Daily tours through the Mammut Cave
News from the "Dachstein Krippenstein" Montain in Obertraun
The Dachstein Krippenstein adventure mountain in Obertraun will start its daily summer operation on Wednesday, 1 May
Here's what you need to know by now!
Open:
Section 1 to the Cave Worlds from 1 May 2024
Section 2 to the Skywalk "5Fingers" will follow on 11.5.2024.
New from 1.5.2024: The Schönbergalm (name of the alpine pasture) presents itself with a new concept especially for families and groups. For the first time in the history of the Dachstein Salzkammergut mountain railways, the mountain railways will operate the restaurant themselves, as well as the Dachstein Krippenstein mountain restaurant from 11 May 2024 with an equally new concept and unique cuisine with a mix of regional, seasonal and international specialties at 2,100 meters above sea level with a view of the Dachstein glacier.
Of course 365 ticket: The year-round ticket for the 6 summer mountain railways and 3 ski areas of the BBDS (Bergbahnen Dachstein Salzkammergut) is currently available for only € 629.00 (young people 375.00 and children € 219.00, a separate year-round ticket is also offered for the dogs). All information here: www.dachstein.at/de/aktuelles/neuigkeiten/natuerlich-365-ticket or on www.bbds.at. With the Natur 365 ticket you can travel for only € 1.72 per day with all the facilities of the mountain railways.
Awarded for the cable car
The Dachstein Krippenstein cable car in Obertraun on Lake Hallstatt has been awarded as one of the best Austrian summer mountain ranges. By fulfilling 160 criteria, the Dachstein Krippenstein has been certified as one of the best Austrian summer mountain railways. The seal of approval is a promise of quality to the guests and the region. The Dachstein Krippenstein was able to convince with innovative offers such as the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave, the Mammoth Cave, the 5fingers viewing platform and the World Heritage Spiral.
The seal of approval is an initiative of the Association of Cable Cars of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and has stood for quality, cooperation and the sustainable development of the alpine mountain summer for over 20 years. Only those mountain railways that guarantee their guests innovative and carefree nature experiences on the mountain through a variety of offers are awarded. The Dachstein Krippenstein was particularly convincing in the category Panorama & Nature Experience.
Cave labyrinth of superlatives
The endless expanse of the Dachstein massif from inside – the giant Mammut Cave is sure to impress with its vast size and interplay of colours – something you would never expect to see beneath the ground in of the UNESCO World Heritage region of Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut in Austria! The name ‘Mammut Cave’ (Mammoth cave) was chosen by explorers due to the astonishing dimensions of the underground spaces and passageways contained within this cave system. At present, more than 70 km of these passageways have been explored – around 1 km of them can be viewed during the guided tours.
This exciting tour awaits you in the Mammut Cave
During 1 hour tours of the Mammut Caves, visitors gain insight into how the caves developed and the work of the cave researchers. They learn how powerful volumes of water once gushed through the mountain as well as the problems which confronted cave researchers in the ‘Midnight Dome’ during their multi-day expeditions of the inside of the mountain. In this ‘Kingdom of shadows’, there are no boundaries to the imagination. Here, nature has created its own images from the white mountain milk and brown iron oxide, generating names such as ‘Cave Venus’ and ‘Woman with Hooped Skirt’. And finally, installations from the Linz University of Art (such as the incidence of light and cave scan projects) never fail to impress.
Art in the mountain
Light and shade in the Mammut cave – the ‘Laser scan’ and ‘Incidences of light’ installations captivate in the endless gloom of one of Europe’s largest caves. A swivelling laser beam highlights the surfaces of the cave and brings to life bizarre aluminium objects through the interplay of light and shade. Particularly impressive is the projection of a mediaeval church window which emerges from the cliff as if from nowhere. Plenty of surprises guaranteed!
The history of the Mammut Cave
The West entrance to the Mammut Cave was used as a cellar for many centuries. Poachers, once numerous in the Inner Salzkammergut area, also used the area to store any game they caught. In 1910, exploration began of the seemingly endless corridors of the Mammuth Cave from the western side. On the East side, facing the ice cave, several ice entrances were identified which were finally linked with the western section in 1914. The First World War brought a halt to the research activities. After the end of the war, the military built a route through the Mammut Cave which was then improved over the decades which followed.
Today, over 60 km of the Mammuth Cave have been researched. The impressive size of the passageways and the hope of finding one of the longest caves in Europe prompted researchers to choose this name (transl. Mammoth Cave). Over the last few years, artistic installations have made the Mammut Cave even more attractive and the Dachstein caves are now impressing visitors with their new look.
Our service
Dear "cave explorers", in "Information at a Glance" below we have listed the current running times of the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car. In addition to the general operating times, you will also find the "first ride" up to the Schönbergalm to the cave worlds and the "last descent". So now it is even easier and more convenient to plan your trip to the Mammoth Cave.
Tours in 8 languages
Tours through the ice and mammoth cave will become even more exciting and interesting with the Audio-Guide-App! Download the free "Audio Guide for your Smartphone" using the QR code via WiFi. The points for the languages English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Czech, Italian and Hungarian can be found in the base and middle stations (access to the Cave Worlds) of the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car - and if you do not have headphones for your smartphone with you, you obtain a disposable headphone for €1 at the base station. We hope you enjoy your journey of discovery through the impressive Cave Worlds of the Dachstein.
More popular excursions
Guided tours through the Koppenbrüller cave
Sun, May. 12, 2024 Koppenbrüller cave (Koppenbrüllerhöhle), Obertraun
Daily tours through the Ice cave
Sun, May. 12, 2024 Dachstein-Giant-Ice cave, Obertraun
Adventure world for cavers and mountaineering fanatics
Whether you take a short trip with the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car to sunbathe on the vast Gjadalm, or visit the "Lodge am Krippenstein" for the unique panoramic view of the impressive Dachstein mountains - unforgettable mountain moments that can simply not be missed during a holiday in the Salzkammergut! Mountaineers of all ages will find a perfectly marked network of trails and unforgettable nature experiences at over 2,000 m: hiking on the Nature Trail via the Wiesberghaus to Hallstatt, a tour of discovery through the impressive karst landscape on the Heilbronner circular trail or a hike with overnight stay to the Simonyhütte. Many unforgettable sights, such as the spectacular "5fingers" viewing platform, the ship-shaped World Heritage spiral, fascinating cave worlds, or the iconic prehistoric shark, complete the wide range of excursions in the Dachstein hiking world. The mountains are calling - when will you call back?