Dachstein shark

Highlight on the Heilbronn Circular Trail

The king of the primeval ocean is back! The Dachstein shark is the latest attraction on the Heilbronn circular trail and provides visitors with a glimpse into the pre-historic past of the Dachstein massif.

Marvel and take a look at this impressive, primeval hunter in the midst of what was its hunting area in days gone by. Take a look from the jaws of the Dachstein shark and get a fantastic view of the fossilized primeval seabed; in addition to the Dachstein glacier this makes a popular backdrop for taking a photo.

TIP: In the Onlineshop you get all tickets (cable car, caves, combined ticket) at a reasonable online prices!

The 8 m long Highlight

The shark - inside accessible with a panoramic view

The 8 m long Dachstein shark, which has been created by the Deubler company in Bad Goisern, you is inside accessible / walkable. After going up the ladder, visitors can take a look at Dachstein's early sea bed from the jaws of the shark.

The Dachstein shark demonstrates that the Dachstein massif was itself covered by sea water millions of years ago and there was even a pre-historic shark at that time - it has been called the ice shark. 

Hiking trail

Hike to the Dachstein shark

  • Starting point = mountain station Krippenstein (section 2)

  • Walking time = 30 minutes

  • Difficulty = easy hike, suitable for children

From the mountain station of the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car you hike for around 1/2 an hour on the extensively developed Heilbronn circular trail in direction of the Heilbronn cross to the Dachstein shark.

From the Dachstein shark you can continue the hike at the Heilbronner Circular trail or walk back to the mountain station Krippenstein and visit the magnificient viewing platforms World Heritage spiral and 5fingers. 

A lot to discover

Primeval time: fossils, crustaceans

During a hike on the Heilbronn circular trail, from the mountain station for the Dachstein Krippenstein cable car which takes you up to 2100 metres altitude, right up to the Dachstein shark, there are still a lot of fossils, fossilised crustaceans and deposits in the rocks from the primordial ocean today, giving visitors a glimpse into the pre-historic past of Dachstein and how it came into being.

Information boards located along the Heilbronn circular hiking trail provide interesting information on the formation of fossils and karst rock on the Dachstein Plateau.

How came the shark on the mountain?

The Dachstein shark has returned to its former stomping ground and will be the new 'HAI-Light' (highlight) in Obertraun from 6th August 2013. A helicopter, the Kamov KA32 A12 - 2 x 2190 HP, unladen weight 6.5 tonnes - pulled the new visitor magnet, the DACHSTEIN SHARK, out of Lake Hallstättersee, it was flown to the mountain, immediately installed and opened to visitors.

Have a breakEnjoy the panorama

Tip: Krippenstein-Eishöhle

The small cave "Krippenstein Eishöhle" is the fourth cave on the Dachstein Krippenstein, freely accessible and you should definitely visit it on a hike at the Heilbronn Circular Trail. Even in summer you can still marvel at ice in the small ice cave.

Where is the ice cave located?

The ice cave is well signposted! Near the Dachstein shark you leave the circular hiking trail no. 661 and follow the hiking sign "Krippenstein Eishöhle" - ​​in less than 5 minutes you will reach the cave entrance. A short detour ;-)

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