Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The ice in the
Dachstein Eishöhle
is no more than 500 years old, and forms an 'ice moun-
tain' up to 8m high - twice as high now as it was when the caves were first explored in
1910. The formations here are illuminated with coloured light and the shapes they take
are eerie and surreal. This cave can only be seen on a guided tour; if you let the tour
guide know, they will do the tour with English as well as German commentary.
The
Mammuthöhle
is among the 30 or so deepest and longest caves in the world and is
free of ice. Tours offer insight into the formation of the cave, which also has installations
and artworks based on light and shadow to heighten the experience.
CABLE CAR
Cable Car
(all sections return adult/child €27/15, 1 section return adult/child €12.50/7.50; closed late Oct-Nov & Easter-Apr)
A highlight in itself, the cable car departs about every 15 minutes from the valley station
and has several stages, becoming more low-key and remote the further you go. After the
middle station (for the caves),
Schönbergalm
(return adult/child €16.20/9; from May)
, it continues
to the highest point (2109m) of
Krippenstein
(return adult/child €23/14; from mid-May)
, which
has the eerie
5Fingers viewing platform
dangling over the precipice. On a clear day the views
from this platform down across the lake are little short of magnificent, and a glass floor
allows you to peer directly down beyond your feet into a gaping void. Each 'finger' has a
different form, one of these reminiscent of a diving board.
The final stretch is to
Gjaid Alm
(return adult/child €27/15; from mid-Jun)
, taking you away
from the crowds to an area where walking trails wind across the rocky meadows or lead
higher into the mountains. Some of these trails begin at the simple Gjaid Alm guesthouse
and working organic farm situated 10 minutes by foot from the cable-car station.
