramid”

MineGuessr Advent Calendar 2025 – Door 20

Styrian Erzberg is one of the mines featured in our 2025 MineGuessr mining advent calendar. Each December day, we reveal a new mining satellite timelapse and invite you to guess the mine from satellite imagery of mines across the Nordics and Europe.

On this page, we provide a concise, professional overview of the Styrian Erzberg iron ore mine – its location, geology, operational history and role in the raw materials value chain. The satellite timelapse highlights how a mountainside has been reshaped over more than a century of terraced open-pit mining, helping to support raw materials education around iron ore and European steelmaking.

Aerial view of the terraced Styrian Erzberg open-pit iron ore mine at Eisenerz in Styria, Austria

Overview & location

Styrian Erzberg is a large open-pit iron ore mine located near the town of Eisenerz in Styria, central Austria. The mine sits about 60 km north-west of Graz and roughly 260 km south-west of Vienna.

Erzberg is the largest iron ore deposit in Austria and the last large iron ore deposit in Central Europe. Modern operations are run by VA Erzberg GmbH, which supplies iron ore to voestalpine’s steel plants in Linz and Leoben-Donawitz. The mine’s distinctive stepped benches give it a “pyramid” appearance, making it instantly recognisable both in person and from space.

Today, Erzberg is an intensively worked, multi-level terraced open pit where around 12–13 million tonnes of rock are blasted each year to produce approximately 3–3.3 million tonnes of fine iron ore for Austria’s steel industry.

Where in the world is Styrian Erzberg?

Country & region: Eisenerz, Leoben district, Styria, Austria.
Topography: A prominent iron-rich mountain in the Eastern Alps, worked into a stepped “pyramid” by open-pit benches.
Logistics: Ore is moved by truck and conveyor to processing plants and loading points, then shipped primarily to voestalpine’s Linz and Donawitz works.
Workforce: Around 220–240 employees work at the mine in continuous shifts to maintain year-round production.

Geology & deposit type

Erzberg is a large carbonate iron ore deposit hosted in Paleozoic rocks of the greywacke zone of the Eastern Alps.

Key geological features:

The ore is dominated by siderite (FeCO₃), with significant ankerite and ferrous dolomite – a classic carbonate iron ore assemblage.
The deposit lies in Silurian–Devonian marbles and related strata within the Noric nappe, part of a structurally complex Alpine setting.
Average in-situ iron contents are relatively modest (on the order of 20–30% Fe), but the deposit is very large, with estimated reserves of over 200 million tonnes of ore sufficient for several decades of production at current rates.
Beneficiation and sorting (including modern XRF-based sorting) upgrade the ore into fine products suitable for blast furnace feed at voestalpine’s steel plants.

In the MineGuessr calendar, Erzberg represents the carbonate iron ore / siderite end of our portfolio – distinct from the banded iron formations, porphyry copper deposits and industrial mineral quarries featured on other days.

What the mining satellite timelapse shows

The mining satellite timelapse for Styrian Erzberg (1984–2022) compresses decades of terraced open-pit mining into a few seconds. Because bench mining has been used here since the late 19th century, the basic “pyramid” shape is already present in the early frames, but the timelapse still records important changes in bench geometry, waste management and infrastructure.

Pre-1980s legacy – a terraced iron mountain

Bench-form open-pit mining began around 1890, gradually transforming Erzberg into a stepped mountain. By the early 20th century, there were dozens of 12 m benches; in 1928, bench height was doubled to 24 m, reducing the number of terraces but keeping the overall stepped profile.

On the timelapse, the 1980s frames already show a clearly terraced “pyramid” with multiple benches encircling the mountain.

1980s–1990s – modernisation and bench reconfiguration

Through the late 20th century, Erzberg shifted from rail and cart-based ore handling to truck and conveyor systems. Benches were re-profiled for larger equipment and more efficient haulage.

In satellite imagery, the pit crest and bench outlines become more regular; haul roads and access ramps are easier to distinguish, and waste dumps are reshaped and extended.

2000s–2010s – high-volume open-pit production

By the 2000s, annual production was around 12 million tonnes of rock yielding roughly 3 million tonnes of ore, with large wheel loaders, haul trucks and continuous conveyor systems supporting year-round operations.
Technological upgrades, including remote monitoring, sorting technologies and improved blasting, helped stabilise costs and increase recovery from carbonate ore.

In the timelapse you see subtle but continuous deepening and widening of the stepped benches, plus the growth and reorganisation of stockpiles, crushers and conveyors at the base of the pit.

