Caves and Nature in the Salzkammergut Region
The Salzkammergut region is one of the most impressively scenic areas in all of Austria, featuring 76 lakes, rivers, towering mountain ranges, and picturesque, charming towns and villages. The landscapes are so stunning that words fall short of describing them. Every viewpoint is more beautiful than the last, and every cable car or scenic mountain road leads to breathtaking views. The Salzkammergut region is located on Austria's "Romantic Road" and has a rich, long-standing history. Habsburg emperors chose it hundreds of years ago as their resort and pleasure site. To this day, it is a popular vacation destination especially loved by sports and active holiday enthusiasts thanks to its numerous hiking trails both on foot and by bike, and thanks to the abundance of water activity options on the many lakes, known for their exceptionally clear and clean water (of drinkable quality).
The region is dubbed the "10th Region of Austria" because it is not an official federal land in the country (Austria has nine official federal regions) but rather an area that includes parts of three regions: Salzburg, Upper Austria, and Styria.
This region also features interesting caves and mines.
♦ Recommended Accommodation in Salzkammergut:
In Gosau:
Ferienwohnung Vierthaler
A couples' studio apartment and two two-bedroom apartments with a living room designed for up to six guests. All are well-equipped and furnished.
Mühlradl Apartments
Five vacation apartments each designed to accommodate 2-4 guests. All apartments have a view of the Gosau Mountain.
In St. Gilgen:
Haus Seehof
A hotel with double rooms and a four-person apartment with a bedroom and a living room. Located right on the shores of Lake Wolfgang (Lake Wolfgang), offering rooms with balconies and panoramic views of the lake and mountains. A varied breakfast buffet is served in the mornings. The property includes a large garden with a sunbathing lawn and a children's playground.
Haus Weissenbacher am Wolfgangsee
A small apartment hotel with 5 apartments designed to accommodate 2-6 guests, one hundred meters from the shores of Lake Wolfgang with a private swimming beach. All apartments are well-furnished and equipped.
Dachstein Caves Welterbe Dachstein
Deep inside the Dachstein Mountain, you can tour three caves: the Giant Ice Cave, the Mammuthohle Mammoth Cave, and the Koppenbrullerhohle Cave. They are reached by ascending the first stage of the Dachstein cable car (described above).
The most famous of all is the Giant Ice Cave Rieseneishohle, considered one of the largest ice caves in the world. The ice inside the cave is formed by the infiltration of rainwater flowing through the mountain via cracks in the rock. The cold air flowing through the cave freezes the water into a variety of interesting shapes that stimulate the imagination. The warm water current flowing through the cave melts some of the ice blocks, but since more and more glaciers are constantly forming, you will always be treated to fascinating sights inside the cave. The cave entrance is located a short walking distance along an easy path from the first cable car station. Guided tours lasting 50 minutes are held here. You will pass through the stalactite hall to "King Arthur's Cathedral" - a large space featuring huge rocks protruding from the floor. Here you can also see the bones of bears that lived in the cave. From there, you will climb stairs through a narrow passage to the "Ice Palace" in the upper part of the cave where you will witness impressive ice formations and continue to the "Parsifal Cathedral" where a nine-meter-tall ice stalagmite looks like an ice mountain. In this frozen space, concerts called "Ice sound concert" are held on Friday afternoons (at an additional cost), featuring music of all styles ranging from classical music to jazz. In the "Castle of the Grail" you will witness an impressive light show that illuminates the ice walls and statues in a variety of colors. From there you will continue to the "Tristan Cathedral" which has an ice floor 25 meters thick. From there you will descend to the "Great Ice Chapel" located at the bottom of the cave. From the cave's exit, you can admire a beautiful view of the Krippenstein mountains and Lake Hallstatt.
In addition to the impressive sights created by nature in the cave, man-made attractions and surprises prepared by the Linz University of Art have been added, with inspiring names such as "The Breathing Cave".
