Dachstein Caves
The Dachstein Krippenstein cable-car
This rewarding plateau circular trail is particularly suitable for families with children fond of hiking. On the recently adapted wide hiking trail many features arouse curiosity and travelling with baby buggies is possible all way. To reach the starting point you go up by cable car (Dachstein-Krippenstein ropeways) and while hovering high above rugged rock faces and distinctive karst patterns, you might even catch a glimpse on a chamois. The karst trail starts at the top station and leads on a well marked route across the massif to the Heilbronner Cross.
A trip to the ‘cattle footprints' is particularly rewarding as they demonstrate that the massif once was the ocean floor of the primeval Tethys sea. Past the Hirzkarkogel and plenty of informative boards you will make your way back to the starting point of the tour. The last and only ascent may also be overcome by cable car (3rd section).
Nature Trail
The recently established Nature trail on the Dachstein plateau is an important component of the World Heritage Hiking world. This trail travels across the karst plateau and "lures" with pristine high alpine scenery. Along the trail karst patterns highly impress as well as the wide variety of fauna and flora and the easternmost glacier of the Alps. The convenient Dachstein Nature trail features catered mountain lodges (locations where both culinary refreshment and accommodation is offered) within 2 hours walking distances from each other.
The surrounding nature reserve is part of "Natura 2000", the ecological network in the territory of the EU, and of World Heritage site "Hallstatt-Dachstein-Salzkammergut ". The convenient trail, 8 km long, is suitable for everyone and introduces to distinct local features via informative boards containing texts about geology, fauna and flora common to the plateau.
Heilbronner Circular Trail
This rewarding plateau circular trail is particularly suitable for families with children fond of hiking. On the recently adapted wide hiking trail many features arouse curiosity and travelling with baby buggies is possible all way. To reach the starting point you go up by cable car (Dachstein-Krippenstein ropeways) and while hovering high above rugged rock faces and distinctive karst patterns, you might even catch a glimpse on a chamois. The karst trail starts at the top station and leads on a well marked route across the massif to the Heilbronner Cross. A trip to the ‘cattle footprints' is particularly rewarding as they demonstrate that the massif once was the ocean floor of the primeval Tethys sea.
Past the Hirzkarkogel and plenty of informative boards you will make your way back to the starting point of the tour. The last and only ascent may also be overcome by cable car (3rd section).
"Five Fingers"-viewpoint
The "5fingers"are the absolute highlight of the newly staged Hiking world on the Dachstein plateau and rank among the most spectacular viewpoints of the Alps. The platform horizontally "towers" - just like a hand - above where the mountain cliff drops into a 400m abyss. Five distinct stages, 4x1m, offer dramatic "insights and outlooks". One stage is made of glass and another "finger" provides a baroque-like frame in order to have specially framed World Heritage photos of Hallstatt taken. The"5fingers" are illuminated until midnight to then be noticed even from distant places.
"The journey is the reward" is the perfect motto for the footpath leading to the platform, as an additional viewpoint awaits on the way from the cable car top station to the Pioneer Cross.
The "worldNATURALheritage" viewpoint, just above the Krippenstein Lodge, shows an outstanding panorama of the two glaciers. The barrier-free path to this platform guarantees access to "high alpine experience" for everyone. Almost all visitors will overcome the convenient footpath to the Pioneer Cross within 20 minutes easily.
Dachstein Cave world
The Dachstein Cave World and its three natural show caves rank among the most significant natural monuments of Austria.
About 200 million years ago the warm primeval ocean Tethys formed, extending directly over where today's huge Dachstein massif is rising. In the course of millions of years calcite precipitation and shells secreted by marine organisms were deposited on ocean floors forming a calcite stratum, 1.000 m deep. This sea was also home to ‘megalodonts', heart-shaped shells and today the Dachstein massif is famous for these fossils which are due to their shape referred to as ‘cattle footprints' ("Kuhtritte").
The Dachstein massif is a result of continental drifts causing the tectonic uplifting and folding of the calcite stratum. Water enriched with carbon dioxide infiltrated through surface cracks and crevices dissolving the limestone (calcite) and consequently forming caves which developed huge extensions in the course of time.
