How to Ride Austria's Longest Alpine Slide

“Want to ride a slide?” my husband asked as we tried to decide how to spend our final day in Salzburg. I’d thought he was joking, but the glint in his eyes told me he was serious AND thrilled. “Is there something special about it?” Then he explained it’s Austria’s longest slide and technically not a slide at all. The 2.2km long ride sends guests flying down The Dürrnberg, a gorgeous mountain with incredible views of the Salzach River Valley. When I learned we’d hurtle down at top speeds of 40km/h (25 mph), we grabbed my camera and headed out. Here’s how to ride Austria’s longest Alpine slide!

What is the Dürrnberg Sommerrodelbahn?

That’s the name of this attraction! Really, all that means is that in the summertime, Dürrnberg’s ski slope is converted into a summer toboggan run. So, Sommer = summer, rodelbahn = toboggan run or slide.

Easy! Look at you. You’re practically speaking German already!

How Much Is It?

It was around thirty Euros for both of us. This included taking the ski lift to the top of the mountain, which was about a fifteen-minute ride and an excellent way to take in the scenery!

How to Reach Dürrnberg Sommerrodelbahn

We took about 30 minutes worth of buses to get from Salzburg to Hellein, the neighboring city where the ride is located. Use Google Maps to figure out the best route for you.

When you arrive in Hellein, you’ll see the sign on the left below. Follow the arrows up the flight of stairs, and you’ll see the base of the ski lift. Buy your tickets there, ride the chair lift to the top, and then you’ll see this sign through the restaurant at the top of the mountain. You can’t miss it!

Is It Safe?

I felt safe! You can use a break to slow down, but I hardly used it except where the signs said to do so while going around hairpin turns. Otherwise, you’re belted in securely, and the ride is so much fun! They spaced everyone out so no one would run into each other even if they went slowly, and cameras helped staff monitor everyone’s progress to keep things safe and prevent accidents.

Was It Fun?

I can’t recommend doing this enough. I wouldn’t have picked this out, but I’m glad Robin wanted to try it. The ride was lots of fun and unlike anything else I’d ever done, and the ski lift ride to the top was breathtaking and well worth the bus ride.

There’s a restaurant atop the mountain with gorgeous views. Plus, there are a few beautiful hiking paths that we didn’t follow more than a mile each way, but the views were jaw-dropping.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the Salzburg area and want to do something totally unique, this is well worth it! All in all, we spent about four hours in Hellein, which included lunch and hiking. I’d definitely do this again!