In addition to standard tours in the cave, special family tours called "Bibi Blocksberg" tours are also held, in which the witch "Rabia from Katzenstein Mountain" herself will lead the children and their parents inside the ice cave through secret passages using a "treasure map" until you discover the secrets of the blue owls. These tours, which are more expensive, are especially popular with adventurous children and take place three times a day in July and August and on weekends in June.
Mammoth Cave
A gigantic karst cave that forms a labyrinth of 60 km of underground passages where the height difference between its lowest and highest points reaches 1199 meters.
During a guided tour of about an hour, you will explore only one kilometer of the cave and receive explanations about how it was formed and the working methods of cave researchers and explorers. You will climb to the "Midnight Cathedral" Mitternachtsdom and from there continue to the "Kingdom of Shadows" Reich der Schatten where nature has created magical figures in a play of colors between brown and white deposits. With a little imagination, you can see the "Venus of the Caves" and the "Lady with the Crinoline". Here too, man-made attractions created by the Linz University of Art were added: the "Cave Scanner" and the "Stair of Lights".
Koppenbrullerhohle Cave
These are the geologically youngest caves among the three Dachstein caves. Their uniqueness is the rushing underground river flowing inside the caves. The caves are located near the town of Obertraun Obertraun.
The way to the cave entrance begins with a hiking trail called Koppenrast-inn where you walk for about a quarter of an hour along the Koppentraun river to the cave entrance. In rainy periods, an impressive waterfall flows from the cave entrance.
You can visit the cave even in rainy weather because you walk on platforms elevated well above the flowing river. Guided tours lasting about an hour are held in the cave during which you will receive explanations on how the cave was formed.
Those interested in learning more about the caves in the area can visit the Dachstein Cave Museum Dachstein Cave Museum which is also located near the first Dachstein cable car station. The museum features bear bones discovered in the caves as well as a model of 48 km of tunnels explored in the Mammoth caves.
The site also features a family restaurant with children's meals where children under one meter tall eat for free.
Entrance to each of the caves and the cable car ride leading to them are paid. You can purchase a ticket that includes a round-trip cable car ride and entry to one cave, or a combined ticket for two caves. Discounts for children. You can purchase a discounted family ticket. Discount for holders of the Salzkammergut region card.
Opening Hours:
Tour dates depend on the month of the year and differ between the various caves. In summer, the first tour of the ice cave departs from the cave entrance at 9:20 while the last tour is at 16:30. In the other caves, operating hours are more limited. It is recommended to check the cave website for exact tour dates. Various events are also held in the caves during the summer months.
Gosau
Gosau is a charming and attraction-rich resort town known for the tiny lake adjacent to it, Lake Gosau.
More information about the town can be obtained at its visitor center, address: Nr. 547, A- 4824 Gosau.
Gosau is a tiny lake with clear, cold water located at the foot of the Dachstein mountains. The lake water is drinkable and it abounds with fish of various species. It is one of the most picturesque lakes in the region and was dubbed "The Eye of God" by a nature researcher who was impressed by its beauty. Around the lake is a walking trail surrounding it with eleven stations featuring various information and activities related to the lake water, the nature surrounding it, geology, fossils, and energy, among them: a natural water well, a "Pythagoras cup", a water xylophone, and a "sound funnel". Trail length: 4 kilometers. Walking time is about an hour to an hour and a half. The trail is also suitable for the disabled and baby strollers.
Hiking enthusiasts can embark on a 3-4 hour hike to Upper Lake Gosau.
In summer, you can rent rowboats and pedal boats on the lake, sail leisurely, and admire the scenery and fresh air.
Adjacent to the lake, you can take the Gosau cable car Gosaukamm
The view of the lake and the mighty mountains surrounding it is breathtaking. At the summit, there are numerous hiking trails of all levels as well as a café-restaurant with a wonderful apple strudel!
The cable car ride is paid. Discounts for children. Free for Salzburg region card holders. Discount for Salzkammergut region card holders.