SUSPENSION BRIDGE FOR THE BRAVE
14 Aug 2013
The Dachstein Suspension Bridge is the highest bridge in Austria, offering brave visitors breathtaking views from a glass platform overlooking a 400m steep drop.
The Dachstein Glacier Resort located on one of the loftiest Alpine peaks is one of the most popular attractions in the Alps, hosting a range of outdoor activities as well as the popular Dachstein Ice Palace and the Dachstein Sky Walk.
As of July this year, tourists can also experience the exciting 100m Dachstein Suspension Bridge, the highest bridge in Austria, offering breathtaking views from a 400m steep drop from the sheer rockface. From the suspension bridge, one can descend down the aptly named “stairway to nothingness”, a 14 step stairway to a glass viewing platform that ‘hovers’ over thin air.
Technical director Karl Höflehner, who oversaw this spectacular project, is very pleased with the project’s outcome: "I am absolutely delighted that we managed to reach agreement with the nature conservation authority, which means that all visitors to the Dachstein can now experience the breathtaking sensation of being suspended above the rock face as they gaze over the Alps."
The Tyrolean high mountain construction specialist HTB demonstrated the full scope of its expertise in the execution of the project. The work on the suspension bridge was at times carried out in exceptionally challenging conditions and there was certainly little sign of vertigo. "The most important thing is that the project was completed with no injuries," says Karl Höflehner.
Definitely not for the faint-hearted, the Dachstein Glacier resort cautions that only visitors with “nerves of steel” should attempt this walk.