2020s – efficiency, decarbonisation and “industrial heritage in operation”

Current production remains around 3–3.3 Mt of iron ore per year, with Erzberg often described as Europe’s largest open-pit iron ore mine and the most modern open-pit mine in Central Europe.
VA Erzberg has partnered with technology providers on pilot projects, including electrification and thermal process optimisation of carbonate iron ore, contributing to lower-carbon steel supply.

Recent frames show a mature, almost geometric pit with well-defined terraces, enduring waste dumps and a busy industrial complex at the foot of the mountain.

Mining method & processing – how the ore moves

Styrian Erzberg is a large-scale open-pit siderite mine using conventional drill–blast–haul methods:

Drilling & blasting: Rock is drilled and blasted in large production blasts, typically twice a day, to loosen ~12–13 Mt of material per year.
Loading & hauling: Large wheel loaders and haul trucks transport ore and waste from the benches to crushers, stockpiles and waste dumps.
Crushing & beneficiation: Ore is crushed, screened and sorted – with modern sensor-based sorting used to upgrade carbonate iron ore before it is processed into fine ore products.
Logistics: Finished ore products are transported to voestalpine’s Linz and Donawitz plants, forming the raw material base for Austrian steel production.

Role in the raw materials value chain & energy transition

Erzberg is central to Austria’s raw materials value chain for steel:

It supplies millions of tonnes of iron ore annually to voestalpine, underpinning flat and long steel products used across construction, infrastructure, rail, automotive and machinery sectors.
As part of voestalpine’s wider decarbonisation plans, including increased use of green electricity and future hydrogen-based technologies, Erzberg’s ore remains a strategic domestic source of iron-bearing feed.
The mine also offers a living example of how historic industrial sites can integrate modern ESG expectations, from land stewardship to community engagement and industrial tourism.

In the context of the energy transition, Erzberg’s most direct link is via low-carbon steelmaking: improving ore preparation, energy efficiency and processing routes reduces the overall CO₂ footprint per tonne of steel, even before more radical technological shifts (e.g. hydrogen-based reduction) are fully deployed.

What to look for in the MineGuessr timelapse

As a MineGuessr player, could you spot the following in the Styrian Erzberg timelapse?

The terraced “pyramid” shape of the mountain – a textbook example of bench-form open-pit mining.
Subtle deepening and widening of benches over time as new pushbacks are taken and old levels are exhausted.
The constant movement of waste and ore handling areas at the base of the pit: crushers, conveyors, stockpiles and loading points.
The interaction between a centuries-old mining landscape and modern infrastructure – haul roads, viewing platforms, and tourist access routes.

MineGuessr perspective – why this mine was included

We selected the Styrian Erzberg for the MineGuessr mining advent calendar because it:

Is one of Europe’s most iconic open-pit iron ore mines, instantly recognisable by its terraced, pyramid-like profile in satellite imagery.
Demonstrates a 1,300-year mining history that has evolved into a high-volume, modern open pit with strong links to European steelmaking.
Offers a visible case study of large-scale land use, carbonate iron ore beneficiation and industrial heritage in the Alpine region.

In our GeoGuessr-style mine guessing game, Erzberg helps spark conversations about carbonate iron ores, bench mining and the long-term relationship between mining and regional industrial development.

Throughout December, keep opening a new door every day and you can explore all 24 mines featured this year on the main MineGuessr mining advent calendar page.

