The Alpinarium in Galtür
A visit to the museum in Galtür
Set against the backdrop of the vast mountain landscape, the Alpinarium in Galtür stands as a striking structure. A protective wall, 345 metres long and 19 metres high, surrounds the interactive museum. A total of 700,000 kilograms of steel was used in its construction. This architecturally impressive structure serves to protect the village centre and the residents of Galtür from the mighty forces of nature. The museum is an exhibition venue as well as an information and documentation centre all in one. Inside, you immediately realise that it is characterised by a close connection to nature: stone, rock, ice, snow and water define the design of the exhibition spaces.
The Alpinarium: At a Glance
- Defensive wall: 345 m long, 19 m high
- Interactive museum and documentation centre in one ‘Gefrorenes Wasser’ panoramic café
- Indoor bouldering wall covering over 90 m²
- ‘ZUM LESA’ library
- Children’s treasure hunt: ‘Where are Alpa and Alpu?’
- Open every Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00 Discounted admission prices for families
Alpinarium Interactive Museum
The Alpinarium offers fascinating insights through a variety of exhibitions and the chance to take a relaxing break. For a drink or a snack, you can take a seat in the ‘Gefrorenes Wasser’ Panorama Café and enjoy the warm mountain sun and the magnificent views whilst sipping your drink.
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 am to 6.00 pm
- Admission: Find out more
Tip: You can find detailed information on current exhibitions, opening times and prices directly on the Alpinarium website.
Top-class entertainment
Anyone looking to work up a sweat can improve their fitness and agility on the indoor bouldering wall. Covering an area of over 90 square metres, it offers challenging routes for beginners and professionals alike.
"ZUM LESA" is the name of the library, which forms part of the Alpinarium and invites visitors to browse. You can flick through children’s books, novels, biographies and travel guides.
The Alpinarium Galtür has come up with something particularly exciting for its youngest visitors: in the children’s treasure hunt ‘Where are Alpa and Alpu?’, children have to solve tricky puzzles featuring two cute marmots.
Why is the Alpinarium situated where it is?
On 23 February 1999, Galtür was struck by one of the worst avalanche disasters in Austrian history. As a direct consequence, a 345-metre-long, 19-metre-high protective wall made of 700,000 kilograms of steel was constructed. This gave rise to the Alpinarium. There, the history of the disaster is explored in a dedicated memorial room as well as in changing exhibitions on the dynamics of the mountain world (Alpine orogeny, climate, avalanches).
This combination of a protective structure, a memorial and an interactive museum exists in this form only in Galtür.
