nature - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1987 - 5 Shilling

The Dachstein Giant Ice Cave is located in the municipality of Obertraun, in the Salzkammergut in Upper Austria. The bizarre ice palaces in the fairytale world of the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave provide visitors with a unique experience of nature. The politically responsible also recognized the value of this natural beauty early on and thus already in 1928 this unique natural monument was placed under the protection of the law. In 1963, the Dachstein area was declared a nature reserve. The entrance to the giant ice cave is at 1,420 m above sea level, the exit at 1,458 m above sea level, the total length of the cave system is about 2000 m. In 1987 exactly 40 years had passed since the development of the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave was started. On 14 September 1947 was carried out by Federal President Dr. Karl Renner the groundbreaking ceremony for the first section of the Dachsteinbahn, which leads from Obertraun to Schönbergalm, from which the Dachstein Giant Ice Caves are easily accessible. With the construction of the Dachsteinbahn the conditions were created that the protected cave world of the Dachstein today has become an international landmark.