Fascinating facts about the Pitztal Glacier

Inside the Gletscherexpress tunnel, the temperature remains at around 6 °C in both summer and winter.

The Gletscherexpress takes you from the valley to 2,840 metres in around eight minutes, gaining approximately 1,110 metres in altitude.

That is the length of the Gletscherexpress route – almost entirely inside the mountain.

Each Gletscherexpress train can carry up to 200 passengers.

The two trains pass each other at a passing loop on the otherwise single-track route.

The Gletscherexpress travels almost entirely underground through the mountain and takes you directly up to 2,840 metres.

The Gletscherexpress is a funicular railway: the two trains are connected by a shared hauling rope.

Each Gletscherexpress train consists of eight passenger compartments.

Each Gletscherexpress train is almost 29 metres long, yet only around 2.10 metres wide.

Four motors and two gearboxes provide the power for the Gletscherexpress.

The Gletscherexpress generates electrical energy while travelling, helping to power important functions on board.

In summer, the Gletscherexpress can be powered entirely by electricity generated by our own photovoltaic system.

Thanks to its high-altitude location, the photovoltaic system at the Pitztal Glacier produces around one third more electricity than a comparable system at lower altitude.

A decoupled running gear system and rubber-sprung wheels make the Gletscherexpress particularly smooth and quiet.

Before the original Pitz Express opened, the breakthrough of the tunnel was celebrated on 11 March 1983.

An underground funicular has been carrying guests up to the Pitztal Glacier since 23 December 1983.

The original Gletscherexpress trains were in operation for almost 38 years before being replaced by the current generation.

Following seven months of planning and a total of 52 weeks of implementation, the new Gletscherexpress completed its first journey on 15 July 2022.

Around 89 °C is a useful guideline: the exact boiling point of water at 3,440 metres varies slightly depending on the weather and air pressure.

At 3,440 metres, air pressure is only around two thirds of that at sea level.

Water boils sooner at 3,440 metres, but at a lower temperature. As a result, some foods take longer to cook.

The air at 3,440 metres still contains around 21% oxygen. However, because of the lower air pressure, fewer oxygen molecules are available to your body with each breath.

At high altitude, your body usually responds by breathing faster and more deeply to compensate for the reduced availability of oxygen.

UV radiation becomes more intense with increasing altitude – and snow reflects a large proportion of it back towards you.

UV radiation increases by roughly ten percent for every 1,000 metres of altitude. At 3,440 metres, it is therefore considerably stronger than in the valley.

Fresh snow reflects a large proportion of UV radiation, increasing the exposure of both your skin and eyes.

Sun protection is important even when it is cool or cloudy: some UV radiation passes through clouds and is also reflected by snow.

The highest point on the Pitztal Glacier accessible by cable car is located at 3,440 metres.

The views stretch from the Zugspitze and the Allgäu Alps across the Silvretta to the Ötztal and Stubai Alps.

The glacier landscape surrounding the Pitztal Glacier includes the Mittelbergferner, Taschachferner, Taufkarferner, Karlesferner and Brunnenkogelferner glaciers.

Moraines, smoothly polished rocks and glacial lakes still reveal where and how the ice once shaped the landscape.

Driven by their own weight, glaciers slowly move downhill – even though this movement is almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

Summer skiing on the Pitztal Glacier ended in 1995. Since then, skiing has focused on autumn, winter and spring.

A high-altitude cross-country ski trail at around 2,690 metres has been part of the glacier ski area since its early days.

A special snowmaking system at the Pitztal Glacier can produce technical snow even when temperatures are above 0 °C.

There is no conventional film at the Glacier Cinema: the ever-changing mountain and glacier landscape provides the natural show.

That was the weight of the Wildspitzbahn cable during construction.

The Wildspitzbahn takes only around six minutes to travel from 2,840 to 3,440 metres.

That is the inclined length of the Wildspitzbahn route between the lower and upper stations.

The Wildspitzbahn has a total of 61 gondolas.

The Wildspitzbahn can transport up to 2,186 passengers per hour.

On the Wildspitzbahn, skis are carried comfortably inside the gondola rather than on exterior ski racks.

The Wildspitzbahn and Café 3440 were built together during 2011 and 2012.

The distinctive exterior of Café 3440 covers an area of around 1,620 square metres.

The shape of Café 3440 was inspired by a snow cornice, helping the building offer as little resistance as possible to wind and harsh weather.

Hundreds of individually shaped aluminium panels were precisely planned and assembled on the mountain to create Café 3440.

Installing the exterior of Café 3440 at 3,440 metres alone took around four months.

Cakes and pastries for Café 3440 are made directly on the mountain at 3,440 metres.

Café 3440 is home to Tyrol’s highest patisserie, where cakes and pastries are freshly made directly on the mountain.

Café 3440 can accommodate around 100 guests, including its terrace.

Café 3440 is located directly on the summit of the Hinterer Brunnenkogel at 3,440 metres.

From Café 3440, you can look directly towards the 3,774-metre Wildspitze – the highest mountain in North Tyrol.

The Chapel of the White Light consists of 180 individual elements made from white Carrara marble.

A single marble element used in the chapel can weigh as much as 3,370 kilograms.

A special diamond chain was developed specifically for working the massive blocks of marble.

The altar inside the chapel weighs just under one tonne.

The chapel’s striking titanium portal is 3.70 metres high and weighs around two tonnes.

Coloured special-glass windows create constantly changing patterns of light inside the chapel depending on the position of the sun.

The chapel was built as a symbol of gratitude after the development of the Pitztal Glacier had been completed without any serious incidents or accidents.