Three amazing caves
Giant Ice Cave, ranking among the biggest ice caves worldwide, is the probably most remarkable highlight of the World Heritage site, attracting 150.000 visitors per year. Less icy yet not less interesting are the extensive Mammut Cave at the mountain and Koppenbrüller Cave in the valley, the latter featuring amazing underground streams especially at periods of thaw and heavy rainfalls.Installations, created by the students of the Linz University of Art, provide complementary impressions in all caves and provide surprising light and sound experiences.
Excellent infrastructure
1 hour visits, performed by certified nature and landscape guides, provide compact information focussing on distinct cave particularities. Special features of Giant Ice Cave are the "Ice sound concerts" and the "Korah and the cave bear tours". Furthermore the cave trekking tours through Mammut Cave and Koppenbrüller Cave will fully meet the expectations of children, groups and corporate outings, dedicated to adventure.
Classical Music on Ice
Experience the ‘Ice sound concerts' and come face to face with ice! These exceptional performances take place in one of the most remarkable ‘concert halls' of the world, in "swinging Parsifal Cathedral" and enable the audiences to experience distinct sounds of varied music genres in crystal-clear atmosphere face to face with bizarre ice formations. The all-inclusive deal includes cable car, concert (in well-exceptional concert hall), cave tour and prosecco welcome-drink. A delicious ‘Ice sound buffet' rounds off this unique concert experience.
The concerts draw a bow from classical to jazz music and will be designed to attract younger audiences,
Mammut Cave
In 1910 the first Austrian Cave Congress was held at Obertraun in the course of which several caves of the surrounding area were discovered. For its large extension one of these newly discovered caves, located in the ‘Mittagskogel', was named Mammut Cave (Mammoth Cave). Mammut Cave is an intricate labyrinth of passages extending on more than 60 km with a difference in altitude of more than 1000m between the highest and the deepest points.
Mammut Cave is a karst cave and on the guided tours you will get better acquainted with such karst formations. One theory says that former ‘Palaeotraun' - precursor of today's Traun river - formed and washed out these huge subterranean passages. At Midnight Cathedral an introduction to the world of cave explorers -venturing multi-day excursions into the eternal darkness - is given. Cave exploring is considered to be amongst the last adventures on Earth and on wild cave trekking tours visitors may experience this particular feeling of being completely cut off from the world.
Big Mammut Cave Trekking Tour
Big Mammut Cave Trekking Tour The Big Mammut Cave trekking tour is designed for individualists. Small groups experience a day-long journey to the unknown parts of one of the most extensive cave systems of Austria. By overcoming belly-crawls and steep climbing passages venturesome spirits - conducted by experienced guides - fight their way to remote cave portions where narrow corridors and huge dome-pits provide an unforgettable experience.
All-day tour
- Rate per person,including cable car (4 pers. min.): € 110,00
- Helmets, headlamps and oversuits are provided.
- What to bring: hiking shoes, warm sportswear, packed lunch snack
Korah and the cave bear
This feature in Giant Ice Cave, high above Lake Hallstättersee is a brandnew adventure tour for young and old. It is a journey back in a time 10.000 years ago and is designed for families. While wandering through Giant Ice Cave and its captivating ambiance of dripstones and ice giants, the tour companions learn about Korah, offspring of a prehistoric human clan, and a little cave bear whose destinies cross paths .... This and more is what Giant Ice Cave offers to those who wish to follow Korah on the search for his furry friend, to hear the call of the cave bear
and to know what happens to them... .
The Cave Museum
The Dachstein Cave Museum is noted for being among Upper Austria´s most extraordinary museums for both its special theme and its special location. You´ll find it at an elevation of 1,350 meters above sea level at the middle terminal of the Dachstein Cableway. The essence of this Museum is captured in documenting the research and the exploration of the Dachstein Caves. Among the Museum´s most striking and noticeable features is a model depicting the 48 kilometers of explored tunnels within Mammoth Cave.
Schönbergalm
The Adventure restaurant Schönbergalm is located at 1350 m and is starting point for the trips to Giant Ice Cave and Mammut Cave. Family cosiness and delicious gastronomy await the guests, whether young or old. Children are most welcome and may explore ‘dragon hole', ‘crocodile squeeze', ‘cave slide' or ‘Simony gallery'. In the child cable car the kids may revel while hovering up to the Dachstein. Choose local dishes and delicacies at the self-service area and savour organic vegetable products - originating from the ‘Biohof Achleitner' - at the salad buffet. Schönbergalm-gastronomy contains child specials (children under 1m eat for free) and all inclusive offers and is designed to stave off hunger!