Attractions on the glacier - Hunerkogel
There are several attractions on the Hunerkogel glacier, and every one of them is something quite out of the ordinary, unlike anything in daily life, and unforgettable. Some of them you will only take on by overcoming yourself. If you have a fear of heights, think it over carefully. If you do not, you will enjoy a truly, almost unreal sense of open space. Either way it is a decent dose of adrenaline. And the reward is incredible views
The viewing platform
Sky Walk means just that – a walk in the sky – and there are few places where the sky is as close as it is here. The platform is at an altitude of about 2,700 m, right by the top station of the cable car. The glacier viewing platform is perched on the 250-metre sheer rock face of the Hunerkogel. Part of its floor is made of glass. The platform is considerably higher than, for example, the viewing platform at Niagara Falls.
On clear days you can see the whole Tauern range from the Skywalk, with the Grossglockner and the Grossvenediger, and to the south Triglav in Slovenia, and northwards as far as Bohemia. Besides the extraordinary long view, the Skywalk offers a direct look at the natural beauty of the Dachstein.
The platform was built in four months and officially opened in August 2005. The 40-tonne steel structure withstands winds of 210 km/h, carries a snow load of up to 8 m and is designed for 150 people. The platform is 17 m long in total, the last four of which project beyond the edge.
The suspension bridge
The suspension bridge is almost 100 m long in total, with a view both of the beautiful Alpine peaks and down into a drop of nearly 400 metres. As you walk across it the abyss is directly beneath your feet and you can see it. However safe the bridge is, walking across it plays on almost anyone's nerves.
The stairway to nothingness
The stairway to nothingness comes after the crossing of the suspension bridge. Not everyone who manages the bridge is able to descend these 14 steps, made practically entirely of glass with a glass handrail, to the lower landing – also of glass. Anyone who does finds themselves out in open space below the level of the bridge. See what pose you can manage for the photograph. Your stomach will be somewhere up above…
The ice palace
A walk through an icy kingdom in which you can admire the fascinating world of the glacier from within, with glowing ice sculptures and chambers with light and sound effects. A 40-metre-long, 17-metre-deep glacier crevasse, discovered by chance, has been built into the palace's halls and corridors
The climbing route
The route runs above overhangs and sheer drops on the Hunerkogel. Places to rest are hard to find. This climb is one of the hardest in the Eastern Alps. Besides a large helping of courage, it calls for enough strength in the arms. The finale of the Sky Walk climb is an airy, slightly overhanging pillar in the middle of the face. The climb is for experienced climbers, and beginners should keep well away from it, or they may find themselves closer to the sky than they would like.
Where it is