Day 1 - Aitik (Sweden, copper-gold open pit)
A large, low-grade copper operation south of Gällivare
👉 Open Door 1 - Aitik
Day 2 - Björkdal (Sweden, gold)
Gold mine near Skellefteå, combining open-pit and underground mining.
👉 Open Door 2 - Björkdal
Day 3 - Kemi (Finland, chrome)
Chrome mine in northern Finland, Europe’s only chromite operation.
👉 Open Door 3 - Kemi
Day 4 - Ørtfjell (Norway, iron ore)
Iron ore mine in Norway’s Dunderland Valley, evolving from large open pits to underground mining.
👉 Open Door 4 - Ørtfjell
Day 5 - Trimouns (France, talc)
World’s largest working talc quarry high in the French Pyrenees above Luzenac.
👉 Open Door 5 - Trimouns
Day 6 - Skouries (Greece, copper-gold porphyry)
High-grade copper–gold porphyry project in the forests of Halkidiki, still under construction.
👉 Open Door 6 - Skouries
Day 7 - Las Cruces (Spain, copper)
High-grade hydromet copper mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt north-west of Seville.
👉 Open Door 7 - Las Cruces
Day 8 - Assarel–Medet (Bulgaria, copper)
Twin porphyry copper open pits in the Panagyurishte district, from Europe’s former largest open-pit copper mine at Medet to today’s modern Assarel operation.
👉 Open Door 8 - Assarel–Medet
Day 9 - Glomel (France, andalusite)
World-class andalusite open-pit quarry in Brittany’s Montagnes Noires, supplying refractory minerals for Europe’s steel, foundry, cement and glass industries.
👉 Open Door 9 - Glomel
Day 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona (Greece, bauxite)
Karst-type bauxite mines in the Parnassos–Ghiona mountains, a historic alumina feedstock district supplying Greece’s aluminium industry.
👉 Open Door 10 - Parnassos–Ghiona
Day 11 - Kittilä (Finland, gold)
Europe’s largest primary gold mine at the Suurikuusikko orogenic gold deposit north of the Arctic Circle.
👉 Open Door 11 - Kittilä
Day 12 - Oltenia Energy Complex (Romania, lignite)
Cluster of large open-pit lignite mines and mine-mouth power plants in Gorj County, now at the centre of Romania’s coal phase-out and just transition plans.
👉 Open Door 12 - Oltenia Energy Complex
Day 13 - Cornwall china clay (UK)
Historic Imerys china clay pits near St Austell, where bright white kaolin benches and tips reshape “Clay Country” over decades of mining and restoration.
👉 Open Door 13 - Cornwall china clay
Day 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini (Greece, bentonite)
Overlapping bentonite open pits on the volcanic island of Milos, anchoring one of Europe’s key industrial minerals districts.
👉 Open Door 14 - Aggeria–Agia Irini
Day 15 - Skouriotissa (Cyprus, copper & hydromet)
Ancient copper mining district in the Troodos ophiolite, now a hydrometallurgical hub processing copper, gold and battery-metal feed.
👉 Open Door 15 - Skouriotissa
Day 16 - Tunstead (UK, limestone & cement)
The UK’s largest limestone quarry near Buxton, feeding an integrated lime and cement works with long-term restoration and biodiversity plans.
👉 Open Door 16 - Tunstead
Day 17 - Narva (Estonia, oil shale)
Large open-pit oil shale mine in Ida-Viru County, supplying the Narva power plants and reshaping the landscape with strip mining and reclamation.
👉 Open Door 17 - Narva
Day 18 - Sydvaranger (Norway, iron ore)
Arctic banded iron formation at Bjørnevatn near Kirkenes, evolving toward DR-grade magnetite for Europe’s green steel transition.
👉 Open Door 18 - Sydvaranger
Day 19 - Kevitsa (Finland, nickel–copper–PGE)
Multimetal open-pit mine in Finnish Lapland, combining Ni–Cu–PGE production with trolley-assisted haulage for lower-emission mining.
👉 Open Door 19 - Kevitsa
Day 21 - Minas de Alquife (Spain, iron ore)
Europe’s largest open-pit iron ore mine in Granada, restarting in 2020 after two decades of closure to supply high-grade ore to European steelmakers.
👉 Open Door 21 - Minas de Alquife
Day 22 - Siilinjärvi (Finland, phosphate)
EU’s only operating phosphate mine in central Finland, mining an Archean carbonatite for fertiliser-grade apatite and creating distinctive pale tailings and phosphogypsum stacks.
👉 Open Door 22 - Siilinjärvi
Day 23 - Tellnes (Norway, ilmenite/titanium)
World-class ilmenite open pit in the Rogaland Anorthosite Province, supplying TiO₂ pigment feedstock from one of Europe’s largest titanium deposits.
👉 Open Door 23 - Tellnes
Day 24 - Elatsite (Bulgaria, copper–gold porphyry)
High-altitude porphyry copper–gold open pit in Bulgaria’s Srednogorie zone, with ore conveyed under the Balkan Mountains to a separate flotation–tailings complex.
👉 Open Door 24 - Elatsite

About Gosselin Mining

At Gosselin Mining, we regularly work with bulk open-pit operations and long-lived mine sites like Styrian Erzberg: large benches, complex haulage, evolving processing routes and strong ties to regional steelmakers. If you’d like to:

Stress-test a life-of-mine plan for an iron ore or other bulk commodity project
Evaluate options for mine design, haulage optimisation or low-carbon pathways in established operations
Benchmark your ESG and land-use profile against comparable European mines

…you’re very welcome to book a meeting with us.