Koppenbrüller Cave

The water-bearing Koppenbrüller Cave is located in the valley and can be accessed via a short walk along a secure trail by the charming Koppentraun river. Admire dripstone features which date back thousands of years and listen to the crashing of the invisible brook inside the mountain.

A visit to the Koppenbrüller Cave, the youngest of the 3 Dachstein caves, offers an impressive insight into the underground waterways of the inside of the Dachstein.

Especially during snowmelt and heavy rainfalls you can observe a unique natural spectacle here, which you can hike through in complete safety on one of our guided tours. 

The water crashes its way through the mountain - no wonder that there are so many myths surrounding the Koppenbrüller cave. 

Opening times

Koppenbrüller Cave is daily open from 20 July to 29 September 2024. Guided tours: 9 am to 4 pm (continuously)!

An exciting tour awaits you

From the restaurant 'Koppenrast'  at the end of village Obertraun, a comfortable footpath leads along the Traun to the cave entrance (approx. 15 minutes). The entrance of the cave is a karst source, which only occasionally overflows out of water, especially after heavy very rainfall or snow melt. 

Inside the cave, brooks are constantly in flow. During the 50 minutes guided tour guests gain insight into the development of the caves and can see for themselves how the dry stream bed in the ‘Simonyhalle’ is transformed into a crashing brook in just a few minutes during times of heavy rainfall or snowmelt.

Past the ‘Niedrigen Versturzhalle’ and ‘Hannakluft’ abyss, you will reach the origin of the cave brook – the lake 'Bocksee'. On the way back, you can see dripstones and wall calcite which have formed over the centuries.

Guided tour

Starting point: Restaurant „Koppenrast“, end of the village
Walking time to the cave: approx. 15 minutes
Duration of the guided cave tour: 50 minutes
Temperature: +6 °C (42,8 °F)

Registration for the guided tour: 
For individuals and groups up to 20 persons no pre-registration by phone /mail for the guided tour required. Please register on site at the cave ticket counter/ Koppenbrüller cave entrance.

Can children visit the cave?
Thanks to the fantastic infrastructure, the caves are also perfect for visits with kids of any age.

In which languages is the guide tour offered?
The guided tours are held by the cave guide in German and English

Music from the underground

The installations of the Art University also ensure guests enjoy an exceptional experience within the Koppenbrüller Cave! Drums stand on high stilt-like supports within the cave.

When the water drips down from the cave roof, a rhythmic drumming sound emerges which is reminiscent of the shaping power of the water which once created the cave.

Note: Warm clothing!

When visiting the caves (only permissible with a trained guide), we recommend that you wear robust shoes and warm clothing. Temperatures in the cave rarely exceed freezing point and in the other caves there is only an average temperature +6 °C (42,8 °F).

Tip: Trekking tours

You can explore the "wild" side of the cave in one of the trekking tours for the whole family. Take the child-friendly short adventure tour or the challenging trekking tour "Urwassergänge" along the original waterways, you'll feel like a real explorer!

Be careful - it's addictive :-)

FAQ's guided cave tour

Do you have any questions on your cave visit? You can find more information about visiting the caves on our FAQ page or contact our customer service team by mail info@bbds.at or phone +43 50 140 or our social media team via PN on Facebook and Instagram.

History of the Koppenbrüller Cave

In one Salzkammergut travel guide from the 19th century, the Koppenbrüller Cave is described as a ‘famous show cave’. Since there were no regular tours in those days, it can be assumed that locals showed interested visitors around the cave. The famous Dachstein researcher Friedrich Simony visited the deepest sections of the cave on several occasions.

Eerie tales such as that of the spirit of Hofer Sef, who died in the cave, were probably all part of the tour repertoire. There has been tourist access to the trails with pathways and regular tours since 1910. Over the decades , legendary tour guides like Sepp Schilcher and Alois Schenner have helped to develop the Koppenbrüller Cave.

Today, the Koppenbrüller Cave is a popular excursion for all the family!