There are places you visit again and again. Whether it's the forest clearing around the corner, a particular town, a country or a swimming spot by the lake – everyone has a few special favourite places that, for certain reasons, always fill their soul with joy.

One of my favourite places is Krippenstein, a mountain 2,108 metres high in the Dachstein massif on the Upper Austrian side. At its foot lie the village of Obertraun and the cold but beautiful Lake Hallstatt.

I have visited this magnificent mountain many times to enjoy the fantastic views of the lake, the surrounding mountains and the Dachstein glacier. Whether it's a day trip just for enjoyment, a visit to the Dachstein Cave with a hike from the middle station to the summit, or a cosy hut holiday in the rustic Gjaid Alm: the Krippenstein is always worth a visit and is a wonderful experience for young and old alike.

By chance, I discovered online this year that there are sunrise trips to ‘my’ mountain. After booking in advance, you take a special trip in complete darkness up the mountain to the mountain station, where you can enjoy the sunrise in all its glory over the magnificent mountain panorama. If that isn't real food for the soul!

You can find out what else there is to experience on the Krippenstein further down in the report, after the sunrise photo gallery!

Sunrise on Krippenstein

In darkness and cold, my brother Axel, my dog Rocco and I arrived at the lift station above Obertraun. Getting up at 3:30 a.m., departure at 4:15 a.m., meeting point at 6:00 a.m. – pretty tough. You can see how much it was worth it in the pictures below. A view that definitely invites you to follow suit!

Due to the surprisingly large crowds, the gondola made two trips. Because we had our dog with us, we decided not to squeeze into the first gondola. Unfortunately, this meant that by the time we reached the top, we were already in the middle of the sunrise, so we missed the very first light. Fortunately, this did not detract from the beauty of the view.

Behind us, the Dachstein Glacier in the first light of dawn.

From then on, it was all about enjoying ourselves, taking photos, and not forgetting to look around while we were busy taking photos.

Rocco was the secret star of the mountain and was photographed just as often as the sunrise.

View down onto Lake Hallstatt, still lying in the shadow of the mountain.

After a leisurely breakfast at the Krippenstein Lodge, we set off again in bright sunshine.

... and what else to experience at Krippenstein

The Krippenstein is an excursion mountain par excellence. Walkers, hikers and serious mountaineers alike will find something to suit them. The former visit the Five Fingers viewing platform and the Welterbespirale, leisurely hikers set off on the approximately 3-hour Heilbronner circular hiking trail, and mountaineers head for the Simonyhütte hut, from where they can climb the Dachstein, Styria's highest mountain.

A good tip is the hut Gjaid Alm, which can be reached via the Heilbronn circular hiking trail or, quicker and more conveniently, simply by taking the third section of the gondola lift. Even better than just enjoying a drink and good food is to stay there for a night or two and really enjoy the rustic rooms and great atmosphere.

In the following photos, we were on the Heilbronner circular hiking trail , which, incidentally, is also a great experience for children and very easy to hike thanks to the well-maintained path.

And, of course, a view from the Five Fingers at the beginning or end is an absolute must!

For the adventurous: a paragliding flight

I have a paragliding pilot's licence, but (unfortunately) my active days are long gone. Nevertheless, I still find myself standing ecstatically next to the launch site at Krippenstein, watching the paragliders take off. These are the moments when I miss flying so much and resolve to do it again soon, which usually fails due to the time required and the fact that I no longer have the equipment.

But even without a flying licence, you can still experience the adventure of paragliding on the Krippenstein. The Sky Club Austria flying school offers tandem flights from the Krippenstein. This is available all year round and is a truly fantastic experience. Don't worry, by the way – you don't ‘fall’ when paragliding. It is a much gentler way to fly than skydiving.