Mountain station renovated

A new jewel shines on the roof of Styria

After nine challenging months, the renovation of the Dachstein mountain station is now complete. Photovoltaic panels were integrated into the façade.

(Bild: Planai Bahnen Prugger)

Austria's highest construction site has been completed: The Dachstein mountain station has been completely renovated at a cost of 14 million euros and boasts a number of new highlights. From Friday, after nine months of renovation work, the cable car will once again be transporting guests to the roof of Styria.

A 40-metre high special crane, 350 tons of demolition material, 150 tons of steel and 170 cubic meters of concrete - and all this in an exposed location at 2700 meters, without access. The renovation of the ageing Dachstein mountain station was a Herculean task for everyone involved. After nine months, Austria's highest and probably most spectacular construction site has now been completed and the completely renovated building was officially opened on Thursday. 

Excavating on the abyss: the construction site at 2700 meters demanded a lot from the workers.

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

"This time last year, we were faced with the question: Which companies dare to go over there? You're almost at 3,000 meters, you need personnel with high alpine experience," explains Planai lifts boss Georg Bliem. "Fortunately, we managed to find really great companies, mostly from the region, where the employees were keen to be involved."

Welding where others climb mountains
A good 130 workers, plus another 40 employees from Team Dachstein, have been working at dizzying heights since the beginning of September, "in wind and weather, we often had 150 km/h wind peaks and yet we were still assembling and welding outside," says Bliem. And adds: "The logistics were also insane. We transported most of it up and down by cable car, and sometimes a helicopter was also used, for example for the large window fronts." 

A crane specially developed for the construction site made the conversion on this scale possible in the first place.

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

The result is impressive: One highlight, for example, is the new photovoltaic system, cleverly integrated into the façade and yet an absolute eye-catcher. PV modules were installed on around 600 square meters, which generate around 100,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year and should therefore cover around 80 percent of the energy required for the mountain station. 

From Friday, the cable car will once again transport visitors to the newly designed mountain station.

(Bild: Harald Steiner - Fotografie)

An Eldorado for those hungry for views
The centerpiece of the interior renovation is the new glacier restaurant for around 240 guests. "With large glass fronts right down to the ground, you're practically sitting in the middle of the mountains with a magnificent view," enthuses Planai boss Bliem. There is also a new terrace and "Austria's highest seminar room." And visitors hungry for views can go even higher: as a counterpart to the popular "Stairway to Nothingness", there is now also the new "Sky Ladder", a panoramic glass platform that rises seven meters above the building.

New highlight with a breathtaking view: The "Himmelsleiter", named after the legendary climbing route of the Steiner brothers.

(Bild: Planai Bahnen Harald Steiner)

"Thanks to the new mountain station, the Dachstein will become even more attractive for guests from all over the world and open up even more breathtaking views," said Governor Christopher Drexler at the opening ceremony. "The focus on sustainability is particularly pleasing," added State Tourism Councillor Barbara Eibinger-Miedl. 

At the opening ceremony on Thursday, Planai boss Georg Bliem (3rd from right) welcomed Governor Christopher Drexler (3rd from left) and his Upper Austrian colleague Thomas Stelzer (4th from left), among others

(Bild: Harald Steiner)

Increasing pressure on glaciers
Despite the jubilant mood, difficult challenges are also addressed: "We don't want to hide the issues of climate change and glacier shrinkage," says Bliem. In cooperation with the Universalmuseum Joanneum and Ars Electronica Solutions (Linz), exhibitions and installations have been created on these sensitive topics.

Construction of the valley station began in the 1960s.

(Bild: Kaserer)

Dates & facts

The Dachstein road was built in 1961, the ground-breaking ceremony for the cable car followed in 1966 and in June 1969 - exactly one month before Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon - the Dachstein Südwandbahn went into operation.

The difference in altitude between the valley station and the mountain station (2700 meters) is 998 meters and the average journey time is seven minutes.

To date, around 9.9 million visitors have been transported up the mountain by the aerial tramway. One gondola weighs around 5.2 tons.

During the renovation of the mountain station, 150 tons of steel and 166 cubic metres of concrete were used and 120 kilometers of cables were laid. Photovoltaic panels were installed on 600 square meters of the façade.

The estimated budget of 14 million euros should be met, "it looks like a precision landing, so we calculated well," says Bliem happily, adding with a wink: "Now it should work again for the next 50 years!"