Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Austria Höhe Pyramidenkogel Observation Tower

Pyramidenkogel Observation Tower

This spire on an Austrian mountain is wrapped around a long spiral slide and has the world's tallest wooden observation deck.

Höhe, Austria

Added By
Amethyst Osvetlit
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Pyramidenkogel Tower   Rollroboter
Top of the tower   Roland Buzzi
The view looking south   Cristian Iohan Ştefănescu
The 200-foot slide from above   Johann Jaritz
View from Pyramidenkogel to Maria Wörth (the little peninsula village) and Woerthersee (the lake)   Christiane Jodl
Wörthersee at night (that point of light on the center mountain is the tower)   liqube
The old tower…   Johann Jaritz
…And the new   Die Grünen Kärnten
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

There is a mountain in Austria called Pyramidenkogel, reaching 2,700 feet above sea level. That’s not very tall compared to the Alps, only about a quarter the size. But add the world’s tallest wooden tower to the top, and now you’ve got yourself a view.

In German the mountain is called Pyramidenkogel, but in nearby Slovenia, a short ten miles to the south, the name is Jedvova. On top of the mountain is a wooden spire that tops out at 328 feet (about 32 stories), with a viewing platform at the crown, a tower restaurant, and a slick, spiral slide.

The current tower isn’t the original. In 1950 the first one was built, a rickety version that went up along with a commemorative cross honoring the fallen soldiers of both World Wars, and the anonymous and mysterious “Opfer des Berges”—Victims of the Mountain.

In 1968 a sturdier replacement went up, which was about half as tall as the current one. The design was a sort of mid-century modern Jetsons looking thing, and it served well for the next 40 years. When a contest was launched in 2008 for another new design, it came down in a dramatic implosion. It took a few years to sort out the funding for the new one, but finally, in 2013, it was finished.

Pyramidenkogel is near the resort village of Maria Wörth, along the southern banks of the Wörthersee (Lake Wörth). Reaching into the sky has been hugely popular through all three towers, but if you come to the summit now, use the new slide—at over 200 feet it’s Europe’s longest—to bring you back down to Earth. 

Related Tags

Towers Mountains Memorials

Know Before You Go

The tower is open 7 days a week, year round (check the website for seasonal hours). Snows can sometimes get in the way, so in winter it's a good idea to call ahead and check for weather closures (+43 (0) 4273/2443).

Admission is €11 for adults, €8 for students, €5.50 for kids 6-15, and under 6 are free. It's an extra €4 to ride the slide.

Community Contributors

Added By

amethystosvetlit

Published

August 26, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.woerthersee.com/en/sehenswertes/view/102567
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramidenkogel
  • http://finestayslovenia.com/whattosee/pyramidenkogel-observation-tower-austria/
Pyramidenkogel Observation Tower
62 Linden
Höhe
Austria
46.608927, 14.14475
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Minimundus

Klagenfurt, Austria

miles away

Lindwurmbrunnen

Klagenfurt, Austria

miles away

Alpine Ski Museum

Begunje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Austria

Austria

Europe

Places 146
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Minimundus

Klagenfurt, Austria

miles away

Lindwurmbrunnen

Klagenfurt, Austria

miles away

Alpine Ski Museum

Begunje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Austria

Austria

Europe

Places 146
Stories 13

Related Places

  • Memorials at the symbolic cemetery

    Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia

    Symbolic Cemetery at Popradské Pleso

    A serene memorial that honors the adventurous spirits of climbers who lost their lives in the High Tatras.

  • Mount Kineo’s distinctive sheer face in the fall.

    Greenville, Maine

    Indian Trail on Mount Kineo

    The fire tower along this steep, scenic hiking trail offers the best views of Maine’s Moosehead Lake.

  • Peter Grubb Hut

    Norden, California

    Peter Grubb Hut

    This trailside hut was built in the late 1930s as a memorial to a young hiker.

  • Big Walker Mountain Fire Tower

    Wytheville, Virginia

    Big Walker Lookout

    A 100-foot metal tower and swinging bridge that provides stunning views of mountains in five states.

  • Kurana Aeroplane Crash Memorial

    Mount Macedon, Australia

    Kurana Aeroplane Crash Memorial

    A monument commemorating the lives lost when a plane crashed into Mount Macedon in 1948.

  • Wright’s Tower

    Medford, Massachusetts

    Wright's Tower

    Dedicated to "the father of U.S. life insurance."

  • The memorial with the modern-day summit area in the background

    Jackson, New Hampshire

    Lizzie Bourne Memorial

    Near the summit of Mount Washington, a stone monument remembers a life lost to one of the mountain's infamous storms.

  • Sedalia, Colorado

    Devil’s Head Lookout Tower

    This Colorado fire station has been in continuous operation for more than a century.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.